Department of Education of South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Education's Office of Curriculum and Standards is developing and piloting an English II curriculum guide to assist teachers in the implementation of the state's English language arts curriculum standards. Participation in the pilot, and ultimately the use of the completed guide by local school districts, is optional. The format includes thematic modules that center on a classic piece of literature and young adult literature. Nine high schools are participating in the development. Your novel initially was recommended by Education Department staff as a possible choice for students in one of the pilot curriculum's literature modules. After reading your book and conferring with colleagues, I decided to withdraw Whale Talk from the list of books recommended by this agency for use in that module.