Dear Mabel Rush Families:
Our school participates in Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB), which is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension competition. Many of you are familiar with our participation in this program.
Parts of the reading list for next year’s competition has been released, and the Grade 3-5 list includes a book some may find controversial. OBOB has issued information about the selection of the novel George written by Alex Gino:
George was nominated for the 2018-2019 OBOB Elementary Division when title nominations were open for anyone to nominate up to three titles per division that they think would be appropriate for OBOB within that grade division. Members of the elementary title selection committee read George and found that it met the selection criteria of OBOB which includes:
* It is an appropriate reading level for 3-5th grade.
* It adds diversity of character, plot, perspective, and genre to the OBOB reading list.
* It is an award winning book that has high-quality writing and is well-reviewed.
Outside of the committees we read and consider the feedback we’ve received from the feedback forms available for anyone to give feedback. There was not sufficient feedback to cause concern for the committee to exclude the book from the list.
The OBOB Handbook states:
Once a title has been placed on the final list and announced to the public, it cannot be removed.
In accordance with the Library Bill of Rights and its interpretations, titles that otherwise meet the selection criteria will not be excluded: “because of the origin, background or views of those contributing to their creation;” or “because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval;” or “because of actual or suspected parental objections;” or “in an effort to avoid controversy with parents.”
The OBOB Handbook also provides all the guidelines and the outline of how titles are discussed and chosen under the heading ”Criteria for the Selection of Titles”.
We are encouraging parents to read this book to determine if it is appropriate for their student. If you determine you do not want your student to read this novel as part of this voluntary program, we encourage you to work with your student’s OBOB team and mentor to develop a plan for the competition related to this novel. Often, teams divide the books up based on interest and reading level. You may consider that option if you deem this novel inappropriate.
If you have any additional questions about OBOB or our school’s participation, please feel free to contact me or any of our OBOB coordinators.
Sincerely, Troy Fisher
