Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.
2017
Retained on the Williamsburg (IA) seventh-grade reading list. The book focuses on the life of a 14-year-old boy who struggles with concepts of wrong and right in a society in which he feels he is an outsider. The complainant said the book contained subjects that are socially, emotionally, and developmentally difficult for seventh-graders to deal with, including conflict, crime, death of a character, and gang fighting. The following reasons were cited for retaining the book in the seventh-grade curriculum: lower reading level allows the focus to be placed on the understanding and recognition of the themes that are developed in the book; favored by boys, who tend to be more averse to reading in general; and student members of the reconsideration committee both felt the book was something they enjoyed reading and that id dealt with topics that come up in movies, television, and video games, and a classroom discussion about those things is helpful.
2001
Challenged at Eleanor’s (WV) George Washington Middle School due to objections to the focus on gangs and gang fights.
On These Pages
A Banned book has been removed from a library, classroom, etc.
A Challenged book has been requested to be removed from a library, classroom, etc.
For additional information contact
Ron Titus, titus@marshall.edu
304-696-6575
Last updated
July 18, 2017