Unsuitable for age group: The Perks of being a Wallflower

But I thought it was about high school kids? Why can't high school kids read it? The Perks of being a Wallflower is "designated as 4th grade reading level by the widely used comprehension-assessment software Accelerated Reader". Okay, I do have a problem with this book being in an elementary school library but some of our high school students read at this level and I have no problem with it being in the high school library....even middle school! I'm sorry if you don't like part of the book but I've read it. It is life. Arizona seeks banning based on one complaint of one page.




Perks debut on ALA's Top 10 list is at #5 in 2004 and is in the Top 10 again in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. It make the Top 100, at #10 for the decade, 2000-2009.



The Perks of being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
An Original Publication of MTV Books/Pocket Books
February 1999
213 pages

my library copy is smaller than trade size at 7 x 5.


According to the American Library Association, more than 400 books were challenged in 2007. This book made the Top 10 list.

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group


I'm not sure what to say about this book. Each chapter is actually a letter written to a friend by the main character, Charlie.

"August 25, 1991


Dear friend,
I am writing to you because she said you listen and understood and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have..." and so it starts. Charlie is in High School. Remember what it was like? The awkwardness? Wanting to belong? Following along because you thought you had to? This, to me, was real. I wondered if I knew a kid like this when I went to HS.

As for the reasons for the complaints:

Homosexuality - one of Charlie's friends is gay and kisses him. I don't remember any other parts where this comes up. Maybe there was a "that guy's cute" comment or something.

Sexually Explicit - well, yea, this is high school and the kids are experimenting with rubbing and stuff. Charlie gets asked to a dance where he know the couples have sex afterwards and he asks his older sister what he needs to do and she explains, in detail, how to bring a girl to orgasm without penetration. There are mainstream romance novels out there that are much, much worse, and HS kids are reading them!

Offensive Language - isn't this a part of "life" now. It isn't any "dirtier" then mainstream movies.

Unsuited to Age Group - This is a book about high school students why shouldn't high school students read it?

Did I like it? Yes.

Would I recommend it? I'm not at the high school libraries but there were a couple of kids at the middle school I think would enjoy it, and could handle it.

Would I let my kids read it? Yes.

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