Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
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Honestly, who cares what parents (who veer to the extremes) want, as they have shown time and again that stupidity and ignorance is rife with and in them. If I were a teacher, I would simply not listen to any parents or politicians demanding book censorship.
Long story from NPR on how the book battle is escalating, with library funding on the line.https://www.npr.org/2023/05/04/117327...
One thing I learned in Chicago is that American Girl caved into pressure and pulled all copies of A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image: How to Love Yourself, Life Life to the Fullest, and Celebrate All Kinds of Bodies because of ant-LGBTQ backlash. I wanted to buy a copy to pass on and none were available in the store. I was VERY disappointed they would do that.
Instead I targeted the little girls with
Making a Difference (American Girl)
(historical racism, sexism, a whiff of contemporary social justice)
Samantha Helps a Friend (American Girl)
(child labor in the early 1900s, mild bullying in school)
Mod
https://www.npr.org/2023/05/04/117327...
One thing I..."
What a bunch of cowards!!
American Girl still has social justice books but I suspect those are banned in Florida schools. I thought it was funny how they had a life size display for the 1950s girl - from Florida- with a poster promoting the polio vaccine. I guess she's probably banned in her own home state. (There's also sexism and xenophobia in her stories). Here's some news from Florida that won't surprise you but is upsetting.
"Republican senators in Florida gave final approval Wednesday to a sweeping education bill targeting how teachers and students can use their pronouns in schools, sending to Gov. Ron DeSantis a proposal meant to strengthen state’s parental rights law panned by critics as “Don’t Say Gay.”
The expansions to one of the most controversial bills of 2022, which lawmakers passed on a 27-12 party-line vote, are set to widen a ban on school lessons about sexual identity and gender orientation that GOP lawmakers argue should take place at home — not in the classroom. The wide-ranging measure also requires schools to yank challenged books within five days of someone flagging it, a shift opponents equate to “book banning.”
The bill will broaden the state’s prohibition on teaching about sexual identity and gender orientation from kindergarten through third grade to pre-K through eighth grade, though in April the Florida Board of Education already expanded the restrictions to all public schools through high school.
Additionally, the bill aims to expand Florida law to require that books facing objections for being pornographic, harmful to minors, or describe or depict sexual activity must be pulled within five days and remain out of circulation for the duration of the challenge.
Democrats criticize this provision as a “ban first, review later” mentality and censorship in education. But Republicans contend the measure is focused on protecting children from explicit content.
“We need to keep the discussion about what would be termed as book banning in context, because we’re talking about p____y or sexually inappropriate materials,” state Sen. Clay Yarborough (R-Jacksonville) who sponsored the bill, said during a Tuesday’s floor session. “We have in no way directed these schools or directed the districts to remove every single book off their school shelves. But parents need an opportunity to raise a concern If they have one, and that should be reviewed.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05...
Mod
Honestly, if I were a student, I would simply use the pronouns I PERSONALLY want and if a teacher or some dumbass government official (or a police "officer") goes after me, so be it. It would actually be kind of interesting if students in Florida just rebelled en masse (and it would be even more hilarious if they started calling Ron DeSantis publicly a monster and just used the pronoun IT for DeSantis).
Manybooks wrote: "Honestly, if I were a student, I would simply use the pronouns I PERSONALLY want and if a teacher or some dumbass government official (or a police "officer") goes after me, so be it. It would actually be kind of interesting if students in Florida just rebelled en masse (and it would be even more hilarious if they started calling Ron DeSantis publicly a monster and just used the pronoun IT for DeSantis). ..."Teachers are not allowed to ask for preferred pronouns. I'm not sure how they know. Some names are unisex or gender neutral or just plain made up and don't indicate male or female. Does it say on the class roster male child, female child? There was a popular actor with my same first name, a male figure skater back in the 80s and a literary character with a double name, the second part being my first name. I present as female and consider myself female but I keep complaining my parents gave me a masculine name. If I don't obviously look like a girl or boy, how is my teacher supposed to know based on my name? That doesn't make a lot of sense. My dad, a pediatrician, was doing telemedicine during the pandemic closure and he would call back and ask "What's going on with your child?" because he couldn't tell the gender from the name and wasn't given that information over the phone.
The new laws give the teachers the right to inform the parents and many of these kids are not out to their parents yet, who will not understand and make them get conversion therapy at worst or pray the gay away at best. It's a tough spot for teachers who want the students to trust them but they also need the parents to trust them so the parents send their kids to school. It's not so simple as using the preferred pronouns. Sure your friends and peers can call you Melissa even if the teacher calls you George but if the teacher gets caught calling you Melissa, then the teacher faces punishment.
