OTSEGO, MI -- Otsego Public Schools parents are expressing concern after a short story was removed from the district’s eighth grade curriculum.

Multiple parents and teachers spoke out against the decision at a Monday, Oct. 6, school board meeting.

The Southwest Michigan school district decided to remove the book “Ponies,” by Kij Johnson, Superintendent Christie Robinson confirmed.

In the story, a girl has to cut off her magical pony Sunny’s horns, wings and voice in order to fit in with “TheOtherGirls.” When the girl refuses to cut out Sunny’s voice against Sunny’s wishes, Sunny is killed by the other ponies and the girl is excluded from “TheOtherGirls.”

The coming of age story won the 2010 Nebula Award for Short Story.

Jonathan Bush, a Western Michigan University English professor an

See Full Page