Subject: Review of Superintendent’s Decision
Regarding Instructional Resource:
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M
Draper
Date: November 9, 2006
Enclosures: (5) 1. Appeal Request
2. Appeal Request with
Signatures of Support
3. Superintendent’s
Recommendation
4. Reconsideration
Committee
Recommendation
5. Reconsideration Request
Policy Reference: INC
Strategic Plan Goal Reference:1
REASON FOR CONSIDERATION:
Action
X
Information
__
Background (Purpose)
It is the responsibility of the School Board to establish and apply the curriculum of the Albemarle County
School Division. The selection of learning resources is delegated to the professionally trained personnel
employed by the Division. Despite the care taken to select valuable and educationally suitable learning
resources for student and teacher use, and despite the qualifications and expertise of the persons
involved in the selection process, it is recognized that occasional objections to materials will be made by
the public. It is, therefore, the policy of the School Board to provide a channel of communication and
procedures for Albemarle County citizens to follow in expressing and resolving concerns about the
learning resources, including printed or audio/visual materials and speakers.
Formal complaints about learning resources shall be presented in writing in accordance with the
supportive regulations of School Board Policy INC. The standards and procedures are consistently
applied in recognition of the respective rights and responsibilities of all concerned. Learning resources
are considered for their educational suitability according to criteria listed in Policy IIAB: Learning
Resources Selection and Adoption, and shall not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or
doctrinal disapproval.
All written challenges are reviewed by staff to determine if the request has been covered “in principle”,
meaning the complaint falls into a category about which the Superintendent or School Board has taken a
formal stand. If it is determined that a matter has been covered “in principle” the Superintendent will not
typically call a reconsideration committee. A reconsideration committee will only be called if an issue has
not been covered “in principle”, or at the request of the Superintendent. The reconsideration committee
makes recommendations to the Superintendent regarding the learning resources. The Superintendent,
upon receipt of the committee’s recommendation, will review the complaint and the committee
recommendations, and forward the committee recommendations and her decision to the School Board.
The decision of the Superintendent may be appealed to the School Board or reconsidered by the Board,
if it votes to do so. No material will be removed or restricted without the approval of the School Board.
The decision of the Board will be final.
Administrative Consideration (Rationale)
A request to reconsider one of the Division’s instructional resources, Romiette and Julio, a book by
author Sharon M. Draper, was received on August 4, 2006. It was determined that the request had not
been covered “in principle” and a reconsideration committee reviewed the request. The committee
reviewed the request and made a recommendation to the Superintendent on September 25, 2006. The
Superintendent upheld the recommendation of the committee on October 12, 2006. An appeal to the
Board of that decision was received on October 25, 2006. A second letter of appeal, containing
signatures of support, was received on October 30, 2006.
Budget Implications (Short- and Long-Term)
There are no budget implications at this time.
Recommendation/Future Direction/Timeline
Review the Superintendent’s decision. According to supportive regulations for School Board Policy INC,
the Board must affirm, reverse, or modify the Superintendent’s decision. According to School Board
Policy, the decision of the Board is final.
PREPARED:
REVIEWED:
RECOMMENDED:
ITEM NUMBER:
.'"
SusanE. Lueckenbach
1819 River Inn Lane
Charlottesville, VA 22901
"~lIfeot
DC!/: ~ -
October 20, 2006
Dr. Pamela R. Moran, Superintendent
Albemarle County Schools
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
DearDr. Moran,
I was saddened,angered,and deeplydisappointedby the irresponsibledecisionmadeby
you andthe Reconsideration
Committee,concerningthe book RomietteandJulio. I am
writing this letterto requestanappealto the schoolboard. I hopetheywill vote "for",
not "against",the childrenandparentstheyare supposedto represent.
When I spoke at the reconsiderationmeeting, I restated that my primary objection to this
book is the sexual innuendo and inappropriate language for upcoming 6thgraders. This
book was used in a summer program called "LAUNCH" for recently graduated 5th
graders. At the orientation for the LAUNCH program, I spoke to a mother who said her
son had come home and told her he read the word "sex" in the book three times in the
first few chapters. Her son, who was sitting at the table with us, piped up and proudly
stated, "No, mom, four times!" If the word "sex" is such an attention grabber that the
children count the number of times it is used, the book is definitely not appropriate.
Another child asked his mom if he was allowed to read certain words! Her reply to him
was that he should read them silently! If a child has to ask permission to read words out
loud, the vocabulary is definitely not suitable for their age level!! I am very glad that I
decided to pull my son from the program, so he would not be exposedto this book. He
would have been embarrassedby it.
I have changed my opinion as to what the school should do about this book. The problem
with it is that the reading level is 4.7, which does not correlate to the suitability of the
material for that age. I agree with the committee that high school kids would find the
book immature. However, I still wouldn't want my 8thgrade son to read this book.
There is better literature out there! For these reasons,I now recommend removing the
book from the approved list entirely.
I have read all four Sharon Draper novels that are on the approved lists for 6thand 8th
grades. This author should be ashamedofherselfl Society should be reprimanding her,
not giving her awards! Albemarle County Schools should be censured for allowing these
novels on book lists at young ages. None of her books are placed at an appropriate level.
One problem parents today face is the overwhelming image of sex in our society. It
bombards our children through TV, movies, music, video games, clothing, etc. It is a
challenge to raise children with high moral values in this society. I am disgusted that I
now haveto fight the schoolaswell. In our politically correctculture you would never
exposechildrento materialthatwould offendthem, or their parents,dueto race,religion,
or sexualorientation. Yet, youhaveno problemoffendingparentsby exposingchildren
to inappropriatesexualinnuendo!
I hope the School Board does its job by pulling this book from the approved list. Please,
protect our children and let them "stay young" as long as possible!
Sincerely,
f]}))fJJiL-C
L\t~..~~,J1 d..SusanE. Lueckenbach
Cc: School Board Clerk
We, the undersigned, agree that this book is inappropriate for 6thgrade studentsand
should be removed from the approved book list.
