The Year They Burned the Books — Nancy Garden

From the author of Annie on My Mind comes an unflinching novel about prejudice, censorship, and homophobia in a New England town.

As the editor in chief of the Wilson High Telegraph, senior Jamie Crawford is supposed to weigh in on the cutting-edge issues that will interest students in her school. But when she writes an opinion piece in support of the new health curriculum -- which includes safe-sex education and making condoms available to students -- she has no idea how much of a controversy she's stepped into.
 
A conservative school board member has started a war against the new curriculum, and now -- thanks to Jamie's editorial -- against the newspaper as well. As Jamie deals with the fallout and comes to terms with her own sexuality, the school and town become a battleground for clashing opinions. Now, Jamie and the students at Wilson need to find another way to express their beliefs before prejudice, homophobia, and violence define their small town.