To Read or Not to Read?

West Ashley High School principal Lee Runyon announced last week his decision to pull and review one of the novels on the required summer reading list for 9th grade honors English.
The award-winning novel, a very modern take on some of the most current issues facing kids these days, “Some Girls Are” was written by Courtney Summers.
The book tells the story of a high school “it” girl turned pariah after a weekend of partying ends in her sexual assault. The language is at times harsh and the themes revolving around social humiliation can be pretty intense.
And while that might seem like a perfect “young adult” solution for getting kids to read over the summer, one of the incoming WAHS student’s mothers said it was inappropriate.
Runyon said that there was already an alternative novel on the list, Paul Volponi’s “Rikers High.” But after meeting with the parent, Melanie MacDonald, and hearing her concerns, he decided to pull the novel off the list.
“We at West Ashley High appreciate the diversity of point of views and their concerns of parents, and we look forward to serving our students and community,” Runyon said Friday.
English department members at the school had read the novel, but Runyon said it would be further reviewed and added the classic “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” to the list as a further choice.
MacDonald has since filed a request with the county school district to review the book and its place in the district’s curriculum.
Recently, a similar brouhaha was stirred up by another frank depiction of “YA” life when state legislators castigated the College of Charleston for assigning graphic novel “Fun Home: a family tragicomic” to its students.
That award-winning book has since been made into a Broadway musical, and one of its scenes depicting the beginnings of a lesbian love affair was featured on national television last week.