Controversial Books in the Middle School: Can They Make a Difference?
The Stonewall riots, a series of violent conflicts between homosexuals and New York City police in 1969, marked the advent of the gay rights movement and led to a dramatic increase in gay and lesbian visibility. Efforts to acknowledge this movement were made by a number of groups including the American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table (American Library Association, 2006). This group, since 1971, has given an annual Stonewall Book Award honoring both fiction and nonfiction literature for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience. Academia has formed departments or programs dedicated to lesbian and gay studies, and the general public has achieved a better understanding of sexual differences. Public schools, however, have continued to resist such acknowledgement, leaving homosexual students in middle and secondary schools unrecognized and often the targets of discrimination. Galley (1999) reported the results of a national survey that found 91% of homosexual students had encountered anti
Censorship--When Things Get Hazy.
NCTE offers support to teachers in censorship cases. The deputy executive director gives details. ou're selecting materials and considering instructional approachesfor your English program. You've been guided by a sense of your students' varied interests, ability levels, and maturity. Consistent with district policies, you've made use of your knowledge, that of your colleagues, and information from professional literature about the range of materials and methods that are available.
Somewhere in the Darkness
From the award-winning author of Fallen Angels and Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary, here is a powerful, award-winning novel about a 14-year-old boy who meets his father for the first time and learns that although some things can't be fixed, they can be understood--and forgiven. 1993 Newbery Honor Book; 1993 Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book; 1992 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor Book.