Guilford County Board of Education will consider another book challenge this week

The Guilford County Board of Education will meet Thursday to consider a challenge to the book Life is Funny by E.R. Frank. 

The novel follows the lives of 11 diverse Brooklyn teenagers who struggle with poverty, family expectations, racism, drugs and self-harm. The author is also a psychotherapist with a specialty in trauma, according to her website.

Last school year, a parent complained about the book being available as a reading option in the Northern Guilford High School library media center. 

The challenge went to the school’s Media Technology Advisory Council and the Guilford County Schools District Review Committee. Both groups voted to keep the book available. 

The complainant filed an appeal, and as a result, the Board of Education will meet on Dec. 8 to make a final decision. 

This will be the second meeting in less than two weeks to discuss a parent’s challenge to a book at the same high school.

On Nov. 29, the board considered a complaint about the novel Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. The vote was 6-2 to keep it as an optional read for an AP English course.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.