Having Your Say

The secondary resources I have researched thoroughly discussed the issue of book censorship. One source touched on some things concerning the appropriateness of certain texts and world issues; however, he came to the conclusion that if a book is offensive, then it must have some value considering the important feedback it might create. He did go on to say that that does not make every offensive book necessarily appropriate for all ages; instead, teachers need to approach the offensive issues within the classroom first and justify beyond a reasonable doubt the appropriateness of the text.
What gap still exists?
How does a teacher determine the maturity level of their classroom in order to justify the teaching of particular texts?
I plan to conduct interviews with junior high teachers in order to evaluate their opinions and knowledge on the issue. I also have been observing junior high students in order to make some quality inferences regarding the issue of book censorship, maturity, context, and appropriateness.