The Cay has been criticized by groups such as the Council on Interracial Books for Children because of the way race is portrayed. Explore the argument against the book while taking the author's perspective into account. Class members read Theodore Taylor's obituary, adding to a graphic organizer from the previous lesson and filling out a new chart about a specific excerpt. Once they've finished their notes, individuals summarize the argument that the novel includes racist ideas using details from the obituary and the novel.