Indeed, I'm not quite sure why my son's former English teacher selected the book Monster, instead of this rich read (far more to glean here). But even if she had selected this book, she might have taught it with an agenda. In a comment on another blog, I read that it is being taught in schools as propaganda, promoting Scout as a transgender character when she was merely a tomboy. Not every tomboy is a boy trapped in a girl's body. I was a tomboy, growing up very close to my two older brothers, but even when uncomfortable in dresses, society never encouraged me to identify myself as transgender.
I grieve for individuals who struggle with identity issues. My friend's daughter is in the process of transitioning to a boy, and my friend is adamantly expressing her continued love for her child - something I applaud. But is it right to take this classic and use it as a bully pulpit for transgender normalization? Is it a slippery slope from loving and acknowledging those who struggle to encouraging such confusion by interpreting every girl character who prefers to wear jeans as one who wishes to change their God-given sexual orientation? This approach is nothing new. I'm sure plenty of Christians read their Bible in a way that merely validates their preconceived perspectives, but it still saddens me.
The back cover proclaims that librarians recently voted To Kill a Mockingbird as "the best novel of the twentieth century." I loved the characters, the lessons, the struggles and the solutions. I admired the author's strong voice. The pacing, leading to the final moment of conflict between the children and Atticus's opponent, was perfect. If you haven't read this classic, you need to remedy that, and soon. If you read the book years ago in school, give it another read. You won't be sorry.
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