National Book Award finalist removed from classes in Arizona high school.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Also, the American Library Association, which tracks books prohibited in schools, says it has no record of "Dreaming in Cuba" being banned.

The book that follows three generations of women during the Cuban Revolution was pulled from classrooms after a parent, Debbie Stoner, took her son out of his 10th-grade English class after students were asked to read sexually explicit passages aloud.

Barbara Hansen, a former Sierra Vista elementary school teacher, told the board Tuesday that the book seemed like "child pornography."

"We're bludgeoning their souls with this kind of material. It's debauchery, and it's just not worthy of our students," Hansen said.

Haven't read it, so can't comment on the specifics of the challenge. I have no doubt that there is sexual content in the book, but as we've seen in the past, the definition of 'sexually explicit' and even 'inappropriate' ranges rather dramatically depending on who you're talking to.

I have noticed lately, though, that people have been VERY quick to start slinging the 'child pornography' label around.