Lois Lowry on yet another challenge to The Giver.

The Nashua Board of Education recently voted 7-1 to require parental notification if elementary school teachers plan to use The Giver in classrooms.  They also voted 5-3 against removing it from the elementary school libraries.  The challenge came about after a teacher read the book to a fourth grade class and a parent objected.

Fourth grade does seem a bit young to me for that one, especially as a classroom book -- I would think that the students who would be mature enough for it would be in the minority.  Obviously, I'm glad it stayed in the library -- that way the kids who're up for it will have easy access, too. 

Lois Lowry is of the same opinion:

When asked about the school board's decision Tuesday, Lowry said she agreed with it. She recommends the book for children in sixth grade and up and said she has a grandson in fourth grade and couldn't picture him reading it."I do think fourth grade is too young," said Lowry, in a phone interview from her barn in Maine.

...

Lowry said she would never support removing the book from the elementary school libraries.

"Every parent has the right to monitor what their own child reads, but I don't think any parent has the right to supervise the reading of other peoples' children," she said.