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Article says the kids were 14, which I take to mean a mixture of either 13/14 or 14/15. To me, that's old enough to handle allusions to sex within the context of literature.
Odd. Must have been Special Needs students then, as the school is described as a Middle School, which is 6th, 7th & 8th grades (occasionally includes 5th) which would be children aged 10 through 13, with the occasional mix of a 9 or 14 year old.) To me, that's not old enough to be forced to read a book talking about incest and bestiality, especially within the context of a realistic/historical fiction book where older men are questioning a young boy about his experience with "doin" his little sister or a sheep and even making allusions to the boy having sex with a preacher. Nope. Not appropriate.
Odd. Must have been Special Needs students then, as the school is described as a Middle School, which is 6th, 7th & 8th grades (occasionally includes 5th) which would be children aged 10 through 13, with the occasional mix of a 9 or 14 year old.) To me, that's not old enough to be forced to read a book talking about incest and bestiality, especially within the context of a realistic/historical fiction book where older men are questioning a young boy about his experience with "doin" his little sister or a sheep and even making allusions to the boy having sex with a preacher. Nope. Not appropriate.
Okay? But it's not 10-13 year olds reading these books, it's 14 year olds. It doesn't matter if they call it middle school, junior high, or Miss Frizzle's Funspirational Learning Crew, they were, at the youngest 13.
And you can hardly consider the material to be about rape/incest/bestiality. Nothing explicit is said, the men are discussing prostitutes and the main character clearly shows disgust for the topic and attempts to leave.
They do not suggest he have sex with the preacher, they suggest if he does not care for their language then he can wait around for the man of god instead.
They then call the main character a virgin and, while it was probably meant sexually, the reference to sheep is only inferred and can be interpreted as an example of how barren the prairie is of any life, not how it's barren of sexual partners.
The line about "doing his own little sister" is clearly said to mock him, not asking if he'd tapped that fine ass or anything along those lines. It is an example of the stereotypes placed on farming families at the time (and still today, actually).
The subject of sex in the book is mentioned briefly and is not glorified, but treated with disgust. It is not pornographic and I would expect any 14 year old class to get past it just fine with only a few giggles. You are making a mountain out of a molehill. And how interesting that you go so far as to interpret what could be an innocent line as bestiality, and yet made no mention of the violence perpetrated by the main character on the very next page because he lost his temper.
Odd. Must have been Special Needs students then, as the school is described as a Middle School, which is 6th, 7th & 8th grades (occasionally includes 5th) which would be children aged 10 through 13, with the occasional mix of a 9 or 14 year old.) To me, that's not old enough to be forced to read a book talking about incest and bestiality, especially within the context of a realistic/historical fiction book where older men are questioning a young boy about his experience with "doin" his little sister or a sheep and even making allusions to the boy having sex with a preacher. Nope. Not appropriate.
I'm going to go off a little, just because it's my favorite book ever and it hurts my head seeing people mess up the story.
Ender is a bright young boy, the third child in his family in a time and place that restricts families to two children. He is allowed to be born because his older siblings showed promise as potential soldiers in the war against the Buggers. He is quickly revealed to be special even amongst the carefully selected young students, all of whom are trained on a space station. He is bullied for his talents on multiple occasions and he defends himself, so there is some violence. There is nothing sexual except perhaps some reference to genitals.
Ender's Shadow follows another student at the school with Ender, Bean, and follows roughly the same timeline but from his point of view. Similarly, there is some violence and some minor reference to the existence of sex, but nothing that could be described as graphic.
It is a fabulous book, at any age, and I encourage everyone to read it, as well as the sequels Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon. There several other sequels, but most of them aren't worth your time. Plus, the movie is coming out in the next couple years and you know that the book is always better than the movie so read it first and then see how they dumb it down for the masses.
the men are discussing prostitutes and the main character clearly shows disgust for the topic and attempts to leave.
As would most middle school kids. Unfortunately, they were not free to leave.
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Hmm, incest and bestiality is discussed in the Bible as well you know. Best avoid that too.
