MASL Issues Press Release Following Removal of Title from MO School District

MASL Office

(573) 893-4155

info@maslonline.org

November 9, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Support for book withheld in Blue Springs School District

Jefferson City, MO (Nov. 9, 2011) -- The Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) supports the availability of Hold Still, by Nina LaCour, in high school libraries throughout Missouri. The title is being withheld from students in the Blue Springs School District.

"Hold Still is a very well-written story of a young adult finding hope during trying circumstances. The teen years are often a challenging time for many young adults,” says MASL Executive Committee member and neighboring Raytown School District librarian Ellen Wickham. "The story offers perspective and inspiration on dealing with difficult situations, and is written honestly and with great concern for how it will impact its target audience of students in grades 9 through 12.”

The book is a finalist for MASL’s 2011-2012 Gateway Readers Award which, since 2004, has been evaluated and recommended by parents, teachers, students and librarians alike. Books nominated for the Gateway Readers Award represent outstanding literature geared towards students in grades 9 through 12. MASL’s Awards program is comprised of 4 separate Readers Awards geared towards children of different ages. The program’s success is evidenced by the more than 112,000 votes cast by students for their favorite nominated titles in 2011.

"Not everyone is going to approve of the wide range of content found in libraries,” Wickham says, "If a parent thinks a particular book is not suitable for their child, they should guide their children to other books. Parents have the right and responsibility to guide their own children’s library use.”

MASL is the the premier professional association of more than 1,000 Missouri school librarians in educational institutions of all sizes, grade levels and state geographic locations.

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