The movie musical “Wicked” captivated audiences nationwide — but the usual debate about whether “the book is better than the movie” falls flat in some Florida schools.
- Several districts have banned the 1995 novel that inspired the stage musical and film.
Driving the news: Schools in Polk and Manatee counties removed the book from shelves. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that critics called it “sick and twisted. “
- The novel isn’t as PG as the works that follow it, with depictions of crime and sex. Some review sites don’t recommend it for those 14 or under, per the Democrat.
- “The book may mislead some that think that the book is similar to the Broadway musical ‘Wicked’ which revealed the Wicked Witch of the West as someone entirely misunderstood,” one resident said.
Yes, but: Alachua County Public Schools, which had also removed the book for a time, recommended that it remain on shelves after a review.
- Stephana Ferrell of the Florida Freedom to Read organization noted that if the movie had been rated R, a high school audience could still have seen it.
- “So why are we holding them back from reading the entire book?” she told the Democrat.
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