Sippican School students are experiencing the Holocaust, war-torn Afghanistan and the Sudanese civil war through the eyes of young protagonists in assigned books, and some parents wonder if the subject matter is age appropriate.

Marion School Committee members addressed those concerns on Wednesday night.

“The two books read so far deal with some pretty heavy subject matter,” Chair Christine Marcolini said.

At Marcolini’s request, Assistant Superintendent Elise Frangos explained why four particular books were chosen, and how they are used to develop critical thinking skills.

“While the subject matter may take students into a new world, a world that can be dangerous, it’s important to give [students] the tools in the classroom to help them process that world,” Frangos said.

The current books were reviewed in 2012 by a team of 14 sixth grade teachers from across the district. Frangos said books that would align with the common core standards were chosen to highlight the concept of “contrast and compare.”

Frangos said the books “were read and considered deeply” before getting the OK.

They are: “Number the Stars” by Lois Lowry, “The Prince and Pauper” by Mark Twain, “Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping the Civil War in Sudan” by John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech, and “The Breadwinner” by Deborah Ellis.

All are works of fiction except for “Lost Boy, Lost Girl”, which is a memoir.

In “Number the Stars” a Christian girl befriends a Jewish girl and risks her life to hide her from Nazi soldiers. “The Breadwinner” tells the tale of a young girl living in Afghanistan who must disguise herself as a boy. In her disguise, she sells goods in a market to support her family.

“Each one of these books is about heroism, resiliency and courage,” Frangos said. “In them, young people experience hardship and each one of the characters learn much about themselves.”

Frangos noted that standardized test scores in English language arts have been consistently high, demonstrating a robust and effective curriculum.

The curriculum is examined every three years. Frangos said the current books will be reviewed soon.

“If the books are stale or dated we will look carefully at that and revise the texts,” she said.

Marcolini thanked Frangos for putting together the presentation on short notice after hearing from parents who had questions concerning the subject matter.

Using classroom activities and discussions, teachers engage students with the stories beyond reading assignments, which gives students additional context, Frangos said.

Committee member Christine Winters said parents expressed similar concerns three years ago. Raising awareness about the reading material beforehand might ease worries in the future, she said.

“I think a heads up puts a lot of these issues at bay,” Winters said. “Sending a memo or an email puts a lot of this to rest.”