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A school library review committee is putting "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" back on the shelves of Roanoke County high schools.

Good for them, striking a blow against censorship and in favor of (partial) academic freedom.

Essentially, freshmen and sophomores will be able to borrow the book with a parent's permission. But juniors and seniors will be able to check it out without restriction.

So much for the huffing and puffing by the weirdos at WorldNetDaily.

My colleague Courtney Cutright has the details here.

Here's the review panel's full recommendation.

Read my most recent column on this subject here.

The initial column I wrote about this is here.

Previous coverage by Courtney Cutright is here and here.

Here's what readers are said on our books blog, The Back Cover.

Read WorldNetDaily's bizarro story here.

Joe Farah's column about me is here.

The father's original complaint to the principal is on Star City Harbinger, under the hilariously headlined: Wednesday Night Noir: The wacky email that started it all.

Read some of the bizarre comments on on other right-wing blogs here and here.

Stephen Chbosky / yareviews.wikispaces.com

Now why didn't I think of that?

The Vinton Voice, the newest community weekly in these parts, scored an exclusive interview with Stephen Chbosky, the author of the 1999 coming-of-age novel, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

That's the book that was removed from the shelves at Roanoke County's William Byrd High School after a father who found his son reading it complained to the school that the book is pornography, based on a handful of passages he found among its 204 pages.

Editor-in-chief Dan Vance's story based on the interview is on newsstands now in the Voice's 9th issue. Here's one thing Chbosky had to say to the VV:

"What I would say to that father is, basically man to man, I know that he loves his son very much and wants to protect his son very much and I respect him for that," Chbosky says. "And with that said, and very deeply meant, I would also ask if he hasn't already to perhaps read my entire book and see the spirit in which I wrote it. I did not write my book to be exploitative of anyone. I did not write my book to encourage drug use or premarital sex or any of the other things that some groups have found morally questionable. I wrote it as a blueprint for ... maybe kids who have been through some bad things in their lives to find their way home to some personal peace."

Chbosky comes across sounding like a sensitive and sensible guy - not at all like the evil influence he's been described as.

Nice move, Vinton Voice!

Read the first column I wrote on this subject.

Read the second-column, with the bat-crazy messages the nutzoids emailed to the William Byrd teacher who loaned out "Perks" to a student.

Read the strange screed World Net Daily editor Joe Farah wrote about me after I poked fun at his ban-"Perks" campaign.

Read all the nasty names World Net Daily readers called me.

The security guard in The Roanoke Times lobby said the parcel arrived via a tight-beaked carrier pigeon that quickly vanished. As it landed on my desk, I noted the return address: "Larry Vander Maten's Secret Lair."

I hacked my way through triple-sealed ribbon tape. A slick folder marked "Master Plan for Explore Park" and double-stamped "Top Secret" slid onto the desk.

A scribbled sticky note warned: "This folder will self-destruct in 60 seconds." So I hastily skimmed the materials inside. (More)