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- LETTERS, Page 6Pruning Dr. Seuss
-
- Bravo to the school-district committee in Laytonville,
- Calif., for voting to keep The Lorax by Dr. Seuss on the
- required-reading list for second-graders (NATION, Oct. 2). This
- book does not teach children that "harvesting redwood trees is
- bad." Instead, it demonstrates that ignoring the environment in
- favor of progress can result in serious losses of both plant and
- animal life. As a teacher, I have read The Lorax to students and
- used it as a resource in teaching science. Parents in
- Laytonville are seriously overreacting.
-
- Clara A. Davis Austin
-
- I disagree with the notion that the school committee has
- voted to "resist censorship" by rejecting a parent's plea that
- The Lorax be made optional instead of required reading. The
- request falls into the realm of legitimate parental discretion;
- parents do not want their children forced to consider a
- controversial issue that may be inappropriate and upsetting for
- certain backgrounds and age levels.
-
- Mona Holland Oshkosh, Wis.
-