-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators on behalf of Jim Dunaway
Sent: Thu 11/8/2007 9:05 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Tom Sawyer
=20
We stopped reading the book in our middle school several years ago=20
when an African-American family expressed concern about how the book=20
and discussion of it affected their children. I don't think we've=20
missed it. Even then, it was, I think, seventh grade, not fifth,=20
which seems quite young both to see the sophistication of the book and=20
to deal with the "N" word used there.
We do use "Huckleberry Finn" in our upper school. It's a better book,=20
for one thing, and those kids are ready to take it on.
Jim Dunaway
Dean of Faculty
The Kinkaid School
Houston, TX
On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 18:52:55 -0500
"PEARLMAN, JOAN" <jpearlma@pingry.org> wrote:
> Should The Adventures of Tom Sawyer be taught in a gifted fifth=20
>grade language arts class? I am looking for some feedback since I am=20
>considering using Tom Sawyer as a classroom novel this year. My=20
>concern is whether material in the book would be considered offensive=20
>or politically incorrect in today's society.
>=20
> Dr. Joan Pearlman
>Fifth grade language arts teacher
> The PIngry School =20
> jpearlman@pingry.org
>=20
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[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, =
attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