.~
SusanE. Lueckenbach
1819River Inn Lane
Cruulottesville,VA 22901
October 20, 2006
Dr. PamelaR. Moran, Superintendent
Albemarle County Schools
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Dear Dr. Moran,
I was saddened,angered,and deeply disappointed by the irresponsible decision made by
you and the Reconsidemtion Comnlittee, concerning the book Romiette and Julio. I am
writing this letter to request an appc~alto the school board. I hope they will vote "for",
not "against", the children and parents they are supposedto represent.
When I spoke at the reconsidemtion meeting, I restated that my primary objection to this
book is the sexual innuendo and in~lppropriatelanguage for upcoming 6thgraders. This
book was used in a summer program called "LAUNClf' for recently graduated 5th
graders. At the orientation for the ]~AUNCH program, I spoke to a mother who said her
son had come home and told her he read the word "sex" in the book three times in the
first few chapters. Her son, who was sitting at the table with us, piped up and proudly
stated, "No, mom, four times!" If the word "sex" is such an attention grabber that the
children count the number of times it is used, the book is definitely not appropriate.
Another child asked his mom ifhe was allowed to read certain words! Her reply to him
was that he should read them silently! If a child has to ask permission to read words out
loud, the vocabulary is definitely not suitable for their age level!! I am very glad that I
decided to pull my son from the program, so he would not be exposedto this book. He
would have been embarrassedby it.
I have changed my opinion as to what the school should do about this book. The problem
with it is that the reading level is 4.'7, which does not correlate to the suitability of the
material for that age. I agree with the committee that high school kids would find the
book immature. However, I still wouldn't want my 8thgrade son to read this book.
There is better literature out there! For these reasons,I now recommend removing the
book from the approved list entirely.
I have read all four Sharon Draper novels that are on the approved lists for 6dtand Sdt
grades. This author should be ashamedofherselfl Society should be reprimanding her,
not giving her awards! Albemarle County Schools should be censured for allowing these
novels on book lists at young ages. None of her books are placed at an appropriate level.
One problem parents today face is the overwhelming image of sex in our society. It
bombards our children through TV, movies, music, video games,clothing, etc. It is a
challenge to raise children with high moral values in this society. I am disgusted that I
"'"
l-t2-
now haveto fight the schoolaswell. In our politically correctculture you would never
exposechildrento materialthat would offendthem, or their parents,dueto race,religion,
or sexualorientation. Yet, you haveno problemoffendingparentsby exposingchildren
to inappropriatesexualinnuendo!
I hope the School Board does its jo'b by pulling this book from the approved list. Please,
protect our children and let them "s.tayyoung" as long aspossible!
Sincerely,
0
<S.)JJ(j)~...I
Susan
E.
Lueckenbach
L
l
A
J.A>"""--c._j\9.~,J.f(1.c.~.l
I
Cc: School Board Clerk
We, the undersigned, agree that thi~)book is inappropriate for 6thgrade studentsand
should be removed from the approved book list.
/J
j
L-.
J
f'){
.~
}t;.I It~
~
7t5~:~/
O-",.,.~--J2f!
;j:;~
;£&ue"
~~
c--"'..//
o;#~~£ ;t£Jr~
l)
'-ft",~4"7;t.e--
f(A~:ii~,,~
~ (a~.t/\ /?,")I"\j/t;/~
~~
~n
v
v
~
now haveto fight the schoolaswell. In our politically correctculture you would never
exposechildrento materialthatwould offendthem, or their parents,dueto race,religion,
or sexualorientation. Yet, you haveno problemoffendingparentsby exposingchildren
to inappropriatesexualinnuendo!
I hopethe SchoolBoarddoesits job by pulling this book from the approvedlist. Please,
protectour childrenand let them '.stayyoung" aslong aspossible!
Sincerely,
SusanE. Lueckenbach
Cc: School Board Clerk
We, the undersigned,agree that this book is inappropriate for 6thgrade studentsand
should be removed from the approved book list.
~J!;i~ a---~£ ~
~~
~~~~£~- -if
~
L.-D ~
~~:'.
c
AI~oLmtv
Office of the Superintendent
Public Schools'
401 McIntire Road Charlottesville,
Virginia
Phone: (434)296-5826 Fax: (434)296-5869
w\\'w.kI2albemarle.org
October 12, 2006
SusanE. Lueckenbach
1819 River Inn Lane
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Dear Ms. Lueckenbach
I have received and reviewed your crtizen 's Requestfor Reconsideration of Learning Resources,
as well as the recommendations of tit Learning ResourcesReconsideration Committee that I
directed to convene. Attached you will find the minutes of the committee meeting and the
background information provided to the committee for their review of Romiette and Julio.
I agree with the committee's recom~ ndation that the book Ramiette and Julio meets the
selection criteria set forward in Boar Policy lIAB- Lea~ing Resources Selection and ~doption
In addition, I agree that Ramietle an Julio shall remaIn In Its current posItIon as an ancIllary
resource available for sixth grade. '
,
~
Under School Board Policy INC, youimay appeal my decision to the School Board. If you choose
" 0 communicate your app~al in writing to the School Board
to appe~1t?is decision.,you will nee
Clerk wlthm ten workmg days. The ard can choose to reconsider Ramielle and Julio as a
learning resource if it votes to do so. 0 material shall be removed or restricted without the
approval of the School Board. The defision of the Board will be final.
