Two weeks ago was the National Banned Books Week, so it was an ironic time for the board of Highland Park School District in Texas to announce that it was banning eight titles from its curriculum. Among these books was an especially unlikely suspect: the Garth Stein’s New York Times bestseller, The Art of Racing in The Rain.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a story about love, resilience, and race car driving told from the perspective of a dog named Enzo. The school board decided to ban this book because at one point in the narrative Enzo’s master is falsely accused of sexually molesting a minor. While The Art of Racing in the Rain contains no graphic sex scenes, this subject matter was nevertheless deemed inappropriate for Highland Park’s sophomore students who had begun studying the book last month.
Highland Park ISD’s announcement that it was banning The Art of Racing in the Rain came just days before the release of Garth Stein’s newest novel, A Sudden Light. Garth will be touring independent bookstores across the country and speaking about his new book this Fall through next Spring. To find out when he will be in your home town, contact Books In Common.
