Educators reverse book ban but add contextual materials

In a reversal of its decision made in November, the Dover-Sherborn Regional School committee voted unanimously on Jan. 2 to keep “So Far from the Bamboo Grove” as part of a sixth-grade Language Arts unit on Survival. Their decision nevertheless addressed concerns of the book’s opponents.

Middle school Headmaster Frederick Randall told the committee that the administration and Language Arts Department were committed to keeping the book in the curriculum, and were exploring other texts to bring balance to the unit in response to the criticism leveled against the book by some parents and community members.

The discussion began with Superintendent Perry Davis reviewing a summary of the e-mails and letters the committee and administration received since the November decision. The summary broke the responses down into four categories: concern for the banning or censorship of a book by the Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee; support for the use of the book and its author because of the positive experience of the students when coming to understand a personal struggle to survive; concern for the content of the book and questioning the maturity of students in the sixth grade to understand issues of rape and war; concern that the book is not balanced in its reporting of events at the end of World War II and the occupation of Korea by Japan.

Davis said he had consulted with John Hickey, Social Studies Department head at the high school, to see if the book would be more appropriate at some stage of the high school history curriculum. Davis said that Hickey and his staff felt that the book had merit, but the reading level of the text made it more appropriate for middle school readers than high school readers. Davis said that Hickey told him that although Imperialism is a part of the sophomore World History curriculum and WW II is part of the junior American History curriculum, use of the entire text is impractical because of the volume of material that must be covered at each level.

Randall reported to the committee that the Social Studies Department at the middle school had also reviewed the grade-level curriculum to determine if there were a more appropriate use of the text. Randall said the readability of the text made it inappropriate at the eighth-grade level. He noted that the eighth-grade American History curriculum ends at Reconstruction. The seventh-grade curriculum is geography-based and therefore not an appropriate fit for the book.

Randall said that continued use of the book at the sixth-grade level would require context. He brought along several texts that he said could be used to bring balance to the unit: “Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood” by Richard E. Kim,” and “Year of Impossible Goodbyes” by Sook Nyul Choi.

“The objective would be to bolster the survival unit with the use of additional texts to provide background,” Randall said.

Davis addressed another criticism against the use of the book when he said that the issues of rape and war could be taught through guided reading and discussion in class rather than assigned as homework.

Davis emphasized that the book is used in English classes in the unit on survival and not as a history text.

“I believe that everyone is sincere about this issue,” Davis said, “and the middle school English Department is willing to work constructively to address all concerns.”

School committee member Shelly Paulsen said that she has received correspondence from the author that recommended that the committee pull the book “if it will bring peace to your hearts.”

Paulsen said that she was grateful that the issue surrounding the book had come up because it has brought attention to an aspect of school policies that few people were familiar with. Paulsen noted that the committee is planning to review the book-adoption policy next month.

Committee member David Chase said that the book makes it very clear to sixth-graders what war does to people. Chase said that he would support keeping the book with the additional contextual material.

Committee member Mark Linehan said that he believed that the decision needed to be left to the professionals.

“If the teachers think they can do this,” Linehan said, “then we need to support them.”

Susan Anderson said that the book is a heartbreaking work that illustrates survival, war and the generosity of adversaries.

“I’m glad to see that the teachers are willing and able to work together to make this a workable piece of literature,” Anderson said.

Committee Chairperson Ellen Williamson acknowledged that this has been a difficult situation for everyone, but that whatever was decided, some people would go away from the meeting unhappy.

“I appreciate the time to carefully consider this,” Williamson said. “I think this has been a good opportunity for the community.”