This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, February 18, 2005 12:05 AM CST

Parents question book on Lowell reading list

LOWELL | The parents of a sixth-grader are challenging the book "Daughters of Eve" and its appropriateness on the middle grade approved reading list.

Amy and James Hendrick said their 12-year-old daughter selected the book "Daughters of Eve" by Lois Duncan, but was unaware of its content.

An editorial review of "Daughters of Eve" on Amazon.com says the book is about a high school teacher who "uses the guise of feminist philosophy to manipulate the lives of a group of girls with chilling results."

Duncan is the popular author of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and other titles in the Laurel-Leaf Series. Lowell Middle School Principal John Alessia called her the "Judy Blume of this generation."

After reading the book themselves and finding profanity and sexual content, Amy Hendrick said she and her husband approached the school, and are unsatisfied with the response they received.

However, Ursula Andrews, assistant superintendent of curriculum, said Thursday the School Board has a process in place for such situations, and that process was followed. Specifically, a committee met to discuss the Hendricks' concerns and provided its findings to the school board, she said.

"The decision now is in the hands of the School Board," Andrews said. She declined to discuss the details of those findings, but according to Amy Hendrick the committee determined that because her daughter made the choice to read the book the school district does not plan to take any action.

If the parents are not happy with the findings, Andrews said, they may appeal.

Hendrick said her daughter chose the book based on the point system set up by the school.

All students are required to read a book from the approved reading list every nine weeks. Each book is assigned a point value based on the difficulty of the reading level, with more difficult books receiving higher points. Students earn rewards based on the points amassed through reading the books.

Hendrick said her daughter reads at a high school level and chose "Daughters of Eve" because, "She didn't want them to think she wasn't reading to their expectations."

Alessia, who sat on the committee, said the book published in 1979 has never been challenged in Lowell. He said he could find only one instance, in Fairfax, Va., where the book was removed from middle school classrooms.

Andrews, who read the book after the couple expressed concern, said, "There are major, valuable lessons (in the book), but they are mature."

Amy Hendrick said she and her husband are not interested in banning the book, but would like to see PG-13 stickers or something similar on the book to alert parents. Another alternative, she said, would be to remove the book from the sixth grade reading list.

"My daughter's age level and reading level do not coincide," Amy Hendrick said.