Posted on 03/20/2012 12:36:10 PM PDT by fremont_steve
In South Carolina a teacher has been placed on administrative leave for reading excerpts of Orson Scott Card’s science fiction classic Ender’s Game to his middle school students.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Idiots, this book is not pornographic.
If you read further in the article, it sounds as if the book is one of three used as an excuse to cover up the filth she was really reading.
Ender’s Game (1985) is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card.[1] Set in Earth’s future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind who have barely survived two conflicts with the Formics (an insectoid alien species also known as the “Buggers”). These aliens show an ant-like group behavior, and are very protective of their leader, much like Earth ants protecting their queen. In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world’s most talented children, including the novel’s protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room where Ender’s tactical genius is revealed.
The book originated as the short story “Ender’s Game”, published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.[2] Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional books to form the Ender’s Game series. Card released an updated version of Ender’s Game in 1991, changing some political facts to accurately reflect the times.
Reception to the book has generally been positive, though some critics have denounced Card’s perceived justification of his characters’ violent actions.[3][4] It has also become suggested reading for many military organizations, including the United States Marine Corps.[5] Ender’s Game won the 1985 Nebula Award for best novel[6] and the 1986 Hugo Award for best novel.[7] Its sequels, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind, and Ender in Exile, follow Ender’s subsequent travels to many different worlds in the galaxy. In addition, the later novella A War of Gifts and novel Ender’s Shadow take place during the same time period as the original. Ender’s Game has been adapted into two comic series.
A film adaptation of the same name directed by Gavin Hood and starring Asa Butterfield as Ender is planned to be released on March 15, 2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender’27s_Game
This was one of our daughters assigned books to read when she was in 7th or 8th grade (I can’t remember which). She really like the story. I also read the book, so that she & I could discuss it. My memory sucks these days, but I do not remember any part of it being pornographic.
Reading the updates at the bottom of the article it looks like Ender’s Game was a problem due to swear words. The pornography complaint seemed to be a separate issue with something that the teacher read from the Internet.
Not sure why you feel this way, its standard reading fair for middle school... in my day we read Farenheight 451 which had similar themes but was not written specifically for kids.
I am not sure why anyone would find “The Giver” overly offensive.
This is not a freedom of speech issue, since he was reading the book to his class as part of his professional duties. It is, however, an issue of some parents being dumber than dirt. Ender’s Game is an excellent book for kids that age, and there are no sections of the book that are even close to pornographic. The school system needs to read the book, tell the mother that she is a moron, and get that teacher back in his classroom so he can teach the kids.
Fear not. The teacher who replaces this menace to society will be muslim, lesbian and teaching from the school board approved GLBT handbook on ‘Fisting’ so no worries.
Thank GOD they removed a classic Sci-Fi story from the minds of our youth! Best that space be filled with ‘gay’ issues and tolerance.
what is this sci fi book about?
They better not read “Princess of Mars”, they will not like Dejah Thoris’ attire.
(John Carter of Mars reference)
A good follow-up to the original article appears below:
Looks like there was more to it than initially reported...imagine that.
When you hear or see about the movie, you will think it is derivative of so many stories, when in fact, those stories are derivative of it. Its about young school children being taught the art of warfare, comraderie, discipline and command, through various forms of "play". In the end, one of those forms of play is actually the real thing. Great read.
The discovery and training of a tactical child prodigy to overcome the destruction of humanity by an alien race. He succeeds in genocidal wiping them out and becomes the most hated man in the universe for doing it by the very people he saved.
I worked with some friends on a volunteer project a few years back. It was a summer project where we helped a local middle school get some minor paint and fix-up projects done.
In one project we were painting some classrooms and their adjoining hallway.
The walls of the hallway, at about the level of the tops of the classroom doors, were (in addition to the general painting) being decorated with some famous poems.
A few of the words of one poem were changed because they mentioned guns. I commented to the project leader that it was a wrong and a dumb thing to do. They did not seem to have any care or concern for intellectual honesty. I was disgusted.
Strike another victory for the Orwellian leaders of academia.
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