School Library Journal (2/3/12) reports:
T
he Tucson Unified School District‘s (TUSD) decision to shut down its Mexican American Studies (MAS) program and remove seven titles that were used in the program has sparked a rallying cry among librarians and other educators. National groups, including the American Library Association (ALA) and the network of Teacher Activist Groups, are protesting the book removal, demanding that the titles be returned to classrooms.
“Students in the TUSD MAS Program develop critical thinking skills through the study of literature written by ALA award-winning authors,” reads ALA’s resolution. “And students have demonstrated proven academic success, graduating from high school at the rate of 90 percent and entering college at a rate of 80 percent.”
Author Matt de la Peña is taking a more hands-on approach: he’s using his $1,000 speaking fee to purchase copies of his novel Mexican WhiteBoy (Delacorte, 2008) for the Tucson High Magnet School, where he’s scheduled to appear on March 13.
Read the rest of Lauren Barack’s article HERE