Kite runner among most challenged books

Burke County's long-running debate about assigning high-school students to read "The Kite Runner" helped put the novel on the American Library Association's new top-10 list of the most frequently challenged books in 2008.
Khaled Hosseini's book about an Afghani growing up in Afghanistan and the United States is one of four books that make their first appearances on the 2008 list announced Thursday.
The Burke County Board of Education this month may write another chapter into the local story of "The Kite Runner" and other reading materials.
"Board Policy 9.3220, Parental Inspection of and Objection/Challenge to Supplemental Instructional Reading Materials" was on the board's agenda for discussion and possible action at its meeting Monday, which was canceled.
That policy complements a revised policy on "Selection of Supplemental Instructional Reading Materials," which was adopted March 16. It sets 11 criteria the Instructional Reading Selection Committee (a group that includes both educators and parents) must apply to its choices of books and other resource materials. Among the criteria are "whether the material is age appropriate," whether it includes "references of a sexual nature or profanity" and "the extent of anticipated objections to chosen materials."
The "Parental Inspection" policy adds a way for individual parents to challenge books and/or to have alternate reading assigned to their children.
Beginning in the 2009-10 school year, Burke County teachers must send parents a list of reading they expect to assign. The list must include details about "whether the selection may contain objectionable content related to ... language, sexual content, violence or other abuse, offensive to certain religious or other values and age inappropriate/inconsistent with the N.C. Standard Course of Study."
Offensive language and sexually explicit scenes in "The Kite Runner" and complaints that the book is unsuitable for certain age groups are the main reasons, according to ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, why individuals and groups in Burke County and elsewhere tried to remove "The Kite Runner" from school curricula and/or libraries.
Because of the controversy, "The Kite Runner" now may be one of the most widely read modern novels in Burke County.
The Burke County Public Library system in 2008 had six printed copies of "The Kite Runner" plus three audio books. One of the Morganton branch's printed copies and one audio version are missing and presumed stolen or lost. Two others are in circulation now. At this time last year, all were checked out.
"All of his (Hosseini's) books have been popular here," Library Director Jim Wilson said. No one has asked the library to remove any, including "The Kite Runner."
"I thought that was interesting," Wilson said, in view of the controversy's intensity last year. "It appeared people were making some distinction between what public libraries should have and what the school libraries should have."
Wilson said it's rare for anyone to challenge books or other materials in the public library's collection.
"I've been here 12 years and I think once or twice we've had someone who went to the point of requesting the form" to lodge a complaint, he said. None have been filed.
Wilson believes it's good that parents now pay more attention to what their children read both in and out of school.
"We strongly encourage parents, know what your children are reading," he said. "I think parents should take an interest in what their children are reading."
Shirley Sprinkle of The Muses said her book store on West Union Street sold a lot of copies of "The Kite Runner" during 2008.
"A lot of people told us they would have missed it if the controversy had not been there," she added.
"All the discussion in here is just that they can't understand the banning of the books," Sprinkle continued. "'Age appropriateness' is the only comment any of our customers have been made." And the general opinion, she added, is "The Kite Runner" is suitable for students in upper high-school grades.
Like Wilson, Sprinkle said, "I feel like this controversy has been positive for our community. They're more aware, more informed."
She said "The Kite Runner" is part of trend among many Burke County people to expand their knowledge of the Mideast.
"There's a lot of interest because of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the last several years we have customers buying the Koran and anything on mideastern religions. We've found we need to keep all of them in stock," Sprinkle said.

On the Web: Burke County Public Library, http://www.bcpls.org/