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CHICAGO, May 24, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A Chicago-area school board member wants nine books, some classics, banned from an advanced placement class reading list because of their content.
Leslie Pinney, a member of the Township High School District 214 board, said the books contain language, dialogue or images that are too adult for the students in Illinois' second biggest high school district, The Chicago Tribune reported.
The red-flagged list includes Toni Morrison's "Beloved," Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five," and "The Things They Carried," a novel on the Vietnam War, by Tim O'Brien.
Although Pinney has gotten support from some parents and national conservative religious groups, the vote Thursday night by the school board isn't guaranteed, the Tribune said.
Recent board meetings have been flooded by spectators and people urging the board to leave the college-bound reading class alone.
Chuck Venegoni, head of Hershey High School's English and fine arts departments, said the board shouldn't touch the reading list.
Board President William Dussling told the newspaper parents can opt their child out of reading any particular book they don't like and an optional book is always provided.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
