A group of parents, teachers, and media specialists from the Rosemont-Apple Valley-Eagan school district in suburban Minneapolis voted 10-1 to keep Jeff Smith’s Bone graphic novels in the school libraries.  Ramona DeLay, whose son Hardy brought home the fourth book in the Bone series from the school library, objected to references to smoking, drinking, gambling, and to what she perceived as  “sexual situations between characters” in the Bone graphic novel.

Jeff Smith sent a letter to the school board that he posted on his blog.  In it he pointed out: “Beer and gambling are depicted in Bone, but only as props or as story devices (even Smiley Bone’s stogie is little more than a Vaudeville/Groucho character prop). These things play a very small role in the overall Bone story… As far as “sexual situations between characters” are concerned, I know of none.  Nor was it ever my intention for there to be any. The main character Fone Bone has a crush on the young woman Thorn, but it’s innocent, and certainly goes no further than holding hands… Since the mid 90’s, millions of parents all over the world have read Bone with their children. This is the first time I have ever heard it suggested that it was age inappropriate.  It is hard to imagine that any bad behavior could be seen to be encouraged in these stories. Frankly, I believe it is just the opposite.”

The school committee, which according to the St. Paul Pionneer Press, was made up of three teachers, five parents, an elementary principal, an elementary media specialist and a middle school media specialist, listened to Ms. Delay’s objections and examined the Bone graphic novels before voting 10-1 to keep them available in the 12 of the district’s 18 elementary school libraries that have purchased copies of the graphic novel series.