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Shoreline district committee recommends new novels for classroom use; some titles carry content warnings
Summary
The District Instructional Materials Committee recommended five novels for adoption across grade ranges, including titles addressing race, trauma and environmental issues; the committee unanimously recommended the selections and will bring the recommendations back on the consent agenda at the next board meeting.
At the March 4 Shoreline School Board meeting, District Academic Officer Mike Van Orden presented the District Instructional Materials Committee's (DIMC) first reading of five book recommendations the committee unanimously supported for classroom use.
The books recommended were Thirst (recommended for grades 4 and up), A Pale View of Hills (AP Literature, grade 12), I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (upper high school), There There (upper high school), and Front Desk (grades 4 and up). Van Orden said the selections were chosen to reflect diverse perspectives and the district's "windows, mirrors, and ladders" approach to instructional materials.
The committee noted that some titles recommended for grades 11–12 include mature content. "These two both have some potentially controversial content in them," Van Orden said of the upper-grade novels, naming self-harm, sexual assault, drug use and strong language as examples. He and committee members said age-appropriateness and textual complexity were factors in grade-level recommendations.
A student representative urged the board to consider that younger students in the district sometimes experience difficult issues earlier than expected and suggested broadening discussion of where material may be appropriate. Van Orden said content, textual complexity and student input are all part of the DIMC review process and that the committee includes a student representative from Shorecrest with plans to add another from Shorewood next year.
The board did not vote on the recommendations March 4; Van Orden said the DIMC recommendations will be placed on the next meeting’s consent agenda for board action. Teachers will be able to use approved novels as whole-class texts in grade levels indicated; library availability and individual classroom use were discussed as separate matters.
What the presentation included: the committee described the review process (teacher proposals, small-group review, committee recommendation and board action), grade-level designations, content notes and unanimous committee approval. Van Orden said the committee seeks materials that expand representation and support literary study at appropriate grade levels.
What to watch next: the recommendations will appear on a future consent agenda for board approval. The board may ask staff for additional guidance on age-appropriate supports and classroom implementation before final adoption.
