While Higley Unified School District has barely moved past a dispute about one novel in a dual-enrollment course, a governing board member objected Nov. 19 to the purchase of another novel.
But despite Vice President Anna Van Hoek’s dissent, the board approved an expense voucher that included the purchase of “A Woman Is No Man” on a 3-1 vote with Board Member Kristina Reese absent.
“A Woman Is No Man,” by Palestinian-American author Etaf Rum, is approved for use in dual enrollment courses by Chandler Gilbert Community College but also for 11th graders in the district, according to the district’s approved novel list.
The book, published in 2019, goes into the lives of three generations of Palestinian women living in Brooklyn.
Van Hoek questioned the high ratings the book has received and expressed concern over its use in educational settings, particularly its influence on young readers regarding parental and religious authority.
“For me it’s awful that these kids are given a book that tells them, you know, you can defy your parents and you can defy whatever religion your parents are raising you as, considering they’re minors,” Van Hoek said. “That’s a decision kids can make as they get older, but again, I find it to be terrible book.”
Van Hoek read a couple of online reviews that questioned the book’s quality and described it as misogynistic and anti-Arab.
However, the book has overall high online reviews and was critically praised after its publication.
Board Member Amanda Wade asked before the vote if the book requires a parental permission slip. Superintendent Sherry Richards confirmed it does.
Earlier this fall, a parent strongly objected to his child being given the book “Homegoing” by Ghanian American author Yaa Gyasi to read for a dual-enrollment Multicultural Literature class between Williams Field High School and Chandler Gilbert Community College.
That resulted in a police investigation that was later ended with a finding of no probable cause.
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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