A feature by author Mark Piggott has been posted on the Guardian website this week. Below is a taster:
"A teacher who was suspended after writing a book featuring some of her pupils has received widespread backing from her students.
More than 250 youngsters walked out of lessons last week holding banners and chanting slogans in support of Leonora Rustamova who was suspended after publishing Stop! Don't Read This! about a group of pupils she had taught.
The protest at Calder high school in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, stopped when police arrived and warned pupils they were playing truant.
Rustamova's supporters insist she only wrote the book to encourage pupils to read.
One of the pupils featured, Travis Downs, said: "A lot of books we are asked to read just don't seem relevant. So when our teacher asked us what would make us more likely to read a novel, we said one that has us in it. We asked her to write the book and helped make it as realistic as possible."
In the book, Downs is described entering the classroom "like a stranger enters a saloon, like he's expecting loaded guns under the tables … When he comes in chin down, looking at you from under his eyebrows you can expect a list of swearwords like he's got them belted into an AK47.""
To read the article in full click here!
Lucy
ps. Mark is the author of Fire Horses which is available to buy from the online shop.
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