Parents take son out of school over controversial book

This book reflects our life, we shouldn't have to tell the parents about it. we go through this stuff everyday. Does elijah's parents let him use the internet? His parents bought the book. how are they going to buy a book and then realize what it is about 2 weeks after they already purchased it? These people need to wake up and smell the coffee. The world isn't going to stop for there son. How old were they when they learned about sex, rape, and drugs? And if elijah didn't want to read it then why didn't he ask if he could read something else? There is something fishy about the straffords. I feel real sorry for elijah. And don't target our teacher she is fantastic! Mr. William Avery White. :]]

I have a fifteen year old at Ashley and she read this book last year in Ms.Mckoys class,I also read the book when she finished.We cannot keep our children in a bubble they have to grow up.Some kids are more mature than others .The kids are given the option to read this book or they could choose a differant one if they wanted to. I support the teacher let her teach.

This book reflects high school. If you are in high school and you read this book you are basically reading about what is going on around you. I love this book and so does everyone in my class. I am in miss McCoy's 2nd period and everyone in the class loves this book. Since we have been reading the book i always see students around school, and out of class, reading the book. When i ask them why they are reading it they say it is the best book they have ever picked up. I'm not into reading unless i have to during school, but this is a book i would read in my free time or anytime i could get the chance to pick it up and read further into the story. This book shows high schoolers what is going on around them. This isn't elementary school. We all know what sex is and what happens at parties. You can't sheild us from everything. I can't even believe someone would take a book this far. i mean the news, seriously? You people are acting like your son is going to die if he reads this. He is a teenager, let him grow up!

i know they didnt say this about this book this book is a good book and if you seen his son girlfriend then less see if he would be saved then this is the best book i eery read and after i read this book i dint wha to be gay or nothing like that i didnt what to do drugs mrs mccoy didi nothing wrong and your son probably didnt miss school he probably skiped school

While we can sit here and discuss whether the graphic content of this book is appropriate for 9th graders or whether the parents are misguided in sheltering their son, we really just need to look at the real issues at hand. ISSUE #1. THE TEACHER KNEW THIS BOOK WAS CONTROVERSIAL AND MAY NOT BE SUITED FOR EVERYONE. By placing a permission slip on her web site, she acknowledges the above statement. ISSUE #2. THE TEACHER DID NOT REQUIRE SIGNED PERMISSION SLIPS FROM THE PARENTS TO READ AND DISCUSS THIS BOOK IN CLASS. Although the perm. slip may be on her web site, it is clear that she didn't require a parent's signature before proceeding teaching this book in class. If she had a stack of SIGNED permission slips before she proceeded with this book, this entire situation would not be taking place. ISSUE #3. AN OPTIONAL READING WAS GIVEN TO THE CLASS, BUT SHOULD THIS DECISION BE IN THE HANDS OF A 9th GRADER OR HIS/HER PARENTS? It is clear an optional reading was given. However, with such a controversial book, the decision of whether to read this book or another one should not be in the hands of 9th graders. This should be the decision of the parents, which again leads back to the permission slips. ISSUE #4. THE STUDENT NEEDS SCHOOLING. Whether it be home schooling or returning to Ashley or another high school, he needs to continue his education ASAP. We can debate whether the parents are too over-protective or whether the teacher is out of line, but the above items are the issues that need to be quickly addressed.

im in this class, and this book is not bad at all and the parent had him in PUBLIC SCHOOL ok he heres worse things buzzing around the halls and sees them. plus these parents oveously have not read the book beacuse my GRANDMA is half way through and has NO COMPLAINTS more power to you Ms.McCoy ☺☺☺☺

i like this book .... i personally think that it not bad... eventually you would learn about this stuff.... its modern day living ... in our community thers gay sex.... drugs..... rape.... if people have a problem with that them i suggest they join us in reality.

i am a fifteen year old in the 9th grade at ashley high school and i think that this is absolutely ridiculous! how do you expect your child to have a life or have kids in the future? you have to have sex! this is not amishtown! what if your child was gay or had friends who were gay all of these things go on in the community so more than likely this kid is going to be a wallflower so maybe it would have been helpful for him to read it. you can't expect your child to be "pure" forever . being sheltered is NOT a good thing. as a parent you should inform your kid about these things. oh and by the way have you ever been in sex ed? we don't need it because everyone's problably already had it including your son. so maybe it's time to give him the "talk" because apparently hes going to be uneducated about the world around him. oh and to the parents i have never seen such great parenting. parading your child on tv and brain washing him way to go you deserve the parents of the year award. way to go

I am a 15 year old girl in the 9th grade attending Ashley High School.I think that everyone has their own opinion. But, if the parents of this child objected the book and were notified that he could read an alternate book, why did they have to go so far as to taking him out of Ashley High School? Also, the parents were the ones who bought him the book! If they keep their son "sheltered" don't you think they should have read into the book a little to see if they thought it was appropriate? Coming from a teenager's point of view, I love the book and so do all of my classmates. Kids are wanting to take it home and finish it in one night! It addresses topics that appeal to young adults and we can all relate to the real life things that happen in the story. If they think that their son isn't going to be exposed to these kind of things eventually, then they are crazy! The book isn't telling us what is right from wrong. It is a book about realistic things that happen to everyone and I think that it's probably one of the best books I have ever read. (And for the record, Ms. McCoy is one of the best teachers I've ever had, and she would never try to teach us about things that we couldn't handle. Maybe things like gay sex and POnography are too much to handle for some people.)

This is one of the many reasons parents are opting out of the public school system. What right does a school or individual teacher have to choose this kind of book for a class assignment? Thumbs up to the parents of this boy. I hope other parents are speaking up too.