Mod
Wow, this is all disgusting. And there are a lot of names that used to be predominantly male and are now female (like for example Evelyn).
Manybooks wrote: "Wow, this is all disgusting. And there are a lot of names that used to be predominantly male and are now female (like for example Evelyn)."Evelyn is predominately female, as is my own name but my own name can also be masculine, as in a popular comedian/actor and a figure skater from the 1980s. I think in those instances the teacher would assume female but with little kids, you don't know.
There's also the devastating mental health consequences of dead naming children, forcing them to use the wrong bathroom and preventing them from reading books that affirm their identities. This now extends to grade school K-12 in Florida. No teaching, no books on human sexuality in schools. Sex ed is optional.
"The Board of Education approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the law that bans those lesson up to grade 3 at the request of DeSantis as he gears up for an expected presidential run.
The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. That’s the time when students are becoming aware of their sexuality.
The proposal will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman."
"“We’re not removing anything here,” Diaz Jr. said on Wednesday. “All we are doing is we are setting the expectations so our teachers are clear: that they are to teach to the standards.”
The prohibition has drawn intense backlash from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ+ people and has vague terms that result in self-censorship from teachers. Democratic President Joe Biden has called it “hateful.”
From the AP
https://apnews.com/article/desantis-f...
In high schools, teachers will not be allowed to discuss either topic in a manner that is not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for their students. Teachers also will not be able to address transgender students by the pronouns of their choice under the expansion of the law.
“This bill promotes parental rights, transparency, and state standards in Florida schools. It requires that lessons for Florida’s students are age-appropriate, focused on education, and free from sexualization and indoctrination,” state Rep. Adam Anderson (R) previously stated.
Along with expanding restrictions on instruction, it also creates a process that makes it easier for books to be taken off school shelves.
Any person within a county can challenge a book for any reason, and it must be pulled off the shelves for a review process that some fear could take weeks or months.
The expansion also comes weeks after the State Board of Education voted to ban the topic of sexual orientation and sexual identity in all grades.
https://thehill.com/homenews/educatio...
Georgetown Law has posted a paper on the dangerous consequences of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law on LGBTQ+ youth
The conclusion, relating to books
"The “Don’t Say Gay” bill has dangerous and real consequences for LGBTQ+ youth in Florida. ... Children also deserve to learn about important historical events, especially history that is representative and reflective of their lives, and the “Don’t Say Gay” bill would limit those opportunities to learn and erase the lives of so many important people who have come before them."
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/gender...
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Evelyn is predominately female, as is ..."
So I guess if students were to ask questions about sexual identity etc. in class or tried to talk to a teacher, the teachers would be expected to punish the students for this?
Manybooks wrote: "So I guess if students were to ask questions about sexual identity etc. in class or tried to talk to a teacher, the teachers would be expected to punish the students for this?"Unknown. I think a good teacher would try to shut down the conversation more effectively but it's possible a student could share what happened with a parent and that parent could report it to the school and the teacher could face consequences if they don't shut down the conversation. Teachers really, really want to help their students but their hands are tied due to these ridiculous "parental rights in education" laws.
It's happening in Maine too, which kind of surprises me but yet doesn't.
"Parents and conservative activists on Thursday urged legislators to restrict public school lessons about race and ban school library books they consider obscene.
But the proposals were met with a flood of opposition from educators, parents, social workers and others who said the three bills are based on false information that sows fears about what and how students are taught in public schools.
Emotions ran high at the public hearing before the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, which heard and received written testimony from more than 200 people, the vast majority in opposition to the bills.
One bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Adams, R-Lebanon, would prohibit classroom lessons related to race that Adams incorrectly labeled as critical race theory. His bills also would ban social and emotional learning, and diversity, equity and inclusion from school curricula.
Another bill, sponsored by Sen. James Libby, R-Standish, would bar public schools from providing students with books and other materials that could be considered obscene. And a third, sponsored by Rep. Gary Drinkwater, R-Milford, would establish a rating system for school library books somewhat comparable to that of movie ratings."
Here's an example of the type of bullying that happens when students aren't taught anything but dry academics.
"Rachel Riendeau Caughey of Westbrook said social and emotional learning is important and that students need to learn about diversity, racism and inclusion in order to stop a cycle of harm to marginalized groups.
She recalled a sixth-grade classmate who had escaped genocide in Cambodia only to be mercilessly teased for the ways he was different from his predominantly white classmates. Caughey, now a sociocultural anthropologist, mental health services researcher and soon-to-be parent, said she is pained to this day that she didn’t stand up for him.
“I learned too late that teasing was rooted in fear of difference, in a lack of guidance in how to process these feelings, in colorism and white supremacy that devalues people who are darker in skin tone, and in ignorance unknowingly passed down from parents, teachers and school staff,” she said."
