CdA school board votes to keep book

“Snow Falling on Cedars” will continue to be part of the Coeur d’Alene School District’s curriculum, despite some parents’ objections to adult material in the novel.

The school board voted 3-2 Monday night to keep the book as an option for high school junior English classes. Teachers can assign it or make it optional reading. Parents and students who object can ask for another assignment, said Jim Facciano, curriculum director.

Author David Guterson won a PEN/Faulkner Award for the 1994 novel, set on a fictional island in Puget Sound in the 1950s.

When a fisherman drowns under suspicious circumstances, a Japanese-American man is charged with murder. The whodunit examines deep prejudices against the island’s Japanese-American population and explores how some islanders profited when their neighbors were sent to World War II internment camps.

“Snow Falling on Cedars” frequently turns up on banned book lists for profanity and sexual content.

Board members Vern Newby and Sid Frederickson voted against Monday night’s measure. They said they didn’t mind including the novel on optional reading lists but weren’t comfortable with it as required reading.

During Monday night’s meeting, Assistant Superintendent Hazel Bauman told parents that they couldn’t quote sections of the book that weren’t “family-friendly” because the meeting was being recorded for broadcast on cable TV. “I am aware of the irony,” she said.

Mary Jo Finney, one of several parents who raised objections to the book, said that underscored her point: “It’s adult reading for minors.”

Finney objected to depictions of masturbation, genitalia and intercourse. The book also makes frequent use of vulgar language, she said, noting that one word in particular appears nine times on one page.

Finney argued the book is too explicit for high school readers, who don’t have the life experience or sophistication to read controversial scenes in context.

“Snow Falling on Cedars” has been used in the district since 1998, primarily as optional reading in upper-level classes, Facciano said. Parts of the novel have appeared on Advanced Placement English literature exams.

An 11-member committee, including Finney, reviewed the book. Others on the committee praised the novel’s portrayal of racism and prejudice and their impact on a community.

The majority report from the committee said the adult content was tastefully written, not gratuitous, and important to the plot and character development. Mature students, the report said, need challenging literature that “comes with the realities of life and (is) rich in human experience.”

“Snow Falling on Cedars” is one of five books parents have challenged in the district. The school board voted to keep two others as part of the curriculum – “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou and “Fallen Angels” by Walter Dean Myers.

“The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier and “Beloved” by Toni Morrison are under review.

Facciano said the district is developing a rating system that will alert parents and students to controversial content early on, giving them the opportunity to request another book.