i
I want to state that I value the processlthrough which parents can review decisions about learning
resources. I appreciate your communifating your concerns. If you would like to discuss this with
me, please call my office at 296-5826j
Sincerely,
~GIv--
\1\Q(G-.-
Dr. Pamela R. Moran
Division Superintendent
Cc
Sue Friedman, School Board 4hairman
Bruce Benson, Assistant Supetintendent for Student Learning
Don Vale, Executive Director pf Cuniculum, Instruction, and Technology
Kathryn Baylor, Principal of Jtck Jouett Middle School
22902-4596
Albemarle
CITIZEN'S
Count) Public Schools T\'C /\Ibemarle
Count)' Public SCh'10ls
REQUEST FOR RfCONSIDERA
TION OF LEAI~NING RESOlrRCES
.Review Committee Report to the Superintendent 9/25/06
Type of Material: Sharon M. Drh~er
Request Initiated
by
SusanE. Lueckenhach
Meeting
Date: September
Review Committee Members
Chad Sansing
Teacher
Lynn Hill
Media Specialist I
Coordinator 6-] 2 UanguageArts
Parent
Sandra Whitaker
Lori Blumberg
Eric Johnson
Jan Wilmer
Faketa Pontious
Principal
Kathryn Baylor
Principal
Criteria Considerations:
Educational suitability and age appropriatene~s as related to accuracy of subject matter
.Are the language and content appropria~ for the intended audience?
.Does the resource address skills such as!independent and critical thinking,
problem solving and collaboration?
.Does the resource avoid religious, sexu~:I, racial, OJiother cultural biases?
.Does the resource address a variety of niodes, levels and styles of learning?
.Does the resource minimize commercial! references, promotions, and endorsements?
I
.
.Does the resource support SOL, County [curriculum goals and power standards?
.1s the resource useful in making interdis~iplinary connections?
Timeliness
.Is the information
current?
c
.Does the materia! address issues which a~e of current interest?
Quality of writing/production
.Is the resource well-written or produced?!.
I
.Has it ~'on any awards or special recogni~ion?
.Is the resource objective in its presentatiqn?
.Are facts presented accurately?
.Does the resource have literary value?
i
.Are the text, text features, graphics and ~ultimedia of high quality?
.Is the information well organized and the !Content logically developed?
Readability
1
j.
.Is the vocabulary at the intended user's r ding level?
.Are the concepts at the intended user's Ie el of understanding?
.Is the layout appropriate for the reading I el of the material?
Reputation and significance qrthe author/artist, composer/producer, etc
.Is the writer! producer, author/artist, comppser, etc. an authority in the subject area?
.Is the publisher reputable?
.Has the creator won any awards or special Irecognition for this or other works?
Author:
Authoritativeness
Parent
Parent
21, 2006
Supplemental
.Are
sources
informatil1n
.Dt"1es the resource
sources "ell
include
1
dOCUTllC tcd?
supplcment
1 resources
for teachers~
.]s there adequate technical (local and ,endor) support available for sofu..are
Favorable recommendations based on previe\\' and examination of resource by professional personnel
.Have you personally reviewed the mat~rial recently?
.Have you received recommendations from colleagues?
Favorable reviews found in standard selecti~
sources 4 3 2 I 0
.Has this resource been favorably r~viewed by experts in the field?
.Does the resource appear on one on more reputable book lists or
selection aids? (Two favorable revIews are recommended.
High degree of potential user appeal
.Is the resource relevant to the intended user's experience?
.Does the resource provide intellectUal challenge?
.Does the resource satisfy the intendFd user's curiosity and encourage the use of imagination?
.Does the resource allow students to!make choices and provide appropriate feedback?
Value commensurate with cost/need
Committee Report:
The review committee met on T~ursday, Septcmber 21,2006, to review Sharon M. Draper's book,
Romietle and.lulio, according to School Board policy INC: Public Complaints about the Cun-iculum or
learning Resources, after receiving a rc~uest for reconsideration from Susan E. Lueckenbach on August
J J, 2006. Each committee member receired a copy of the book and supporting materials prior to the
meeting. After introductions, Mr. Vale r4viewed the charge and responsibility of the committee along with
the specific criteria outlined in School ~~~rd Policy IIAB: Learning. Resources Selection and Adoption.
Mrs. Lueckenbach was welcomed and In~lted to speak to the commIttee about her concerns. Mrs.
Lueckenbach was articulate in her expre~sion of concern as it relates to the appropriateness of this book
for her 11year old 6lh-grade student. Speqifically, she talked about concerns with the language used in the
text, the references to sexual innuendo's,l;the age of the characters being more suited to older teens,
references to drugs, weapons, and gangS,~the use of chat rooms on the internet and the poor decision
making of both the teen characters and p rents. Mrs. Lueckenbach requested the committee to consider
.removing the book from the ancillary list at the 6th_grade level and moving it to the list for upper high
school students.
Committee members engaged in ~ discussion of the specific criteria previously outlined and felt
that this text meets the criteria for educati nal suitability and age appropriateness. Unlike many adolescent
literature texts that address diversity issu , the main theme of Romiette and .lulio is adolescent search for
identity rather than a focus on tolerance 0 the atypical. Committee members spoke to the focus on the
characters' search for identity that allowe the characters to be different from the negative norms to \\I.hich
they were exposed in the story line. The iddle school years are a most appropriate time to introduce and
talk about the concept of adolescent searc,. for identity, a normal and developmental stage all adolescents
experience during these years. The commilttee did make note that individuals experience this
developmental stage at very different time~ and rates but felt that this text did not cross the lines of
inappropriate sexual, ra~ial or .other cult.ur~1 biases. Addition~lly, the committee note.d t~at most high
school students would VIew thIS text as I~ature,
whereas middle school students wIll likely engage and
ask ~he appropri.ate q~es~io?s of the Char~C
f ers and their .motives. As far as the resource supporting
cumculum and interdiscIplInary connectlo s, the commIttee felt strongly that the concept of
communication was dealt with expertly. T ere are a variety of ways in which the author expresses ideas
through a wide range of text structures and venues. The consistent dialogue during which the main
characters speak about their decision maki t g, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their choices, is
preval~nt in v~rious ve~ues like the caf~ter a, chat ro.om, ~nd ho~e. Social v.alues addressed in this book,
IncludIng the inappropriateness of bullYIng are described In detail by the maIn characters.