...
"Although opponents said all three bills are based in fallacy, the one that got the most heat was Adams’ bill, which would prohibit the teaching of content he labeled critical race theory, as well as banning social emotional learning, and diversity, equity and inclusion instruction."
"Critical race theory is an academic theory arguing racism is ingrained in law and modern institutions, creating an uneven playing field for people of color. Public school students learn about topics such as slavery and historical racism, but critical race theory is not taught as part of school curriculums.
Social emotional learning teaches students how to get along with people who may be different from themselves, manage their emotions and seek help. Diversity, equity and inclusion discussions are aimed at helping students learn to respect, understand and respect cultures and experiences different than their own.
Adams’ bill defines critical race theory and equity lessons as teaching students that certain people are better than others, that character is connected to race and that individuals of certain races are inherently oppressive. He did not respond to a question about how he came up with those definitions. During the hearing, he was asked to show the committee examples of these lessons being taught and said he would provide them."
"Those opposed to Libby and Drinkwater’s bills argued that the lawmakers incorrectly assume schools and educators are providing students with inappropriate materials and that they don’t seem to understand the roles of librarians, who are trained to vet books, organize them based on appropriateness for age or grade level, and suggest certain books based on what they think would be valuable for a student.
Many also noted that schools in Maine have local control and that districts have policies and processes in place where parents can bring up concerns about material."
https://www.pressherald.com/2023/05/0...
Huh. Greenville, SC is hypocritical. The schools say one thing and the public library another. Go public library!____________________
"After the Pickens Co. School Board voted to ban "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You" by Jason Reynolds back in October, the Pickens Co. Public Library System held a meet and greet for Reynolds to promote his new book "Miles Morales Suspended."
There were lines outside the door waiting to meet Reynolds.
Reynolds talked about his journey as a writer, the importance of telling all types of stories, and where he stands on having his books banned.
"To ban a book like Stamped is, to me, what it feels like to make the claim that I would ever make something to intentionally harm a child. And I would never. That’s not my intention and that’s not what that book does, but it’s being painted in a way that says that’s what it’s doing and that feels violent," Reynolds said.
He also commended the Pickens Co. Public Library System for fighting to keep books on the shelf."
""If anything, what may happen is you may read something and become more fortified. To read stories like this, to read information like this, makes us giants. It doesn’t make us small. I think the librarians in this building and all over this area understand that. We are in the business of building giants," Reynolds said.
Susan Childers, chairwoman of the Pickens Co. Public Library system, believes authors like Reynolds will inspire the next generation.
"How many young people need to hear what he has to say about literacy and getting them on board with literacy? I think he was a perfect example for that, for them," Childers said.
Book lovers, young and old, appreciated the public library for stepping up."
""Where are the people banning these books tonight? Did they come to this event to find out from the author himself? Where are these kinds of things happening except through people like the library system? It’s the power of books. It brings all these people together and proves that literature is not scary. It’s what people do in their minds that is the scary part," Meg Black said."
https://www.wyff4.com/article/famous-...
message 813:
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
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Mod
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs has called for the removal of certain books from the Jordan School District libraries, ..."
Of course "the onus on the parent" is the way it's *supposed* to be! You raise your children, and let me raise mine!
There is going to be a backlash. Remember the failure of the Moral Majority. Understand how far we've come from Jim Crow and Stonewall. History of civil rights is a 2 steps forward, 1 step back progression.
But thank you for keeping us updated. And I look forward to the ACLU figuring out how they're going to tackle this, and I hope it's soon. And, yes, teens aren't stupid... and they're coming of age to vote....
message 814:
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
(last edited May 07, 2023 06:31AM)
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Mod
Walmart is supporting Gay Pride!
At least ours, in 'red' and rural NW Wisconsin, has a special display of stickers, socks, water bottles, beach towels, parade accessories, etc. Designed by named independent entrepreneurs. My eldest and I both bought *Love is Love* summer hats and stickers with mottoes such as *Be You. Be Proud." And of course everything has at least a little Rainbow coloring.
Yes, I know, many of us try not to shop at Walmart, for lots of good reasons. But in a small town they're the only choice for lots of things, so that's how we discovered this display. Now you know: Please go to yours and buy at least one $0.98 sticker!
(This after Anheuser-Bush caved in their attempt to appeal to more diverse consumers.)
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https://www.fightforthefirst.org/grou...
I will do this as soon as I get back home and unpacked.
(Here's the searchable for a group already in your area: https://www.fightforthefirst.org/groups.)
