Is this appropriate literature for 6th grade??

My 11 year old DS just started 6th grade this week in a magnet program for
gifted students. His reading list for the next few weeks includes

JD Salinger "A Perfect Day for Bananafish"
John Cheever "Reunion"
Richard Yates "Fun with a Stranger"
ZZ Packer "Brownies"
Toni Cade Bambara "The Lesson"
William Trevor "Going Home"
Louis Berney "Weeds"

They have started with "A Perfect Day for Bananafish", which
ends with a character shooting himself. I'm not familiar
with all of these stories, but the ones that I am are
certainly considered quality literature, but they
are also relentlessly depressing with mature themes that
seem to me to be completely inappropriate for this age
group to be reading and discussing at school.

Am I too overprotective or is the teacher crazy?
He is new to the school this year. Any suggestions for
how to handle this? The magnet program is part of a
large public middle school and is a big change from the
small private schools DS attended for elementary.

Thanks!