Rita Thompson said she was more troubled by this book than The Chocolate War. She noted the theme, content, language and sex in the book. She noted the comments by parents on the challenge review committee that seemed to support removing it. She said if molested children needed a book librarians could get a "specific book" instead of having this on the shelves. She noted that Virginia law and Code support removing it. She noted many children in the population do not have a relationship with their parents. She said she was troubled the communication piece is not in place (with FCPS) to help students and parents. She said we should not deny children our wisdom, no communication mechanism was in place for children who might read this book and we need to be sensitive to children who don't have adult supervision.

Stu Gibson said he was concerned about (her alleged) generalization that a parent is not responsible if they let their children read this book. He said that he was tired of emails with "personal attacks" on principals and librarians. He said some 6th graders are reading above 6th grade level.
PABBIS: All the anything goes at any age folks always say some children are reading above their grade-level. What does that mean? That at the 7th grade reading level children are ready for explicit material? That a good reader needs explicit material? That because a few 6th graders read at the high school level, we need high school books in elementary school? PABBIS doesn't know what Gibson meant when he said personal attacks. Was he referring to PABBIS pointing out the facts on what books are in what schools, what material is in the books and what principals and librarians are responsible for those schools and paid (with taxpayer money) to make good "choices" for children? Perhaps he meant he was tired of some librarians and principals not doing their job and him having to hear about it.

Stu Gibson said this was the most difficult book challenge he had to decide on and he had done 10-15. He said he did not think the book belonged in middle school from an educational and developmental standpoint. He noted two of the three middle schools this book was in had 6th graders. He said this book crossed (his) line and as a whole was inappropriate for middle school children. He noted it was a hard decision and he would be criticized but should err on the side of caution.
PABBIS: Since Stu Gibson has already voted to keep 10-15 graphic and explicit books in school PABBIS is surprised he finally found one he feels over the line. We think he is judging this book correctly but are not clear why he feels that way. Stu Gibson mentioned smoking, drugs, sex, etc. but didn't explain why the content in this book was any different than the explicit content in all the other books he has voted acceptable.

Mychele Brickner said removing this book from middle school was not banning but determining age-appropriateness. She said that this book was only in 2 middle schools (out of 2 dozen) and 2 of these 3 middle schools had 6th grade. She said the school board acts in "loco parentis" and deciding age-appropriateness is their job. She said parents and children can go to the public library and get this book if they want to and that this book was about a pedophile and what happens to the children is despicable and horrendous.
PABBIS: I Was a Teenage Fairy is only in three MS's. FCPS deciding to spend $2600 to defend a book that the vast majority of middle schools don't even have - what a waste of taxpayer money. The school board to date has not acted in "loco parentis" - they have acted loco in defending Dr. Domenech's and FCPS's decisions to spend our scarce taxpayer money to put this type material in our middle schools.

Tessie Wilson pointed out the book offered no valid advice or options if a child was molested.. there was nothing to help, a magic fairy will not appear.
PABBIS: True, but even if the book gave some "valid" options it would still be explicit, graphic and inappropriate for middle school children.

Ernestine Heastie said she was comfortable with the book because the molested girl "survived" and took action against the molester. She said it was interesting that "only the molested children saw the fairy." She said regarding the 3 MS's the book was in: "Perhaps in these schools there are some populations." She proposed an amendment to limit the book to 7th grade and up. Frye seconded her amendment.
PABBIS: Lets see.. a fictional "self-help" book for molested children in which the "action" the molested children take does not even involve informing an adult. That is an insane and grossly negligent approach for someone elected or paid to act in loco parentis.

Tessie Wilson pointed out the obvious; that this was no message to send to a child in this predicament and that the adult community must be involved.

The board voted on Heastie's amendment to limit I Was a Teenage Fairy to 7th grade and up.
PABBIS: Belter, Castro, Frye, Heastie and Strauss voted for this. Braunlich, Brickner, Gibson, Smith, Thompson and Wilson voted against this. The amendment failed 6 to 5. Except for Smith those voting against the amendment did so because they thought the book shouldn't be in middle school at all. Smith voted against it because she thought this book was acceptable even for 6th graders! Her position was the most extreme on the school board.

Matt Wansley, the school board student rep, said the problem is the issue (of the book) in the first place. He said using taxpayer dollars needs value added. He got a few chuckles when he said this book did not increase his appreciation of the author's writing. He agreed mature themes were discussed in the book but thought they were appropriate for middle school. He recommended a "Young Adult" sticker.
PABBIS: Yes, using taxpayer dollars to issue this book into the middle schools is the root problem. The board should do their job and correct this mistake. However they are reluctant to do that because that would be admitting that a mistake had been made in the first place. However by agreeing with FCPS decisions to place and keep this type of material in our schools some members of the board are on the record as the elected public officials responsible for this material being where it is. PABBIS will be doing a News Story on YA books shortly.

Kathy Smith said she thought the book was "powerful" with a message of "empowerment." She said her own 6th grade daughter could read this book. She said some of the mature themes might "go by" younger readers and that they might think that the difference between "biscuits and muffins is food." She said the book won't damage a child and repeated that she thought it sends a message of "empowerment."
PABBIS: If you want your 6th grade daughter to read a book with a main focus of pedophile molestation and also with homosexuality, masturbation, drug use, a sex aid, extensive foul language and constant sexual situations why don't you take her to the public bookstore or library? It is outrageous Kathy Smith thinks spending scarce taxpayer money to put this book in public school for use with all 11-13 year old children is appropriate and wise. PABBIS does not believe what Smith calls the "mature themes" in this book would "go by" any child. And even if one or two did "go by" that still leaves dozens that won't. Regarding "damage" - is that some new criteria? Neither the challenge nor book selection regulations say anything about "damage." Kathy Smith has some very low standards for our tax money and children - Instead of adding value and educating her bottom line is does not "damage." Powerful empowerment - what baloney!

Jane Strauss said the "book is in the realm of the possible." She said it was perhaps useful but noted the book "was not in my district" and she didn't want to and won't second guess the librarians. She said in her community they don't want restrictions.
PABBIS: Anything is in the "realm of the possible" especially when it comes to Jane Strauss and explicit and graphic material in books in FCPS. Jane Strauss has consistently supported anything goes at any age. We know she doesn't want ANY restrictions and would be happy to see this book in more middle schools. We don't believe her generalization implying that all her community supports anything goes at any age. In fact we hear from quite a few people in her district that think she and FCPS have crossed the line on many of these books. PABBIS wonders if Jane Strauss is getting a lot of calls from people in her district asking her to make sure I Was a Teenage Fairy is placed in their local middle schools.

Cathy Belter said this was a "powerful" book, that there was "some love" [in it] and that she wanted parents to "make the decision."
PABBIS: A powerfully bad book with a lot more sex and molestation than love. Lets see, she wants to place a graphic and explicit book in the schools using our tax money. She doesn't want to tell parents what books have graphic and explicit content. She doesn't want to tell parents what this content is and thinks anything goes at any age. Perhaps she could explain exactly how she expects parents to "make the decision?" To PABBIS her statement sounds like meaningless ALA rhetoric and obfuscation.

Click Here to access the challenger's statements to the committee for I Was a Teenage Fairy and for more information on specifics of the controversial content in this book.

________________________________________________________

I Was a Teenage Fairy

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK IN FAIRFAX COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOLS