Today, John Green announced on his Twitter that his award-winning novel Looking For Alaska was banned in a Tennessee school district. This is not the first time his novel has been targeted by parents of students, and it certainly doesn’t seem like it’ll be the last time either.

According to the article from The Tennessean:

A Sumner parent who skimmed the material complained to the Sumner school board that it was too explicit. The district reviewed it and ultimately pulled it from assigned class reading.

Every time this book has been banned, the parent complaining usually admits to only skimming that one sexual scene or moments with adult language. The problem with this is: how can they understand the influence this book can have on young adults if they only read or skim one inappropriate part?

As John Green has said, the part being deemed inappropriate reflects the difference between physical and emotional intimacy. He defended his novel in a 2008 video on the Youtube channel he shares with his brother.

Should this novel be taken off reading lists, or should there be a secondary option for parents to choose from? Should one parent decide the curriculum of all the students in a class?