There's BAD WORDS in this here Book!
A 5th grade teacher emailed me yesterday to inform me that because her students had discovered a few bad words and an inappropriate gesture in my novel CARLOS IS GONNA GET IT, she was pulling the book from her classroom library. She said she was "sure I was a very good author," but that "it is disappointing as a teacher because we try so hard in elementary school to teach our students what is and isn't appropriate. They are bombarded with so much inappropriateness on TV and their surroundings, that it would be nice if they didn't have to read about it as well." Most days I might have shrugged and hit delete. Instead, I wrote her this response: Hi Jean, I'm sorry to hear about your decision to remove Carlos is Gonna Get It from your classroom library. Since you felt the need to write to me and express your disappointment in the choices I made in the novel, I have a few thoughts to share with you. It's too bad you didn't read the boo...