CITY'S ED. BOOBS
By CARL CAMPANILE
October 13, 2003 --
EXCLUSIVE
The three R's in education were almost racy,
raunchy and risqué.
Embarrassed city Department of Education
officials yanked an eye-popping book from 371 middle and high
schools because it contains sexually graphic material - including
crude street language - that somehow landed on the recommended
reading list for students.
The 300-page book - "Deal with It! A Whole
New Approach to Your Body, Brain and Life as a Gurl" (Pocket
Books) - has chapters called "The Boob Files," "What's Up Down
There" and "Mystery in Your Panties."
Department spokeswoman Margie Feinberg said
the sexual primer was mistakenly put on the list of suggested
classroom library books and was delivered to schools. But she
emphasized that the book was ordered removed before classes
started last month because it was deemed inappropriate for
adolescents to read.
Among the specific topics discussed include:
"Sex is Play," "To Lose it or Not to Lose It," "The First Time,"
"Why Do Girls Like Girls" and "Coming Out."
Topics also include how to perform anal sex,
oral sex and group sex.
The book also discusses how to prevent being
a victim of rape, incest and molestation. There's cartoon-like
presentation of breasts, the vagina and the penis
Some of the advice about girls' breasts:
"Boobs get a lot of attention . . . When boobs start popping up
left and right, they can be hard to ignore."
The authors call masturbation the "ultimate
safe sex" and say while it's not talked about as much, girls play
with their private parts as much as boys. There's also discussion
of sex toys.
It tweaks the "double standard" in society
that it's OK for boys to have premarital sex, but not
girls.
Parents were outraged.
"Who was the genius who purchased this book?
Didn't they look at the book before they ordered? This shows they
don't know what the hell they're doing," said Queens parent
Carmen Santana, whose 12-year-old attends middle
school.
"It's disgusting. It's so insulting. It uses
ghetto language."
Even students were surprised that the popular
teen book made the public school reading list.
"Some of it is X-rated. Only mature people
should read it," said Christina Rosario, 17, a senior at
Stevenson HS in The Bronx who bought her own personal copy at a
bookstore.
"It talks about sex and all the
positions."
Frank Wang, a student at the HS for
Environmental Studies, said the book was OK for high-school kids,
but not middle-schoolers. "They tend to be immature with these
things," he said.
The authors of "Deal with It!," Esther Drill,
Heather McDonald and Rebecca Odes, are creators of the gurl.com
Web site that discusses many of the same issues.
The book also has tips about dealing with
family, money and drugs, and "sucky emotions."
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