Thanks Cheryl! I have picked up some banned books to pass along to people in book banning states. I'm lucky to be in the most liberal neighborhood in the Northeast and don't need Walmart to buy banned books or pride stickers, pins, etc. We have plenty of that in the small boutique shops.
Our new Sec. of State is a former high school civics teacher and he's been going around doing mini civics lessons in schools to teach kids about the Constitution. That was part of MY education in the same school he taught at but since they switched to these standardized tests, all they care about is science, math, reading and writing proficiency and not reading and thinking critically about things, the way I was taught.
Ironically, in my day in Junior High, we put on a mock trial of Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century! Wonder if that's banned from schools now? I bet it's banned in Tennessee.
Mod
I have a some good news to share, too. The Meridian Library District, the one the "Concerned Citizens" so recently wanted to shut down, has just opened its newest branch. As if that wasn't exciting enough, it's supposed to be really focused on accessibility. I'm really eager to visit it when we can get a chance to make it over there!
"The 15,000 square foot library in northwest Meridian would have a 24-hour hold room where users can pick up their books, an active child’s room, a sensory room, a large meeting room, a technology wall, and more.
"The library layout focuses a lot on accessibility. The website said ‘You will see this reflected in everything from the height of library furniture to the layout of the bathrooms.’
“Everything inside is designed for accessibility for people that need that accessibility,” Meridian Library District Trustee Jeff Kohler said. “One of the rooms which will be sort of a sensory space, so that would be for library users that need a room that’s got gentle noise tactile features. For example individuals with autism, ADHD, PTSD, any of those sensory disabilities that we will be designed for their use.”
That sounds like an amazing library, Kathryn!They're still trying to ban books in libraries though. I found this new article on the Community Library Network.
_________________
Barbs traded over books, budgets, more
POST FALLS — Does banning books protect freedom?
That was one of the questions asked of Community Library Network trustee candidates who participated Saturday in a town hall hosted by the League of Women Voters of Kootenai County at the American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls.
“I’m not so sure you’ve heard me talk about banning books so far,” candidate Tom Hanley said. “I’m talking about protecting children.”
Hanley said he has been labeled several things.
“I'm going to read these horrible things off here, because I’m not supposed to say them: authoritarian, book burner, book banner, censorship, extremist and crazy. I think I’m a crazy as well, I saw written out there, and a person who wants to prohibit free speech,” he said. “I don’t think protecting the children would be well-described in terms of saying that these policies we’re looking at doing, keeping the children safe in the libraries, is a bad thing to do.”
Community Library Network Vice Chair Judy Meyer answered that it’s not the proper role of a library board to ban books.
“How does that work? If you don’t have access to books, you better understand what your freedoms are — and your responsibilities,” she said, adding that a policy regarding this issue is in place and has been for a while.
People are welcome to fill out forms to challenge books in the library, Meyer said: “The first question on that form is, ‘Have you read the book?’”
“It’s our responsibility as a board to make available to the public lots of different kinds of books,” Meyer said. “Come in and see what we have. Don’t take out the ones you don’t want. Manage your children, I think that’s one major issue that we have as libraries … How do we help kids have a good experience in the library, how do we help families have a good experience in the library?”
Incumbents Meyer and Regina McCrea squared off against newcomers Hanley and Tim Plass, all vying for two Community Library Network board trustee seats up for grabs in the May 16 election.
...
Several times, Hanley brought up topics and described content found in library books — sex, profanity, illegal drug use and more. Hanley, who has been vocal about protecting children from p___ in libraries, disclosed he does not have children.
“That’s another one of these nonexistent books that’s appropriate to the current board and should be available to your children and my children,” he said after discussing a particular book. “I don’t have any children, to be honest with you. I would have loved to have had children, it didn’t happen, but I have neighbors, I have families, I have people at my church who do have children. I don't think those books belong out there.”
Toward the end of the meeting, the candidates discussed a sourceless campaign flyer that is pro-Hanley and Plass and circulated the community telling residents North Idaho’s public libraries have books with sexually explicit materials in the children’s section and other misleading information. It fails to state who it was paid for by, which is a violation of Idaho Code under election campaign contributions and expenditures.
Meyer emphasized disseminating this kind of material without a source is illegal in Idaho. Hanley and Plass denied any knowledge of the sender, although Hanley said he ought to write them a “thank you” note as it is heavily in his and Plass’ favor, while Plass said the flyer misquoted him.
The Community Library Network has seven branches throughout North Idaho. It is separate from the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
Visit https://bit.ly/3M2kNRJ to view a recording of the town hall.
https://cdapress.com/news/2023/may/07...