Referencing the timeliness criteria' he committee felt strongly that this book addresses life in a
way that is meaningful and understandable for students. In an age of rapidly advancing technology, it is
difficult to find a range of texts that incorp irate technological tools students often use to communicate and
gain infornlation in their personal lives.
The Quality of writing was discusse~ and the committee noted the strong literary value of this
author's craft in using a variety of ways an venues to describe and write about the same topic or issue.
Facts are presented accurately and the auth r is objective in her presentation. Although this book has not
received any specific awards, it is listed as n engaging story on several notable book lists.
The committee reviewed the inform tion presented on the topic of readability, noting the rating of
the Accelerated Reader independent readin~ level of 4. 7 and Reading Counts level of 6.6.
Considering the authoritativeness re*utation and significance of the author, Sharon Draper is a
well-noted and recognized writer and educa~or. As reported in her biography
(http:/~sharo~drapter.com/bio.asp) Ms. ~rap~:: "has been honore~ as the National ,Teacher oft~e Year, is a
three-tIme wInner of the Coretta Scot KIng Iterary Award, and IS a New York Times bestsellIng author.
She was selected as Ohio's Outstanding Hig School Language Arts Educator, Ohio Excellence in
l
1
Education Award, is a Milken FamiJ)' Foundation National Educator Award \\'inncr," Sharon Draper \\'~s
one of the first, tea~he:s in ,America:o a~ hieve National Board Certifica~ion in English Language Arts and
has been teachIng junIor hIgh and hIgh hool students for more than thIrty years. Additionally', this book
is published by Simon Pulse, a subsidia 'of Simon and Schuster Publishing.
.
Favorable recommendations for his book can be found in several noted sites including the School
Library Journal, Books that Hook / T!'oiqesfrom the iViddle, Books for the Teen Age, Voice of Youth
Advocates, and Great Stories Club relat d reading,
Finally, the committee considere the degree of user appeal and concluded that this resource has a
high level of appeal, multiple teachable oments throughout the text, and deals effectively with a timely
and critical topic of adolescent search fot identity.
i
~
I
Recommendation
t
After careful consideration of the entire set of information available with reference to the learning
resource, Rom!~lte and Julio: it is the rec mme.ndation of :his review committee to leave this resource in
its current posItIon as an ancIllary resour e avaIlable for sIxth grade.
¥'o\Q
Sign~ltures of committee
Chad Sansing
!1:ember
Teachtr
.
'---,
Lynn Hill
Media Specialist
Kathryn Baylor
Principal
Eric Johnson
Principal
Jan Wilmer
Parent
I~f-- !~-I,
(I
Sandra \v'hitaker
Coordinator Langu4ge
Faketa Pontious
Parent
/
f
(' -)d(.""Lt~(~~
-"
J
it i~
"
,.:
d
A./J
/
Lori Blumberg
Donald Vale
<1~\.e.-
Parent
Executive Director
Curriculum,
"
i
Instructi1n, Technology
11"'"-9--Q
~
.<.
~. '"~
V6-\~l,
,.
Good evening, I'm SusanLueckenbach, and you're all here tonight becauseof me. I'm
assuming that you've all read my letter to the superintendentand the reconsideration
request, so I won't re-read them here.
I do want to restate that my main objection to the book is the sexual innuendo. This book
is not age appropriate for 11 year olds. On some of the information sheetsyou received
in your packet, the age range is listed as 6thto 10thgrades. However, on the side of the
book, it clearly states "teen fiction", and on another sheetthe recommendedage is 13+. I
don't consider 11 year olds teenagers. I have another son who will be 14 in Jan~ (he's
in 8thgrade), and I wouldn't want him to read the book. My sister-in-law has a 9thgrade
daughter; she wouldn't allow her to read it either. Earlier this week, I showed both my
letters to some parents of 10 and 11 year olds, and they were frankly shocked and
dismayed by the content. One father said that this is the reasonthere are so many private
schools in the area and many are full! One mother was familiar with the book as her son
and niece were in the LAUNCH program this summer. She allowed her son to remain in
the program but wasn't happy with the book either. She carefully monitored (read) the
book with her son, and had to have many conversations about why NOT to behave the
way the charactersin the book did. A book needing that much parental involvement to
discuss morals, language,and values should be a red flag! I'm sure there are many
students in the program whose parentswere not as involved. They were left to form their
own "mistaken" opinions. While reading the book, her son and niece asked her, "Are we
allowed to say these words?" She told them just to read them silently! Kids will
normally try to "push the limits", so when they are self-monitoring, and question saying
specific words that make them uncomfortable, there's a huge problem! This book would
have embarrassedmy son.
The charactersin the bookare 16and 17 yearolds. I would approve(but not
recommend)the book for 15+. The problemwith a 15+agelevel for this bookis the low
readinglevel. The charactersare eithernot very realistic or are very stereotypical,and
15-17yearolds aregoingto think this book is immature. Therewereseveralreviewson
Amazonthat echoedthis sentiment. The sexualelementsof this book addto the
desensitization
of our kids. Music, videos,and TV all addto the challengesparentsface.
11 yearolds do not needto know aboutthe relationshipsof 16and 17 yearolds (even
thoughtheir relationshipwasprettymild for a 16to 17yearold). The "Oooh, I like when
you saythings like that", "my insidesfeel like JELLO". This is sooo... unnecessary!
Theywill getthere soonenough. Don't take awaytheir childhood. Some11 yearolds
wouldn't find the contentof this book shocking. I feel sorry for them. My sonand his
friendsare happybeing 11,playing football, basketball,andvideo gamesaboutracing
carsand sports. Theycall eachotheronthe phone,love computergames,but don't email or go into chatrooms. As a sideissue,sincethe schoolhasno formal typing
programGustanoptionalelectivein 7thgrade),my sondoesn'ttype well enoughfor email or chatroomsto be tempting. Pleasedon't introducehim to somethingwhich has
no positivebenefitsatthis time (if ever).
