The Chocolate War yanked from the ninth grade curriculum in Milan, Michigan.

From The Ann Arbor News:

"The Chocolate War,'' a controversial young adult novel set in a Catholic boys' school where bullying permeates the social system, can no longer be taught as part of ninth-grade English classes at Milan High School.

The Milan school board voted 5-2 Wednesday night to remove the book from the curriculum but to allow the 1974 novel by Robert Cormier to remain in the school library.

I wonder what they'll replace it with.  Lots of people were quoted as saying that it shouldn't be used, but no one seemed to be offering up any suggestions.

A newer book?  One that deals with similar issues?  Sure, there's lots of books that deal with bullying, but to say that The Chocolate War is "about bullying" is like saying that Huck Finn is "about slavery".  A gross simplification.

Not to mention that it's a classic of Young Adult literature.  And, in my opinion, is a must-read for anybody and everybody.