The inventor of the Super Soaker tackles book bans, being ‘woke’ in Spring Hill College (Alabama) addressJohnson, an Atlanta scientist and engineer and accomplished inventor who holds over 140 patents, urged students to use “common sense” while judging whether the news they are consuming is “true information or not.” He urged students to be “aware, awake and not asleep” – or “woke” – at a time when technological innovations like artificial intelligence advance at rapid speeds.
“The access to real truth is more and more challenging and more important (than previously),” Johnson said. “You have to inform yourself seeking from multiple sources, and not just those you agree with but you disagree with as well.”
He added, “You will be tasked with decision making that will have profound impacts on humanity and in our future.”
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“We live in the most prosperous time in human history and are surrounded by wealth and abundance yet we seek to be fighting each other and selectively removing books from schools,” Johnson said, taking a shot at an issue spurred on by courthouses and statehouses in mostly Republican-led states like Alabama.
“It seems like the books being removed have to do with the history of Black people in America,” Johnson said. “It’s branded as critical race theory and it’s lumped in as something evil and bad. How can we leave an important part of history out like it didn’t happen?”
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“Where does it stop?” he said. “Do we take out references to the two atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan or references to World War II? What about knowing what was done in the past, so we don’t repeat those terrible things? We’re trying to dumb down education at a period of time when we are struggling with relationships and who we are.”
Johnson noted that as those social struggles continue, “technology is moving forward” as A.I. technologies are “able to solve problems faster than we can.” He said the ongoing technological activity is not going to slow down, and that “we are fighting each other because we are finding the best paths forward.”
“You have to have knowledge … woke, not asleep. Whatever. Not aware. Don’t burn books,” said Johnson. “If you do, the computer might know more than you do. And those burning books today, will they be burning computers tomorrow? Will we slip back into the past of distrust and conspiracy?"
https://www.al.com/news/2023/05/super...
One from Washington/Idaho about compromise.Boundary Library policy seeks compromise in book banning debate
BONNERS FERRY – Nine months after its director resigned over threats, a North Idaho library appears to have reached a compromise with the community.
Boundary County Library’s revised materials and collections policy, which formalizes a process for concerned community members to challenge books, comes into play ahead of an election May 16 for two seats on the board.
When former library director Kimber Glidden resigned last September, it brought national media attention to Bonners Ferry, a small town near the Canadian border.
“Nothing in my background could have prepared me for the political atmosphere of extremism, militant Christian fundamentalism, intimidation tactics, and threatening behavior currently being employed in the community,” Glidden wrote in her public resignation letter.
In Liberty Lake, the city council has attempted to take control of the library board, and the debate is at the center of the Community Library Network elections in Kootenai County. Another librarian in Coeur d’Alene quit over intimidation last year.
Last month, the Boundary County Library board named Lynn Silva the new library director. A longtime employee, she had been serving as interim director since Glidden left.
Glidden had been in the role for less than a year. Part of her new job was to update the library’s policy, which had not been revised since the early 1980s.
Language in the new policy alarmed some citizens.
“Selection of materials will not be affected by any such potential disapproval (by community members), and the Boundary County Library will not place materials on ‘closed shelves’ or label items to protect the public from their content,” the policy said.
The board approved the policy before sharing a draft with the public. The move triggered a recall effort against four of the five trustees, which eventually petered out, never making it to the ballot.
Trustee Lee Colson said he did not understand at the time that the board could have shared the policy with the community as a draft beforehand.
Colson soon came to chair a committee tasked with revising the policy again with community input.
His goal was to revise the policy so that the process to reconsider a challenged book did not involve the director.
It was hard to recruit volunteers to join the committee in the hostile environment, Colson said.
The committee included two board members and four community members. The committee began meeting in November and submitted the policy back to the board in February.
The new policy removes an entire section titled “Freedom to Read, View and Listen” that emphasized an anti-censorship stance. The new policy is more neutral, but still endorses the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which champions First Amendment rights.
Both policies agree “materials which come within the Supreme Court of the United States’ definition of obscenity should be excluded,” but the old policy added: “no (adult) item should be eliminated because of coarse language, violence, or frank discussion of sexual episodes, when such are pertinent to the plot or character delineation.”
The new policy moves authority from the director to the board in overseeing the reconsideration process and outlines the steps more clearly.
If a cardholder would like to challenge a book in the collection, they must submit a form to the library.
The board will consider no more than three per meeting and cardholders can submit no more than five forms a year.
The library has received four reconsideration forms.
The first three are for books by the same author, Ellen Hopkins: “Crank,” “Impulse” and “Perfect.”
The young adult books deal with themes of drug addiction, sexuality, sexual orientation and suicide among teenagers.
Common Sense Media, a moderate online media guide for parents, rates the books as appropriate for ages 15 or 16 and up.
The young adult section of Boundary County Library is for ages 13 to 18.