Somesay,"Well this is middle school. They're goingto hearit somewhere."To that I
reply thatthereis a world of differencebetweenplaygroundjokes and comments
betweenkids, versusthe schoolpresentinga topic. Kids know whensomethingis
questionableand usuallyrealizethatjust becausethey hearit from a classmatedoesn't
make it true, or somethingtheyshouldrepeat. However,if they hearthe samecomment,
joke, etc. from a teacheror parentit suddenlybecomesacceptable.Whenthe school
presentsthis material,in effect, it is sanctioningthe content.
On the subjectof content,I met an aerobicsinstructorthis summerwho is alsoa teacher.
We spokeaboutthe booksI hadread. Shewentto a local teachers'conferencethis
summeraboutreadingandliteraturefor children. While there,sheaskedhow books
were chosenfor differentagegroups. Whatshelearnedshockedandangeredher, and
shehad quitea discussion.
The first criteriawas: readinglevel
The secondcriteriawas: varietyof sentencestructure
The third was: varietyof genre,i.e. sciencefiction, mystery,non-fiction,
fantasy,historicalfiction, etc.
I think therewasa fourthcategory,but I can't rememberwhat it was.
The fifth and lastthing consideredabouta bookwas: Content!!! Shewas
incredulousand so amI! Contentandreadinglevel shouldbe the first two factors
considered!
The main themes of the book were gangs and diversity. I don't have an issue with talking
about gangs and how to avoid them. Unfortunately they are part of our society. The
main characters in this book, in general, were pretty good kids and were trying to figure
out how to do that. However, they didn't go to the police, teachers,principal, or their
parents for help. The adults were portrayed as "stupid", as they didn't even realize there
was a gang problem in their community. The way the kids handled the gang threat was
definitely wrong. I know there are different ways to teach a lesson. You can teach by
positive example, or negative example. The problem I had with this book is that it was
almost exclusively teaching by negative example. If I had read this book with my son, I
would have spentthe majority of the time telling him NOT to do what the characters
were doing, or to speak that way, etc. I believe a book with a more balanced approach,
and charactersthat portrayed positive behavior would have been a better choice.
The other main theme was diversity. I know you're using this book to encouragekids to
get to know other children, and not judge them only on racial or socioeconomic
stereotypes. We should also teach children not to judge others who are different in other
ways also, i.e. religion, hobbies, etc. They will not like everyone they meet, nor will
everyone they meet like them. However, just becausesomeonelikes sports and you like
music is not a reasonto bully or mistreat another person. That is the good part of this
book. However, this book is not the appropriate vehicle to teach this messageto 11 year
olds. As I've said earlier, there is far too much sexual innuendo for this age group.
Since reading this book I have read the other three Sharon Draper novels on the approved
book list. None are placed appropriately. Double Dutch is the closest to being
acceptable. It's on the 6thgrade list and I would approve it for 13+. There are two on the
8thgrade list, "Battle of Jericho" and "Copper Sun". "Battle of Jericho" has some value
for upper high schoolers, I'd guess16+. It deals with hazing and is disturbing, but it's
much more realistic than "Romiette and Julio". "Copper Sun" is awful!! I've wanted to
write about it for some time, but am procrastinating, as I really don't want to re-read
sectionsof the book to find the necessaryquotes. If this book were a movie it would be
rated R. No admittance for under age 17. I don't recommend this book to anyone,
however over 17 or 18 can read at their own risk. There is gang rape, rape, pregnancy
due to rape, adultery, cold-blooded murder, and extreme physical and mental cruelty
portrayed. One parent called the book soft porn from just reading the first paragraph!
Another said, "Whoever approved this book should be fired!" Albemarle County
approved it for 8thgraders!! !! Luckily for me, neither of my sons' English teachers is
familiar with this author or her books, so my children will be spared, at least for this year.
Their teachersare reading much more classic books. I hope this committee will spare
other children by pulling this book from the approved list.
Based on what I have read, I am amazedand discouraged that this author has won so
many awards and was named, Teacherof the Year. It really disturbs me and shows me
the direction our society is headed,and illustrates what the higher-ups in education
believe. I am very concerned about the future of education in our country if this trend
continues.
Thank you for your time.
SusanE Lueckenbach
1819 River Inn Lane
Charlottesville, VA 2290 I
August 3, 2006
Dr. Pam Moran, Superintendent,and Resource Reconsideration Committee
401 McIntire Road, Room 345
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Dear Dr. Moran and Resource Reconsideration Committee,
I am writing to you mainly about the book, "Romiette and Julio", by Sharon Draper, which
is on the sixth grade approved book list. There is no way this book should be read by 6th
grade students! I hope after reading about the book, and my experience with school
personnel, you will remove not only "Romiette and Julio", but several other books from
the list as well.
I have two sons in the Albemarle County schools. MJ older son,~
will be an 8th8!ader
at Sutherland and my younger son, ~,
~rjll be a 6 grader at Jack Jouett this fall.
was recommended for the LAUNCH program for rising 6thgraders. When he came home
after the first day (7/5/06) I asked how it was and what they were doing. He showed me
the book they had started in class and were required to read for homework. It was
"Romiette and Julio". I read the first few chapters almost immediately to preview the book
and was appalled that this book was being used in a program for ll-year-old children!
The next moming I left~.at
home and went to Burley before LAUNCH started to
speakto someone about the program. I spoke to Mr. Jay Smith, ,-.
teacher, and then
Mr. Kelvin Reid, the coordinator of the program. I was very disturbed, especially by Mr.
Smith's comments, after I complained about the sexual content and inappropriate
language. Mr. Smith told me the book was fine and I needed to be more "open-minded".
