Challenged in Delaware: The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

From CapeGazette.com:

Citing language deemed inappropriate for entering freshmen, Cape Henlopen school board has removed "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" from the district’s summer reading list.

The book was part of a 10-book list given to district middle school students entering high school in the fall and taking college prep and honors classes. The list, called the Blue Hen List, is a collection of books deemed age-appropriate by state librarians from across the state.

The board voted 6-1 in favor of removing the book from the list during its June 12 meeting. The issue was raised after parents examined the reading list and brought concerns to the board.

Oh, man, where to start?

1. The book was not required reading; it was one of ten options.

2. Unless the article didn't mention it, it looks like the board didn't follow any sort of formal challenge process.

3. Two of the school board members who voted the book off the island had not read it in its entirety, one of them saying, "I knew in less than three minutes that this wasn’t a book I wanted on the list". (Yes. Judging a book in three minutes by reading excerpts online is a GREAT example to set for such "impressionable" students. Now, when they want to use SparkNotes instead of doing their assigned reading, you'll look like a big hypocrite if you protest.)

4. Other books on the list that WEREN'T deemed inappropriate include The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, both of which have PLENTY of profanity. So I don't want to jump to any TOTALLY OBVIOUS CONCLUSIONS or anything, but I can't help but wonder why, exactly, it was Danforth's book that was singled out.

[ETA: The only two explanations I can come up with are these: A. The board is so totally unfamiliar with YA fiction that they don't know that the other books have plenty of profanity, too, or B. They pulled the book because of the LGBTQ content and used the profanity as an excuse.]

Thoughts?