The 1996 novel by Barbara Park depicts the grieving process of a 13-year-old girl after her younger brother dies in a bicycle accident. Board members said the book meets community standards in its depiction of how a child might react to the death of a close family member, the Associated Press reported March 24. Superintendent David Flowers had stated earlier that the novel was appropriate for grades 4 and above, and committees at the school and district levels agreed.
“They followed the correct procedures, but the decision-making was horrible,” said Mark Herschlip, who challenged the title with his wife Pam. The Herschlips, who have a 4th-grade daughter, claimed the book contains inappropriate themes and language. They have asked legislators to direct the state Department of Public Instruction to develop standards for school library materials and curriculum.
The January 2005 Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom notes that in 1997 Mick Harte Was Here won an annual award from the North Dakota Library Association, adding that it has been challenged in five different school districts since 1998. In two cases, both involving Texas schools, it was removed from the shelves for “offensive language.”
Posted March 25, 2005.