He a]so stated that the book had recently been approved for the 6thgrade-reading list, and if
I didn't like this book there would be others that I wouldn't approve of either! Mr. Reid
entered the conversation at some point and suggestedthat~lcould
be taken out of the
room when they were reading or discussing the book He offered a different version,
"Romeo and Juliet For Kids", by Lois Burdett, for1~to
read. I read the version for
younger children when I got home that afternoon. Although it was definitely more
appropriate for younger children, I beganto object to the overall theme of Romeo and
Juliet for this agegroup.
The basic story in the book for younger children shows Romeo first "in love" with another
girl. His friends convince him to go to a party given by his family's enemy, the Capulet's
He goes to the party and "falls in love" with Juliet. Juliet is not quite 14 and after meeting
once, she and Romeo runaway to the monastery where they are secretly married. Romeo
then has to leave town due to the murders of people from both the Capulet and Montague
"families". Juliet is persuadedby the priest to fake her death to avoid marriage to the man
her father chose Due to a mix-up Romeo IS not told, trunks Juliet is dead, and kills
himself. When she awakens and seesRomeo dead, Juliet then kills herself. I know this is
Shakespeare,but what part of this story is appropriate for 1] year olds???? There are so
many negative themes (suicide ~eing my biggest complaint) in this stor)' and no positives
that I can see for an I I year. old! I remember reading the original "Romeo and Juliet" by
Shakespeare in I Othor I I th brradt when I was 15 or 16'
That night I went to the LAUNc;:H open house, I spoke to some other parents about what I
had read, They were concerned! however they hadn't read the book One mother said her
son told her he read the word "s~x" in the book three times in the first fe\"-'chapters and he
piped up and said, "No Mom, fo~r times~" Unfol1unately, the whole 3 1/2week program
was going to cover "Romeo and,Juliet For Kids", "West Side Story", and "Romiette and
Julio" The last two weeks involved the children comparing/contrasting the stories and
characters After speaking to another teacher, who was equally amazed that "Romiette and
Julio" was being used, I decided ,to pull ~~rom
the whole program, There was no way
to include him, as he would missl too much infonnation ifhe were pulled out every time
"Romiette and Julio" was discussed. The other teacher agreed with my decision. Mr.
Smith however told me that at some point I would have to trust the school system to do the
best thing for my child'! His arr0gance was beyond amazing!
I have since showed the book to many family and friends both in Charlottesville and
outside VA. All the parents expryssed shocked disbelief that this book would be used for
such a young age group, and nonq wanted their children to read it. To my great concern
the only people who approve oft?is book seem to be some teachers and administrators!
This greatly worries me as the vallues of the people teaching my children seem to be greatly
at odds with mine. We moved to Albemarle County in 2003 and in our first year here I
objected to another book, "Seedfqlks", by Paul Fleischman, which had been read by the
teacher to my older son's 5th gradtt class, After sending in the request it was taken off not
only the elementary list, but the m,iddle school list as well. It disturbed me that Ms. Baylor
thought the LAUNCH program was fantastic and had wanted to use the "Seedfolks" book
in the middle school curriculum as well During our phone conversation she .expressed
regret that it had been taken off th~ list Her reaction really bothered me.
I have begun reading other books Qn the approved book list. Some are perfectly fine,
others, as Mr. Smith expected, I do not like either due to content or level of difficulty.
I
have read "Fever 1793" and "Whe~e the Lilies Bloom" and found they are both very good
books for this age group. HoweveI1, "Zink" and "A Midswnmer's Night's Dream" I do not
think are appropriate
"link"
is based on the true story ofla ten-year-old girl who in the beginning of 6th grade
learns she has leukemia This storyl has some pretty graphic details of her getting blood
drawn, bone marrow taps, chemoth~rapy, radiation, a bone marrow transplant and all the
painful side effects. She is nauseou,sand throws up, gets mouth sores so it hurts to talk and
eat, is so weak at one poInt she soil~ her bed because she can't get up, and all her hair falls
out. The side story is about the zeb~as that only she can see. They take her away from
some of her pain to the plains of Afl[ica. There are some nice pans to the story, however
the little girl dies in the end and it isl very sad. I cried. I can only imagine what my son's
reaction would be. He's very sensitive when others are sick and I think this book would
scare him. I believe he would have nightmares. Ifshe can get cancer and die when she's
in 6th grade what is stopping me from getting it too? My son has never had anyone close to
him die. I'm sure it will happen soon enough. In the meantime, why is there this rush for
him to "grow up"? Let him be a kidlas long as he can' Why upset our children with books
i'll-'('.'~~
)L
like this wIth such deep 'dark th~mes? Just because there is sadness and pain in the world
does not mean children should ~a\e to experience
this book and take it off the list ~lso.
it before
.
It is necessaf)'
Please look at
I object to "A Midsummer's Nights Dream" mostly due to the difficult)' le\'el. I'm only
paI1way through the book and I have to force myself to read it. The "old" language of
Shakespeare is too djfticult for al6thgrader I spoke to a college student \'v'ho read it just
last year. I think this book is m~ch more appropriate for upper high school or college age
students. The story line \'v'ith the two men in love with the one woman, and the queen of
the fairies being mad at the king because he's off "dallying" with other women, is also not
something I "'ould recommend for 6th grade Please reconsider this book also
The children's librarian at the Ndrthside Library looked at the list and gave me a general
idea of which books she thought were questionabJe I'm starting to read the ones they have
available, but there are so many. iShe brought to my attention a book on the 8thgrade list
called, "Copper Sun", also by Sh~ron Draper I have not read It yet, but I will read it in the
near future She said it is very intense and deals with the violence of slavery. In the book
a young girl is raped' Going by her recommendation I'm pretty sure I'm not going to want
my 8thgrader reading this book' i
I'd really like to know more about the approval process and who approves these books'
Someone told me on the phone, that all the books on the list were available for public
review for approximately 30 days Ibefore they were approved. I was never notified. We
get all the informational e-mails from the schools about dances, fundraisers, etc. Why
couldn't we be notified about important issues in this way also? Who makes up the
committee and how are they chosen?
