Here are 50 books Texas parents have asked school districts to ban, nearly all of which deal with racism, sexuality . Kids need information about puberty and sex. Classic books and contemporary . "The Handmaid's Tale" was the seventh most challenged and banned book in 2019 nationally for "vulgarity and sexual overtones. Amplify your impact and donate now. Also, keep in mind that age category pie graph: these are mostly YA books, not board books. Where the Wild Things Are is now a fun classic, but it was initially banned because little Maxs punishment was starvation and the story had disturbingly supernatural themes. As the plot unfolds, fissures form in their nations foundation, and the boys explore betrayal, redemption and the power of familial love. Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. Those in favor of banning this book cant seem to agree on a reason, though: Its been banned for being both too religious and not religious enough. Photo Courtesy: Montinique Monroe/The Washington Post/Getty Images. Some of them have already been making the rounds of book challenges, including LGBTQ books Lawn Boy and Gender Queer, as well as books addressing racism, like Out of Darkness and This Book is Anti-Racist. Texas has banned a huge number of books, indeed! Starrs careful balancing act crumbles when a police officer kills her unarmed friend. Books that have been banned in Texas. GRANBURY, Texas On Thursday, Granbury ISD confirmed it has pulled 130 titles from school libraries in the district to be reviewed by a committee for . Another 40% of these books contains protagonists or prominent secondary characters of color. Texas school district pulls over 40 books, including the Bible, from shelves amid review. Not only is this list badly put together, with strange gaps, puzzling inclusions, and broadly applied keywords, but its goal is oppressive and dangerous. Racism is a central theme in Of Mice and Men, which details the journey of two migrant ranch workers in Depression-era California. This classic novel by the Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison should be banned from schools, according to a parent in the Fort Worth suburb of Birdville, because it includes a graphic description of rape. ", This acclaimed novel about an unlikely friendship between a wealthy Afghan boy and the son of his father's servant was flagged for removal by a mom in Birdville who complained that it "depicts the rape and sexual exploitation of minors.". Texas led the country with the most book bans - 713 - affecting 16 school districts, followed by Pennsylvania and . Ban MY Book! "Certainly, there is a political impetus behind it. I tracked three data points for each book: fiction or nonfiction, age category, and presumed reason for the book being challenged. One would assume that it covers everything you want it to. While readers were searching for Waldo after the book was originally published in 1987, they spotted something: a partially topless woman sunbathing in a beach scene. I was surprised by just how broad and sweeping the approach is on this list, though. Antiracist books, sex ed books, and LGBTQ books are exactly the kinds of topics that should be in school libraries. On October 25, Texas Republican State Representative Matt Krause sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking if any of the schools in the state have the books listed on a 16 page spreadsheet, as well as how much in funds schools had spent on these books. ", In asking to ban this book about the plight of a Black working-class family as they prepare for Hurricane Katrina, a parent in Katy wrote, "I object to the explicit description of the teenage girl having sex with the boys in her social group. In 1994, the book was banned in Alaska and Pennsylvania schools for graphic descriptions and offensive language. We may earn a commission from your purchases. After all, stories about kids killing each other doesnt cause students discomfort, but a book that mentions a characters gay uncle is apparently scarring. On October 25, Texas Republican State Representative Matt Krause sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking if any of the schools in the state have the books listed on a 16 page spreadsheet, as well as how much in funds schools had spent on these books. Hard to say for sure, but in addition to banning books because they acknowledge that teens think about sex, or out of a desire to disappear queer folks and discussions of race from the conversation, some stuff makes the list just because of, like, vibes. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by . Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. Banned Books 2022 By Itinerant Literate Books. The parent claimed the book encourages "admiring people with low morals and values, and hate of other people. May 3, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Thats a huge number! novel by Kurt Vonnegut is a frequent top 100 contender on the ALA's list of banned books . The 1962 science-fiction fantasy follows persnickety Meg Murry as she enters parallel universes in search of her father. Withholding information makes them less safe, not more. Even in fiction, books that explore fascist violence are verbotenthe DC Comics graphic novel V for Vendetta, by legendary comic book creator Alan Moore, is banned in three districts for some reason. PEN America defines a ban as any action taken against a book based on its content after challenges from parents or lawmakers. Our curated list of stellar banned books includes 30 of what the American Library Association deems the most frequently banned books since 1990. But is its psychedelic-like prose worth banning? This one move spurred parents to challenge and successfully remove books they believe are not appropriate and pornographic., The Keller Independent School District in Tarrant County was one of the first to successfully remove Gender Queer from school libraries after a group of moms complained it was pornographic.. A Katy parent asked to have this children's biography of the former first lady banned at every grade level because, the parent said, it unfairly depicts former President Donald Trump as a bully and because Obama's reflections on race gave the impression that "if you sound like a white girl you should be ashamed of yourself. Its not just weighty titles getting banned, eitherL.C. A parent in McKinney asked the district to remove this coming-of-age novel because it includes descriptions of homosexuality, date rape and masturbation. The pages brim with real-world stories of homophobia, transphobia, sexual and gender identity struggles, and the ups and downs of transitioning. These themesalong with some violent passagesled to the storys first banned books case in 1994. But its very strange to see just one title each from these prolific authors and ones that arent likely to be on the shelves at all. Despite being so beloved, Harper Lees novel is still the fourth most challenged or banned classic book in the United States. Who considers it dangerous for kids to know their rights? Most of the targeted books have to do with race, gender, and sexuality.Unlike most book challenges in the past, whereby parents or other stakeholders in the community would engage teachers and school administrators in a debate over a title, local groups have received support from . Nov. 2021: Parents push for audit of Texas school's explicit books Jan. 31, 2022 01:21. https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2022/08/ban-my . "And Tango Makes Three," by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Sept. 19, 20225 AM Central. A viral Feb. 1 tweet that garnered at least . "All Boys Aren't Blue," by George M. . Of course, this passionate romance novel between a Mexican American girl and a Black boy in 1930s Texas also covers important, complex topics like segregation, rape and forbidden love. Its difficult to say which book is the most banned in the United States. For 10 years, I "smuggled" banned books across state lines to bring attention to crucial literature. Because of heightened scrutiny around what is being taught in schools and Krause's list, there is a wave oflocal attempts to remove specific books from school and public libraries. Also, school boards must establish a way to consider complaints from parents. Advocates of banning the book argue that its issues with racism and sexuality arent suitable for young readers. Theres only one book each from Jennifer Dugan, Sophie Labelle, and Anna Marie McLemore, though they each write lots of LGBTQ books. Toni Morrisons literary and societal impact led to the USPS honoring her on one of the new 2023 stamps. Each of Us a Desert, a sapphic fantasy by Mark Oshiro, but not Anger is a Gift, a gay YA book about racism and police violence. She has nine titles on the list. A mysterious medical blight has rendered most women infertile. The second in a series of young adult fantasy novels, this is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. It looks like maybe two of them mention pregnancy? 0:52. Other countries soon followed suit. A report published Thursday by the free expression group PEN America details an "alarming" and unprecedented surge in book banning across the United States, with 86 school districts in 26 states prohibiting more than 1,100 titles in classrooms and libraries over just the past eight months. Contact Nusaiba Mizanat nmizan@gannett.com. Theyre average YA novels (with no LGBTQ content), as far as I can tell, or theyre nonfiction about innocuous topics. Told entirely through instant messages among three high school students, this novel has no place in schools, according to a parent in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, because it contains a "description of oral sex with minors," among other sexually explicit passages. Whether a parent or lawmaker agrees with every right students have, they should not be able to deny students access to knowing about them. Its a bizarre assortment of titles, formatted in a way that suggests its copy-and-pasted from library listings. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coatess National Book Awardwinning book-length letter to his young son about growing up Black, is on the list, as is his We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, which features essays on race in America. 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