The parents who challenged the seven books in question were undoubtedly acting with the best of intentions: they wanted to protect their children. However, by limiting what their own children read and learn, these parents are restricting what all students at Highland Park High School read and learn.

The seven books are not so exploitative, graphic, or sensational that they merit exclusion from HPHS; indeed, Siddhartha and Song of Solomon are on many school reading lists and constitute major works of the 20th century. Allowing parents to opt out of having their children read such books, rather than depriving all students of the opportunity to read the selections, is adequate to address these parents' concerns -- and this measure is already in place.

Please reinstate these seven suspended books: The Art of Racing in the Rain; The Working Poor: Invisible in America; Siddhartha; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian; An Abundance of Katherines; The Glass Castle: A Memoir; and Song of Solomon.

As an HPHS alumna, I decided to start this petition in response to the 9/21/2014 story in the Dallas Morning News.