Attached is my "Citizen's Request! for Reconsideration of Learning Resources". I hope
that you will take "Romiette and J~lio" off the approved list, and reconsider the other
books also. I'd like to think this is!the last time I have to \\Tite a letter like this, but
unfortunately, I believe you'll be hFaring from me again. This is t~e type of poor
judgrnent that makes many parents, IncludIng me, lose confidence In the publIc school
system. Many parents in my neighborhood have already chosen private schools or home
schooling as an alternative Let's stop this spiraling trend and let our kIds be kids'
Thank you for your time and consideration
Sincerely
LIJ{L,
~
Susan Lueckenbach
/
t{(t...
CITIZEN'S
REQUEST FORI RECONSIDER.A.TION OF LEARNING RESOURCES
I) To what in the material 40 you object (Please be specific; cite inst,ances)
I maInly object to the sexual Iovertones throughout the book I also object to the
language of the characters, t~e portrayal of authority figures, the poor moral Judf,ment
of the parents, and the bad d~cision making of the kids There are also a few instances
when they sneak in liberal in~octrination concerning the environment and people who
wear fur,
I
Bottom ofpg. 33 -Julio talkipg to Ben about why Ben wasn't at school" I slipped out early. I usfd a broken nose as an excuse, but I had to go play in the
snow. I need to sled on virgi~ snow. After school, all the little kids \vith runny noses
will have tramped aJl over it. II had the whole afternoon on a clean slope of untouched
snow. Awesome'"
"Sounds OK, I guess, ify~u like snow."
"You don't like snow?" BFn asked incredulously
"Naw, not much We nev~r got much snow in Corpus Christi Too wet. "Too
messy. Too cold. Gets in my shoes and under my shirt."
"But have you ever sledde on virgin snow?" teased Ben.
,
It continues with them also tal~ing about Julio taking Ben on a virgin sailing trip and
Ben replying, "Sounds good t~ me. I like virgin anything'"
I'm not sure how much OfthiS j:my II year old would pick up on, but it's not
appropriate for him at all! It a so portrays skipping school to go sledding as a good
thing to do
I
f
Chapter 7 is the first chat room. It covers pages 38 to 44 This is a conversation Wlth
mostly 16 and 17 year olds. T re is also one 14 and one 15 year old. The
conversation involves sexual i uendo, talk of drugs, gangs, and shooting. It's
difficult to pick out one small rea to retype here. The chapter isn't that long and you
get a feel for the material, so 1'1 recommend reading the whole chapter.
~hapte! 12 is th~esecond chat r~om. It covers pages63 to 66. This chapter is mostly
about dreams after Romiette as~s if people ever have bad dreams. However, it also has
the standard sexual comments ~nd the warnings about perver1s and weirdoes on the
Internet. Here is one section: i
"sweetthing: whassup, spa1ishlOver?
Spanishlover sky
I
Cookieman: folks who are ~igh
Becool:
stars
I
Niobe: nothin's up 'cause I ~eel down
~
Oogacoga:
whyneeds
you down,
Spiceboy: she
some I ve
abY?
Bigrnac: let me make your reams come true
Niobe: you ain't my kind of dream You are a nightmare'
Bi~:rrnac you just ",ish )Ou could have mI:.
.Cookiemafl
no, she nee s sweet dreams
Afroqueen: an).bod)' ev r ha,:e bad dreams?
Cookieman: all the time
Becool: I like nightmare
Turns me on'
Spiceboy: why?
Becool: I'm deep, and I'
make a million dollars
weird. I'm going to \\'Tite them doW"Tlone day and
Afroqueen: that's how t e story of Frankenstein happened This lady was on her
hone}'moon and \\'Tote Franktnstein in her spare time'
NIobe: either her new hu~band was a freak
Becool: or he wasn't givilng her what she needed'
Sweetthing: I have drea
sometimes that I'm dying.
Bigmac: now that's fre
!
Vanityfair: that's not frea
Everybody has dreams like that sometime
Sweetthing: I heard if yo dream you're falling, and you reach the ground, then
you really do die.
,
Niobe: nobody has ever proved that
Sweetthing: I guess not i
~
Niobe: I dreamed once this big black shadow came to get me. I was suffocating.
Then I woke up with my mom's fur coat on my face.
Cookieman: people who ear fur ought to be shot
Vanityfalr: why? The mi k is already dead'
Bigrriac: I dreamed I got s ot once))
This is a perfect example ofth~ "ghetto" language and sexual innuendo that is rampant
throughout this book. I know tpat at some point my children will probably hear this
t)pe of language, but I hope it' $ not for a few more years, and I certainly won't allow
them to use this gutter languag~ in my house. I am furious that the school, by teachIng
this book, is saying to 6th graders that it's OK to speak in thIS manner. Children of this
age are impressionable and wil 1 thil:lk the behavior/speech in a book demonstrates the
acceptable way to act. We nee to show our children good examples of how to speak,
not encourage the bad'
Romiette's best friend, Destiny Is a big believer in horoscopes and the stars, so that is a
side issue throughout this book.lShe buys "The Scientific Soul Mate System" so they
can dream of finding their soul rrates. She's concerned about finding him in time for
the prom' They finally receive ~he kit in Chapter 33, on pages 155 through 158 The
kit consists of a raspberry scent~d candle, a candleholder, a tape with sounds of nature
and the human heartbeat, peppe~int ointment to use on your temples, a notebook and
a pen. These innocent items are Ireferred to in the book as:
Candle: "The Specially Sce1ted, Sexually Enhanced Soul Mate Candle of Dreams
and Desire"
Candleholder: "Scientificall f Designed Special Soul Mate Dream Catcher Vase"
Tape:
"Scientific,
Specially
ecorded,
SImulated
Stereo,
Sexually
Enhanced
Mate Recording"
,
Ointment: "Scientific Soul tv1ateSoothing and Stimulating Dream-Enhancing
Salve of Sensuous Sensibilities" !
