Last week I summarized a much more complete post by Mark Pennington which more completely summarized some of the main criticisms of the Accelerated Reading program used in many schools.
4. Using AR tends to encourage some students to read books that most teachers and parents would consider inappropriate for certain age levels. Although Renaissance Learning is careful to throw the burden of book approval onto the shoulders of teachers and parents, students get more points for reading and passing quizzes on higher reading levels and longer books. Although an interest level is provided as is a brief synopsis/cautionary warning on the AR site, students often simply select books by the title, cover, availability, or point value. Thus, a fourth grader might wind up “reading” Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (4.7 ATOS readability level) and a sixth grader might plow through Camus’ The Stranger (6.2 ATOS readability level). Hardly appropriate reading material for these grade levels! Content is not considered in the AR point system and students are, of course, reading for those points.
All the Way Behrens, Andy Level 4.3 Points 7
Hoping to have sex for the first time with a girl he has met on the Internet, seventeen-year-old Ian drives with his two best friends from Illinois to South Carolina.
Anatomy of a Boyfriend Snadowsky, Daria Level 5.0 Points 9
Text contains sexual situations throughout.
Boy Toy Lyga, Barry Level 4.5 Points 15
The plot contains profanity and graphic sexual references.
Claiming Georgia Tate Amateau, Gigi EN 5.0 UG 6
Twelve-year-old Georgia Tate feels loved and safe living with Nana and Granddaddy, until her sexually abusive father tries to win custody of her. This plot contains sexual situations.
Crank Hopkins, Ellen Level 4.3 Points 5
Visiting her absentee father, Kristina's life turns upside-down when he introduces her to the dark world of crank, or crystal meth. The story, told in jagged free verse, contains profanity, explicit sexual situations and blatant descriptions of drug use.
The Da Vinci Code Brown, Dan Level 6.4 Points 23
Doing It Burgess, Melvin Level 4.4 Points 12
Three teenage friends, Dino, Jonathon, and Ben, confront the confusions, fears, and joys of adolescent male sexuality.
Forever Blume, Judy Level 4.1 Points 5
A graphic novel of a teenage senior-year love affair based primarily on sexual attraction.
Gluttony Wasserman, Robin Level 5.2 Points 9
The plot contains adult language and sexual activity. Book #6 (Oddly, the book Lust doesn’t have an AR test, but others in the series do.)
The Lovely Bones Sebold, Alice Level 6.0 Points 16
Nineteen Minutes Picoult, Jodi Level6.0 Points 29
Residents of Sterling, NH, are affected after a shooting at the high school leaves ten people dead and the judge presiding over the trial tries to remain unbiased, even though her daughter is a witness. The plot contains sexual references and violence
Nothing Can Keep Us Together: A Gossip Girl Novel von Ziegesar, Cecily Level 6.8 Points 10
The plot contains profanity, sexual situations, alcohol and drug use.
Punkzilla Rapp, Adam Level 6.2 Points 9
A runaway teenager, having overcome an addiction to meth, travels across the country to reconnect with his dying brother and meets a colorful cast of characters along the way. The plot contains sexual situations and profanity.
Push Sapphire Level 4.0 Points 5
The plot contains adult themes including graphic sexual situations and violence. The movie Precious is based off this.
Smack Burgess, Melvin Level 4.6 Points 13
Two English teenagers share their stories of being runaways and becoming heroin addicts.
Weetzie Bat Block, Francesca Lia Level 5.0 Points 2
This story follows the wild adventures of Weetzie Bat and her Los Angeles friends, Dirk, Duck, and My-Secret-Agent-Lover-Man. The plot contains profanity and sexual situations.