A special meeting has been scheduled for May 18 at which the board will consider whether to remove the three books. They are currently checked out, as each of the board members tries to read at least one of them entirely.
The board has three options: leave the book where it is, recatalog the book to another section of the library such as the adult section or remove the book from the library.
Colson said he is looking to judge whether a reasonable person would consider the book to have value and that the themes are relevant to the community.
“To me, the library is to represent our community,” he said. “The conflicts, interests or concerns that the community has.”
Adrienne Norris, an activist who runs a website and social media presence called Boundary County Watchmen, submitted a fourth reconsideration form for the 2012 young adult book “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews.
....
Norris said these books should not be in a section of the library for children.
“All I’m asking is to protect our children,” she said. “I don’t care if adults want sexually explicit materials.”
A 2015 film adaptation of the book was rated PG-13.
Common Sense Media recommends the book for ages 14 and up.
In an interview, Norris insisted her concerns are about protecting children from pornography. She said there is a mischaracterization by some media that concerned parents like her are against LGBTQ themes.
Colson, who was appointed in late 2021 after another board member died, is running to keep his seat. The remainder of the term representing the southern part of the county is two years.
He said he is running because the library is important to the community.
“This is a time of contention,” he said, “so people need to help the library out and that’s what I intend to do.”
Running against him is Mary-Esther Williams, who also sat on the policy committee.
She said she is happy with the new policy.
Williams makes a distinction between obscenity and child pornography. She takes a firm stand against anything that would count as child p___hy, which is illegal under Idaho law.
She also said the library should hold materials in line with local community standards. Those standards might be different from Las Vegas or even Sandpoint, she said.
“I think the community members should decide what is obscene,” Williams said.
“If community members say it is obscene, then we should probably listen.”
The other seat up for election is for a full six-year term. Lewis Clark, a retired police officer from California, is challenging incumbent Aaron Bohachek.
“I feel the need to run for a position on the library board stems in part from my law enforcement career and especially my time investigating child abuse cases,” Clark said in a campaign statement. “I know God charges us and it is our duty to protect our children and frankly, any material that would be illegal under state or federal law should not be knowingly disseminated to a minor by a public library.”
The Watchmen and other conservative groups endorsed Williams and Clark against the incumbents.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/202...
Crank
Impulse
Perfect
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Sad news from Indiana. Gov. Holcomb has signed a book banning measure that will allow parents and community members to request the banning of certain school library books they deem "offensive," and school librarians to be punished with felonies for having such books.In a statement, Holcomb said he viewed the measure as a way to keep library materials "age-appropriate."
"(House Enrolled Act) 1447 improves transparency and supports efforts to provide age-appropriate material in our libraries and I am happy that these decisions will continue to take place at the local level," he said.
The new law requires schools to publish their library catalogues online, create a process in which community members can request certain books be banned, and removes the legal defense librarians currently have to claim a book was available for "educational" purposes if felony charges arose against them for making available books that are "harmful to minors."
According to Indiana Code, "harmful to minors" means the material contains:
(view spoiler)
as well as
offensive content to community standards for adults considering what's suitable to minors to see
content void of "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value" for kids
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/p...
In Nebraska, a Plattsmouth High School librarian resigned over controversial book policy. "I made the difficult decision to leave the district following the events of the last board meeting when the book 'reviews' began," Librarian Christine Knust wrote.
She spoke against the policy at the meeting.
"Why is one person's belief system more important than others? What will happen next if you accomplish your mission?" Knust said.
Terri Cunningham-Swanson is the Plattsmouth School Board member who crafted the book removal policy.
At the meeting, her own son, D'Shaun Cunningham faced her directly and spoke against it.
"She's made statements about being against critical race theory, which can be interpreted as also Black history. She has four Black children, myself included. What these bans encourage is a lack of civility. So even within my family, there's been breakdowns in communication but that's what the nation is going through," Cunningham said.
Cunningham-Swanson's website indicates she's protecting kids from indoctrination.
Students feel she's doing the opposite.
"People's sensitivity is subjective and that it should be between parents and students rather than taking it away in total," Plattsmouth High School junior Ciara Basch said.
The 52 books under review include classics like "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut.
A dozen have already been pulled from the shelves.
...
The meeting was standing room only Monday. Sixteen people spoke out against the policy, including five students. Seven spoke in favor of it, none of them were students.
https://www.ketv.com/article/controve...
Bad news from Virginia:Spotsylvania Co. school board votes to keep sexually explicit books off library shelves
The vote comes after both school board members and parents spoke out on both sides of the issue.
"The content in the books are amazing books. Are there some sections in the books that are a little risqué in my perspective? Maybe. But that doesn't mean they need to be banned," board member Dawn Shelley said.
