A: This year\'s Newbery Award winner is recommended for 9-11 year olds. It tells the story of a plucky girl who must triumph over her circumstances and who\'s fascinated by 12-step meetings and finding a higher power. On the first page of the book, her dog is bitten on the testicles by a rattlesnake, and the author uses the word "scrotum" in the text. It\'s that word (which gets repeated because the heroine, Lucky, finds it fascinating), that\'s caused the objections.

The incident in the book was inspired by a true story, and the author wasn\'t being inflammatory when she used the word, merely descriptive. Some families may not be comfortable with anatomical references, and others may have no problem with it. If your child does read the book and asks questions, we recommend simply stating that the word "scrotum" refers to a part of the male anatomy. At the age of 9, many kids won\'t ask more questions once they\'re satisfied with a simple, clear explanation.
Check out our complete list of this year\'s book honorees here.