What you're all missing is that schools are not teaching this book at all because of the n-word. No kids are reading it. None. Zilch. Is that a bad thing? Could be. But it's REALITY. Get over it.

By excising that word, the book can get back into schools and kids can start reading it again.

I think they should state plainly up front that the book used to be racier and has been toned down, but not say how. That will send the kids (the ones who give a crap) racing to the library to read the original! Everybody wins.