Banned Books: Do Parkland's Reading Choices Differ from East Penn's?

Parkland High School's summer reading list does not include two books that have recently been called "pornographic" by a group of residents and parents who are lobbying the East Penn School Board to remove them from Emmaus High School's suggested summer reading list.

"Prep," written by Curtis Sittenfeld, and "The Electric Acid Kool-Aid Test" by Tom Wolfe have been called "morally reprenhensible" by the East Penn group opposing them.

The books are on the list of summer recommended reading for East Penn freshmen and include a warning about explicit content from the district.

Parkland's summer reading list is divided into two sections -- academic titles and leisure reading titles. There are 25 academic titles and 84 leisure titles from which to pick.

L. Randy Claroni, Parkland director of curriculum and instruction and professional development, said there have been some "bones of contention" over the years with books on the list - like "Brave New World" and the "Lord of Flies" - but he said the district provides other options.

Books that make it to Parkland's list are reviewed by two readers and recommended based on whether they highlight a literary message. If language or other aspects of a book are objectionable, Claroni said, the district looks for an alternate book that represents the same literary experience.