Her book was banned over sex. The message, she says, was about violence

An acclaimed author whose book was pulled from an Iowa school district's shelves over its sexual content believes its critics are missing the point.

Laurie Halse Anderson says she wasn't writing about sex. She was writing about a violent crime.

Anderson's novel, "Shout," illustrates the sexual violence she experienced as a teen and lifelong impact she, like many other survivors, faces.

"I'm a minister's daughter, and I was raped when I was 13 years old, and I didn't tell anybody for 25 years," said Anderson, whose novel "Speak" has also been banned from schools for its frank discussion on rape.

"Nobody reading 'Speak' or 'Shout' and thinks that's sexually exciting. It doesn't turn people on. If it does, they need professional help. It's a discussion of a crime."

That hasn't stopped th