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Limestone County, Alabama: Novel Banned from School Library
March 17, 2005
Story Continued...
According to an Associated Press article, The Limestone County School Board voted 4-3 to ban Whale Talk from the school library, due to language. The vote took place after a parent complained about several curse words in the book.
Superintendent Barry Carroll hoped the book would remain in the library, and made a recommendation that it stay. He noted the message in the story was more important than the language.
The board members who voted to remove the book are Earl Glaze, Bryant Moss, Darin Russell, and James Shannon. Shannon was quoted in the Associated Press article as saying, “We can’t allow students to go down the halls and say these words, and we shouldn’t let them read it. The book’s got a lot of bad, bad words in it.”
Limestone County School Board President Roger Whitt voted to keep the book, as did members John Wayne King and Charles Shoulders Jr.
The story is about a 17-year old boy who creates a swim team in his school, which has no pool. Meanwhile, he comes to terms with his multicultural heritage. Crutcher is known for writing gritty stories with important messages about tolerance and growing up. He uses language that expresses this reality and it has caused his books to be banned from school systems before.
Chris Crutcher was recently invited for a talk in Grand Haven, Michigan after his book Athletic Shorts was banned in a nearby school district (please see: Grand Rapids, Michigan: Book Pulled from Classrooms, Libraries). There, Monica Verplank, executive director of instructions services for the Grand Haven Public Schools, said the book Whale Talk is part of the curriculum at the high school. She said Whale Talk is a “powerful book for students to read and it does a very nice job of developing characters that students can relate with. The main character encounters difficulties and there is a strong message about ways to resolve the conflicts.”
Before the Limestone County School Board vote, the school board received a memo from a committee of county teachers, parents and administrators who reviewed the book. The memo recommended keeping the book in the library. PEN USA feels it is a shame the majority of the school board did not agree with the committee, who said the book highlights the importance of forgiveness over revenge, provides a realistic view of life, and “the consequences of prejudice, outspoken and malicious people.”
PEN USA’s concern is mirrored by Superintendent Carroll, who expressed worry that banning one book would lead to banning others.
Links: AP article (First Amendment Center)
Chris Crutcher Visits Michigan
Recommended Action:
Write to the board members who voted against the book, asking them to reconsider removing the book from the school libraries.
Use the linked forms to email the following board members, all of whom voted against keeping the book:
Write to the Superintendent, urging him not to give up and do all he can to keep literature available to the students of Limestone County.
Dr. Barry Carroll
Phone: (256)232-5353
Comments:
I cannot believe that this book is enhanced by its vulgar language. Mr Crutcher purposefully included language that is inappropriate for anyone to use. What the Associated Press failed to include was that the school board urged the superintendent to place this book in a area where it would not be available to the twelve year old children who checked it out. It was suggested that this book be limited to older students who could look past the language to the book’s true message. Dr. Carroll felt that it should be available to all students regardless or age or to none at all. It appears to me that the board had no choice. I do not allow such language in my home and am astonished that anyone would promote such to children.
TO JAMIE: Mr. Crutcher purposefully used the language appropriate to the story of an abused child taught fowl language by a beastly, racist stepfather. How can you illustrate the dangerous strike of a hateful word without using that hateful word as illustration? The story was enhanced expressly because it proves the danger of using bad words like weapons. If you’d read the book, you’d know. But like so many censors, you read words not pages. You read pages, not books. Shame on you.
Dear all who voted against, I am a sixth grader at Ardmore High School I am against your abosolute vile behavior. Mr. Crutcher has a life lesson in this story. I have recently purchased this book just to carry it at my school. How dare you!!! I used to know Mr.Shannon as a bus driver, now I am ashamed to live in the same state as him. I have a bi-racial family and I think it was a racist decision to ban this book. I am practically worshiping the ones who voted yes.I’m 11 years old and I understand that the final decision was the wrong one.Once again you four that voted yes are vile. Thank you Superintendend Barry Carroll. Ihope you understand the message in this book. It’s strong and powerful Thank you for your time.
I’m extremely soory I meant with deep force the four that voted no are vile.Thank you. I am extremely sorry.