We may read this book and share our thoughts with the hope of arriving at some consensus on whether or not it qualifies as porn. But what is porn? Do we all even share the same definition of porn?

There seems to be some general legal agreement that porn: "encompasses sexually explicit materials intended primarily to arouse the reader, viewer or listener." Is arousing the reader the primary goal of this book?

Setting aside the definition of porn, we could instead look at "material harmful to minors," or what is known as "variable obscenity" to which we would apply the "Millerized-Ginsburg Test" (might want to Google that term). This website provides a brief overview of the Millerized-Ginsburg criteria:

http://www.protectkids.com/dangers/pornlegaldefinitions.htm

Community standards notwithstanding, it is also necessary to prove that "a reasonable person would find, taken as a whole, [the work] lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors."

Taking both questions as a whole:

1) Is the primary goal of "Prep" to arouse the reader? (i.e. is it porn?)
2) Does the work lack serious literary, artistic... value for minors? (i.e. does it violate the Millerized-Ginsburg test?)

However we decide, reading the book may facilitate communication with our children as we identify with their struggles, and begin to remember, if only for a brief while, how difficult, scary, and in a few cases, disastrous, high school can be.

"Is it porn?" seems like maybe the least interesting conversation we could possibly have about this book.

Spoiler alert: It's not porn. One sex scene in a novel intended to help readers reflect on the adolescent experience does not porn make. None of those Judy Blume books we were all reading back in the '80s were porn either.

How about this: Is it too explicit to recommend to ninth graders? Should it be available in the library? Should it be discussed in class? Does it help ninth-graders figure out all of the confusing issues they deal with as they enter into adulthood? Or how about this: Is it a good book? All valid questions.

Stop with the porn. You're starting to sound obsessive.

It comes down to what moral values a parent believes and what they feel their child should be exposed to. Parents will answer the above questions based on their belief's and will differ accordingly. Society is on a downward cycle believe it or not. What would the average parent think about allowing such a book in the school library 50 years ago. You can argue that we are in modern times, yes we are, in a downward spiral. Reality is reality regardless of what we believe.

Harrison
While you can shelter your kids from "porn", just remember that you "kid" can find themselves in a combat zone just a few months out of high school were they will need to decide to kill or be killed. At what grade do our "kid' become mature enough to make that decision!

In most cases maturity developes from a good family envirornment where children are taught good moral teachings and life examples when they are young. A good Biblical verse.... Train a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it. Believe the Bible or not, it works in more cases then a child brought up in a disfunctional home environment with little moral training and example. Exposing our young children to very questionable books as mentioned will do little to prepare them when they enter the combat zone. A good wholesome basis will create in them the maturity and wisdom to make better choices when they get out in the so-called real world. Eposing them to so-called porn or improper material for a developing mind as children is not going to help prepare them to deal with life temptation. Provide a good basis and they in most cases will make the right choices.

I will gladly read once a friend gives me her copy:)

All of this while East Penn mothers were gushing all summer about "Shades of Grey" to their family and friends...

I just finished reading this. I wouldn't feel right about judging a book without reading the whole thing myself. It definitely DOES NOT meet the definition of pornography!

On the other hand, I also read the entire Fifty Shades trilogy this past summer, and that of course definitely DOES!