[LIT] PG-13 and R rated books

[Janice Hise]

I teach 7/8 English and reading for a small Catholic K-8 where it seems most of the middle schoolers are allowed to watch those awful r-rated slasher movies.  My problem is what to do about "PG-13 or R-rated" books.  Some of the books I read over the summer, such as Paranoid Park and I Am the Messenger are just the books I need to interest some of my non-readers, but so far I have not done any booktalks on them because of the content (pre-marital sex, graphic violence, curse words, etc.)  My parents are definitely not prudes, but I don't want to preempt their ability to monitor at what age their child starts to read about these issues.
   
   Has anyone sent home a generic notice or permission slip regarding what books parents are comfortable letting their children read?  If so, could you send me an electronic file of your notice/slip?  Or just describe how you handle this in general?  Do you avoid giving booktalks on anything you rate even slightly questionable for all readers?  This excludes a lot of good books!  I really want to share these books with the class but I don't want to set up a lumbering, time consuming system of censorship.  Help!