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Resident reads explicit passages from YA novel, urges removal from middle-school library
Summary
At the Manheim Township School Board meeting, resident Mark Diner read extended excerpts from the YA novel Shiver and urged the district to remove it from the middle-school library, saying the sexual content is inappropriate for seventh graders; a parent later testified that such material had harmed her daughter. Board members thanked librarians and said they rely on professional review processes.
A Manheim Township resident on Thursday urged the school board to remove the young-adult novel Shiver from the middle-school library, reading aloud extended passages and arguing the book’s sexual content is unsuitable for seventh graders.
"Good evening. My name is Mark Diner, class of 1989," Diner said before reading multiple pages from the book and summarizing parent reviews that questioned whether the novel should be marketed to teens. In his remarks he described characters who are 17 and 18 and read an explicit scene in which the characters kiss and then engage in sex.
Diner told the board he had searched online commentary and parents’ reviews and concluded that some elements of the book were "not appropriate" for middle-school readers. "I don't think seventh graders need to read about that," he said.
A parent who followed Diner described a separate case in which her daughter read sexually explicit material in a public-school library and later struggled; the parent said the family sought therapy and voiced frustration that librarians are not therapists. "You go take that tender soul and you give them materials that will literally wreck them," the parent said.
Board members did not take an immediate vote on any list changes. After public comment, board member Miss Lamb offered a public statement thanking librarians and other staff "who use their judgment and process as trained professionals to provide a wide access of reading materials for students across our district." She said the board recognizes librarians’ training and professional role.
District officials have not announced any immediate removals or specific changes to the library collection at the time of the meeting. The board’s public-comment policy states that concerns can be submitted in writing and that follow-up will be provided "as needed," and administrators said earlier in the meeting that recordings and materials are available online for review.
Next steps: The board will consider any formal complaints or requests according to district procedure; the district indicated it would follow existing review processes and respond to commenters as appropriate.
