GILROY
– With a new high school reading list on its way to the school
board for approval, one book is drawing the ire of some parents and
teachers who say it doesn’t meet the book selection criteria.
GILROY – With a new high school reading list on its way to the school board for approval, one book is drawing the ire of some parents and teachers who say it doesn’t meet the book selection criteria.
No, it’s not Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” but Victor E. Villaseñor’s “Rain of Gold.” The 550-page epic is a family saga spanning three generations that has been likened to a Mexican-American “Roots.”
The book, which was on the core list for Gilroy High School’s regular and honors English II last year, was moved to the supplemental list for regular classes for next year by English Department Chairman Peter Gray.
The revised book list – trimmed down to support the textbooks anchoring the English program starting next year – was presented to the Reading Literature Advisory Group Monday night. Seven of the 12 advisory group members were at the meeting to measure the books on the list against the criteria they developed last fall.
Parents bristled when they realized that “Rain of Gold” was back on the core list for sophomores.
“Any good qualities this book has are so outweighed by the violations of good writing that the book is rife with,” Doug Meier told Gray and advisory group members. “It has value as an example of how not to write – that’s it’s greatest value.”
After putting the book to a vote by 12 of the department’s teachers last week, Gray said seven preferred to put it back on the core list and five opposed.
The book is on a secondary reading list and might not even be used.
Acknowledging that it is not a “gem of literature” and doesn’t lend itself to literary analysis, “Rain of Gold” does have merit, Gray said.
Sophomore English classes complete a family legend project and the book was a valuable resource for students, he said. He noted that it passes the first literature selection criterion – literary merit – because it uses stylistic devices to convey meaning and has examples of dialect. There are two other standards under literary merit, however, that it did not meet: that the book provides more depth each time it is read and that it requires critical thinking or analysis.
“I guess I’m not seeing where the harm and the foul is in keeping a book on the list that is popular with students … and that teachers like to teach,” Gray said.
The book is below a sophomore level, which is why it’s off the Honors list, but that makes it more accessible for other students.
“There are entire sections of English I and English II where none of the kids are reading at grade level,” Gray said.
Three of the seven Reading Literature Advisory Group members also wanted to move the book back to the supplemental list, questioning whether it passes the group’s other criteria, which include thematic depth, inclusion on a reputable book list like the College Board’s 101 Great Books.
GHS parent Rhona Chan suggested the department choose a different but similar book, given the controversy surrounding “Rain of Gold,” which Gray said was an option.
The English teachers will review the list again before it goes to the school board for approval Thursday.
