| Stuart Nachbar has created a curious
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| | story, an assignment that he really does
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| novel in The Sex Ed Chronicles. Using a
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| | not want to do. He quickly discovers that
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| backdrop of 1980 New Jersey, we are
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| | few wish to talk openly about the
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| introduced to the murky world of school
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| | subject. What looks at first sight to be
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| politics. He has selected the contentious
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| | a boring and mundane assignment quickly
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| subject of compulsory Sex Education,
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| | erupts into a firestorm of controversy
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| however the subject could equally have
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| | when a supposed parent-backed group
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| been Religion or Evolution. All are
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| | called PAST get involved. Led by the
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| subjects that have strong backers and
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| | bombastic and bigoted rich widow Carolyn
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| equally strong detractors. Schools and
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| | Lattimore, PAST are firmly committed to
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| School Boards may not be the media
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| | abolishing Sex Ed in schools, and to
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| favorites that the House or Senate may
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| | achieve their goal set out to establish
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| be. But make no mistake, the issues are
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| | their members on the various school
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| as hotly contested, and the tactics used
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| | boards. Caught in the middle of the fray
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| by the protagonists just as dirty as the
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| | is a young history teacher, Andi Gilardi,
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| big league politicians, maybe even
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| | who becomes the centerpiece of PAST's
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| dirtier, because of the lack of media
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| | diatribe after she permits some students
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| attention. The main character is rookie
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| | to post a Sex Ed test in the school
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| journalist Greg Mandell, just out of
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| | newspaper. Greg finds himself torn
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| college, and working for not much money
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| | between openly supporting Ms. Gilardi and
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| as a reporter for The Ocean Republic, a
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| | jeopardizing his job, or supporting PAST
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| small New Jersey newspaper. The author
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| | who are large advertisers with the
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| uses Greg in an interesting way, he is by
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| | newspaper. The Sex Ed Chronicles is a
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| no means the hero, he is the conduit
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| | very thought-provoking work, the author
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| through which the story flows. The style
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| | has done a very fine job of writing about
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| of writing is innovative, the story
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| | the political process, and the fashion in
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| unfolds in small nibbles each one
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| | which political skirmishes take place.
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| prefixed with a title and tagline, much
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| | Like a chess game, mating your opponent's
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| in the fashion of newspaper stories. The
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| | King is easy once you have picked off the
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| action takes place between January and
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| | Pawns! Great read, and if I was an
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| June in 1980. The New Jersey School Board
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| | English teacher this would be a book that
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| decide to explore whether or not to
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| | would I would love to evolve a class
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| include Sex Ed as part of its regular
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| | around. The potential for gaining real
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| curriculum. Some schools have already
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| | world understanding from within the pages
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| adopted the subject and some have not. To
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| | of this novel are huge.
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| resolve the issue a series of public
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| | Simon Barrett is an adult educator in
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| forums are planned so that the matter can
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| | Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a
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| be decided. There is a quiet certainty
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| | year of winter, he reads a lot of books!
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| that although there will be a few
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| | He is also a contributing editor for
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| grumbles the majority will be in favor of
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| | Blogger News and maintains a personal
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| teaching Sex Ed. Rookie Greg Mandell is
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| | blog at Simon B.
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| given the task of covering the Sex Ed
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