Banned Author Speaks Out

Confrontation is the last thing she wants, the author of "Twenty Boy Summer" said.

That's because her book is more about how teens deal with death, loss and growing, rather than teen sex and beach parties, Ockler said.

That's why she was taken aback when her book and Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" were taken from Republic High School library shelves, then later placed in a restricted section where parents could check the books out for their children, Ockler said.

She doesn't oppose a parent's right to decide a book isn't suitable for their child, Ockler said. What upsets her is that one parent can have the power to determine the options of all parents.

That's been my point all along, folks. I'm not saying parents shouldn't control what their children read. I respect that right, but it's up to them to enforce it. Removing reading material as a choice for other families is wrong. It's controlling and a way to avoid having to do the work of parenting at the expense of others.

Despite her claim that she didn't intend to be controversial, it's clear that Ockler likes to draw some attention. But that's her right, and anyone who feels differently has the right to go elsewhere. She wasn't being inappropriate, and her logic was dead on. Maybe some folks in Republic, MO learned a lesson from this. One can only hope.