Schools
Are the ‘Magic Tree House’ Books Too Scary for Kindergartners in Arlington?
A Wednesday meeting will address the district's new kindergarten curriculum, which has come under fire from local parents.
A group of Arlington parents has questioned whether the district’s new Tools of the Mind kindergarten curriculum, and now the district is holding a Wednesday meeting to address the issue.
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Thompson Elementary School.
The parents’ main concern is the curriculum’s use of the “Magic Tree House” book series by Mary Pope Osborne.
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According to the parents, the books all have elements of violence, danger and frightening characters, which they believe aren’t appropriate for kindergartners.
The parents also say the books are racially biased with the two main Caucasian characters throughout the series and racial/cultural stereotypes, such as a Japanese ninja.
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For more on the Tools of the Mind curriculum, visit its website.
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