The Richland School Board continues to confound us with its seemingly constant turmoil regarding what's appropriate reading material for students in the district.

Most recently, the school board voted to ban use of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Northwest author Sherman Alexie from all grade levels in the district.

What a shame.

Alexie is revered for his writing, and Absolutely True was based on his own experience as a youth on and off the Spokane Reservation.

The New York Times had this to say about the book: "For 15 years now, Sherman Alexie has explored the struggle to survive between the grinding plates of the Indian and white worlds. He's done it through various characters and genres, but The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian may be his best work yet. Working in the voice of a 14-year-old forces Alexie to strip everything down to action and emotion, so that reading becomes more like listening to your smart, funny best friend recount his day while waiting after school for a ride home."

That sounds like a great read for a high school student. The issue for the Instructional Materials Committee and the school board came down to language in the book, which can be both profane and potentially offensive. But the same could be said about many great books. And if we think our teenagers aren't exposed to both on a daily basis, we're fooling ourselves.

Absolutely True/i> explores serious issues from a teen's perspective, told by an exceptional writer who actually lived it. Banning the book is like pretending that it's easy to grow up.

The teen years are a battleground for many, and literature that speaks to their struggle can help students learn that adolescence is a survivable, temporary state, regardless of how bleak it may seem at times.

Perhaps Alexie sums it up best: "I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's too late for that."

That statement came in response to a recent challenge regarding the appropriateness of Alexie's book for teenagers that appeared on the Wall Street Journal's website.

What's especially puzzling about the board's decision is that it started as a discussion about whether to prohibit the book from use in freshman classes, while the final 3-2 vote banned it from every Richland classroom.

The board says because of a split opinion on the book from the Instructional Materials Committee, whose members read the book, that it was best to prohibit its use.

Apparently none of the school board members had read the book before taking a vote. We're at the same disadvantage, but unlike the school board, we're not making a decision for 3,000 high school students.

Besides, with reviews like, "Few writers are more masterful than Sherman Alexie," from the Los Angeles Times, we can't wait to pick up a copy.

In the end, that's the silver lining of this controversy. It has probably encouraged more people -- teens included -- to read the book.

If there's a bump in Tri-City sales, Alexie can thank the Richland School Board.