KUT A controversy surrounding reading lists for English class book clubs in the Leander Independent School District drew the voices of parents and administrators. Then teachers and students chimed in — and then came the book authors. In an op-ed published Tuesday by The New York Times, author Carmen Maria Machado wrote that preventing children from reading books won't protect them. "While our books may contain passages that are potentially uncomfortable, challenging or even offensive," she wrote, "exposure to our books is vital to expanding minds, affirming experiences, creating appreciation for the arts and building empathy — in short, respecting the adults that the students in Leander, Texas, will soon become."