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