The board also tweaked the proposed language for determining whether books can be considered sexually explicit. It expands the category of "sexual conduct" to include both homosexual and heterosexual acts.
"There are rules to come here. And the kids have to abide by them or there's consequences," board member April Gillespie said.
https://wjla.com/news/local/spotsylva...
All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George Johnson
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
Dime by E.R. Frank
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Beloved by Toni Morrison
America by E.R. Frank
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Florida is whitewashing history as they reject 35% of new textbooks."The Florida Department of Education announced Tuesday it has rejected 35 percent of the social studies textbooks submitted by publishers, a year after a messy math book adoption cycle.
The social studies books were expected to be more contentious than the math ones, as their topics are potentially more divisive in the current political climate. Florida has banned the teaching of several ideas, including the notion that “equality of treatment under the law is not a sufficient condition to achieve justice.” Critics argue that the state is attempting to whitewash history.
Officials offered several examples of passages they rejected, including one headlined “New Calls for Social Justice” in a middle school textbook. The passage discussed the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013 and the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020. It was removed from the book, according to the department.
Also stricken was a mention of people kneeling during the national anthem in an elementary school textbook.
“The political indoctrination of children through the K-12 public education system is a very real and prolific problem in this country,” tweeted Bryan Griffin, press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis. He added that problematic passages were “All CAUGHT & all FIXED under @GovRonDeSantis’ watch.”
Others pushed back against that view.
“There’s so many emotions, but I guess immediately it’s fear,” Hillsborough School Board member Jessica Vaughn said. “I’m afraid of the pattern of erasing or trying to rewrite history, because to me this is right out of the playbook of fascism.”
"The state announced Tuesday that it accepted 65% of the 101 books that were under consideration.
But, for more than two-thirds of those that were accepted, the publishers had to make adjustments before they obtained approval.
For example: An elementary school lesson about symbols that represent the United States encouraged parents to “talk to your child about the National Anthem,” and “use this as an opportunity to talk about why some citizens are choosing to ‘Take a Knee’ to protest police brutality and racism.”
That paragraph was stricken from the book.
In a middle school text, the state asked the publisher to rewrite and change a section about socialism.
The original text said socialism “keeps things nice and even and without unnecessary waste.” It also said socialist societies “may promote greater equality among people while still providing a fully functioning government-supervised economy.”
The revised text cites China during the Maoist era and Cuba as examples of planned economies. It goes on to say that critics say planned economies “have slow development and fewer technological advances” with little human incentive.
In a statement Tuesday, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. said that “to uphold our exceptional standards, we must ensure our students and teachers have the highest quality materials available — materials that focus on historical facts and are free from inaccuracies or ideological rhetoric.”
Yvette Lewis, president of the Hillsborough branch NAACP, said, “it whitewashes our history. It doesn’t allow the children an opportunity to actually learn the truth about African American history. There are some teachers now that are afraid of certain words. Like the word diversity. They’re making it seem like African American history is a bad thing to learn and understand.”
Raegan Miller of the Florida Freedom To Read Project said of the textbook rejections: “They’re not considering the lived experiences of our students. And they aren’t considering the needs of a diverse student body.”
Miller said her organization will respond by encouraging critics to speak out to lawmakers and school board members. With two children in the Pinellas County schools, she said. “I want them to have access to information to understand the world and understand other people’s views, whether I agree with them or not.”
Read the before and after passages
https://tinyurl.com/FLsocialstudies
In Pennsylvania,A Lancaster County school district will hold a discussion about its policy on library books.
Some parents in the Hempfield School District recently raised concerns about explicit material in library books.
The school board said it would look at modifying its current standards for what is appropriate for students to read.
But now other parents are concerned students' rights could be under attack.
Those parents are planning a free speech rally before Tuesday's school board meeting.
The school board said it will have an independent board within the school making judgment calls on what should be deemed explicit.
The free speech rally begins at 5:30 p.m.
The school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m.
https://www.wgal.com/article/hempfiel...
Today's news is confusing.N.J. school board rejects ‘trash’ sociology textbook recommended by teachers
A school board in Somerset County has rejected a high school sociology book that had been recommended by teachers, with board members calling it “trash” and “unscientific” while citing political, gender and racial concerns.
The Bernards Township school board voted 5-4 during a tense April 24 meeting to not include “The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology.”
https://www.nj.com/education/2023/05/...
While there is good news in NebraskaFremont City Council votes to keep contested book 'This Book is Gay' in library
This Book Is Gay
In April, we told you how the library board moved it from the young adult section to the adult section. Two people wanted it taken out altogether, but the library's director decided to keep it, and the board agreed.