Soul
As
Notebook "Purple Pagfs of Passion, P~r~,uasion, and POL'try
Pen Purple Plume ofP?etl~ Perunanshlp
)'Ou can see almost ever~ item has some reference to sexuality
It's not necessary
I mentioned the poor moral judgment of the parents earlier In Chapter 35, bn pages
]67 through] 7], JuJio com~s to Romiet1e's house to pick out a puppy. Her mother is
there and very aware that Rqmiet1e likes Julio very much ThIs IS the first time she is
meering Julio. Julio arrives ~nd Romiet1e's mom talks to him for a few minutes
making casuaJ conversation. I She then tells them she is going to her store for a few
hours. She indicates she'll bF back at 6:00 for dInner and reminds them to "be good"!!
What person in their right m~ d would leave two "upper" teenagers in a house aJone???
Amazingly in the story nothi g sexual happens at her house I object to the subtle
message this sends to the yo g reader It's "norma!" for parents to leave a boy and
girJ alone in a house together~ When chi!dren get thjs message from books, once again,
they'!l think it's acceptable a$d fight parents who do not let them act in thjs way. All
the "!jttle" things in this bookl and our cu!ture add up to very immoral messages. It
makes our Job as parents hard~r, not easier. By taking this book off the approved list
you wil! start to work with us !instead of against us.
2) What do you feel might bd the result of using this material?
This book exposespre-teens t~ sexual innuendo, chat rooms, and teenageromantic
feelings. Neither of my sons qses instant messaging, nor do their friends, and they
have not gone into chat rooms.i My son's best-friend's mom said that reading the chat
room/1M sections could make ~hemwant to go into those areas Why expose them to
something they are only vague~yaware of and make it glamorous and coql? There is
no benefit to them from this e~posure' In the book the kids talk about being careful
when Romiette and Julio gq off "alone" to the chat room They warn her about sexual
predators and perverts. We hei r so much about the dangers of kids going on-line, why
would we want to encourage] year olds to possibly try this?? We've banned the
cigarette companies from adveJ[tisingto children to protect them from hurting
themselves. We need to protect children from books like this also
3) For what age group would )jou recommend this material?
I wouldn't "recommend" this b~ok for anyone, however it would be more age
appropriate for upper teenagers., The jacket of the book says, "Teen Fiction" however I
wouldn't let my 13-~ year old spn read it. I also showed it to my sister-in-law who has
a daughter who is ]4 and is goi1g into 9th grade. She wouldn't want her to read it
either
4) Is there anything good about ~hiS material?
If you can get past all the "garba e" the overall theme is acceptance of people. who ar~
of different races It also shows Ids who want to stay out of gangs, however It doesn t
show any good ways to achieve ~his The kIds don't think their parents, teachers, or
police can help the.m so they tak~ on the gang by themselves The kIds' solution
almost gets them killed, and in "~eal life" they probably ~'ou/d not have sUf\'lved in
this scenario. All the book does ~sshow ~'hat not to do in fightIng a gang, it doesn't
give any Ideas about a goo~ solution
authority
figure,
to the problem
the author bf the book t}'plfies
and better able to handle sit~ations
1\150, by nol going to any
the teenage belIef that the)' are smarter
than adults are,
5) Did you read, view or listen to the material in is entirety? \\:hat parts'~
I read the whole book, and parts more than once, as I shared them wIth numerous
people and wTote these comments.
6) Are you aware oftheju1gment
of the material by reviewers?
I have read the reviews on tne book jacket and the reviews on Amazon com by readers.
Most of the reviews seem tol be \witten by young teenage girls who love the romance,
There are a few who say this book is junk, which I also echoed in the review that I
wrote, The back of the booiq says, "Gripping romantic adventure sure to keep [readers]
turning pages until the end": Another review states it is "A first-rate novel about
contemporary teens," This is one "gripping romantic" book for "teenagers" my 11 year
old will not read! I do not put much faith in the contemporary revie\.\'ers of books or
movies. My husband and I recently rented a comedy/drama that was rated PG-13. My
13-Y2year old asked if he could watch it We told him we'd see after \.\'ewatched it
first, Partway through the movie my husband suddenly said, "There's no way I'd let
Jack watch this movie!" I agreed wholeheartedly
When I was growing up this movie
would have been rated R. We only occasionally let our chi Idren \.\'atch PG-13 movies,
"Harry Potter", being one example The standards and morals of to day's society have
been so watered dO~l1 that it \s scary, I will not lower my standards and the school
system should practice highe~ standards, not lower ones.
7) What would you like your school to do about this material?
I would like it taken off the lilt for all middle school grades and on]y afproved for
upper high school grades As!I said earlier I wouldn't approve it for 9 graders I'm
not sure about lOth grade, as I ~on't have chIldren that age, so I'm not sure if it would
be appropriate.
I
8.) In its place, what material of equal quality would you recommend?
This is a hard question, as I dor't normally spend my time reading 6th grade fiction
However, I'm now in the posit,ion where I've had to alter my summer reading habits
My son chose books for himself at his school's book fair this spring, He chose
"Lassie, Come Home", "Old Yeller", a book about football, and a book from the
Carole Marsh mystery series None of these books deal with sex, gangs or diversity so
I'm sure you wouldn't consider them of "equal quality"
I know they're not books,
but two movies ~'e've seen rec~ntly get across your diversity issues They are "Racing
Stripes" and Disney's "High S~hool Musical", Both my sons loved these mo\,ies and
have watched them several times, "High School Musical" is a very popular soundtrack
and had very impressive audIence numbers on the Disney Channel I don't know the
exact numbers, but I know they! "!ere ver)' high These are both very good stories for
this age group