It then landed in the city council's hands following an appeal from the two seeking its removal entirely.
Their decision? The book will stay on the shelves.
Five council members voted to keep it in the library's adult section, while three voted to remove it from the library entirely.
"In reading this book, I found the book's narrative and graphics to be patently offensive to prevailing contemporary standards one would find in the adult Fremont community," Brad Yerger said.
Tuesday night, some people called for better selections of new books. They want to know how it ended up on the shelves.
Others said library books shouldn't have to win a popularity contest. The author made it clear — if you don't want to read it, don't.
https://www.ketv.com/article/fremont-...
Today's news features a lot of letters and opinion pieces AGAINST banning books. The majority of Americans do not support banning books. The solution is to either run for office (like school board) or vote against these right-wing control freaks. Vote even for school board. In other news...
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Bay High School students spoke out against the School Board’s decision to uphold banning a book Tuesday afternoon.
The book “Ace of Spades” tells the story of two black, queer teenagers at a private school. It depicts their experience with bullying and their understanding of their sexual identity.
“I feel like it personally was brought to the committee’s attention because it is about a black gay relationship and sexuality, ” Bay High School’s Class of 2024 President Cassidy Bruckschen said.
The book had been challenged by ‘Moms for Liberty’ a non-profit organization that advocates against school curriculum that mentions LGBTQ rights, critical race theory, and discrimination.
All challenged books go to a committee made up of nine community members.
“Everybody on the committee read the book and they said they voted that it wasn’t appropriate,” Bay District School Board member Steve Moss said. “That then went to the superintendent and the superintendent said, yes, I agree with the committee.”
In response, around 150 Bay High School, students wrote letters to each member of the school board asking them to reconsider the decision.
Bruckschen cited two books that aren’t banned, but have similar content:
“To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Color Purple,” which Bruckschen said are not only on Bay High School’s library shelves but also part of the curriculum.
“Other books on our shelves could be banned for many other reasons,” Bruckschen said. “But they banned this one. And I feel like it’s opening up a rabbit hole. If we start here, where does it end?”
Moss who voted in favor of upholding the ban, despite admitting to having never read the book said the homosexual content is part of the reason the book was banned. ...
Bay County Public Library has four copies of “Ace of Spades” in circulation. Librarian Sarah Burris said they will not be removing their copies of the book.
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/scho...
In today's most stupid news. I Am Billie Jean King
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The Leon County School District is reviewing a children’s book called “I am Billie Jean King,” after a parent of an elementary school student complained that some of its content was not “age appropriate.”
An LCS spokesperson confirmed to WCTV that the book will remain on shelves until it has been reviewed by administrators to determine whether the book is age appropriate or not.
“I am Billie Jean King,” authored by Brad Meltzer, is about the American former world No.1 tennis player who won 39 major titles and her journey to success. The book mentions how King fell in love with and married her wife.
LCS said Superintendent Rocky Hanna is set to meet with the parent who complained this week.
The Principle will review the complaint and may meet with the teacher or parent in an attempt to resolve the complaint. If it has not been resolved, then the principal will refer it to the Superintendent.
“If the parent is not comfortable with that decision, then they can move onto a next step in the process which will be really a third-party arbitrator. So, someone who is not in Leon County schools will come in, hear the complaint and challenge from the parent, then they’ll make a decision and make a recommendation to the school board,” LCS spokesperson Chris Petley said.
Ultimately, the decision on whether to “discontinue use of the book for any grade level or age group” would fall to the Leon County School Board. The board’s decision would be final.
A full breakdown of the review process can be found below, and on the LCS website:
Contact the School-Based Assistant Principal of Curriculum or the Principal.
If not satisfied with the resolution, contact the Director of the School Level.
If not satisfied with the resolution, contact the Assistant Superintendent of School Management or Assistant Superintendent of Academics.
If not Satisfied with the resolution, contact Superintendent.
If the objection is not resolved to the objector’s satisfaction, the objection will be referred for a hearing, using the hearing procedures set forth above in this policy, within thirty (30) calendar days following the Superintendent’s notification to the objector.
If the Board finds that the Instructional material does not meet the criteria under F.S. 1006.28(2)(a)2.a., or that any other material contains prohibited content under F.S. 1006.28(2)(a)2.b., the District will discontinue use of the material for any grade level or age group for which such use is inappropriate or unsuitable.
The decision of the Board shall be final.
https://www.wctv.tv/2023/05/10/childr...
In Wisconsin, Republicans propose to restrict books, prosecute school staff. Same old same old.A co-sponsorship memo entitled “Protect Childhood Innocence” authored by Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha) and Sen. Andre Jacque (R-DePere) began circulating Tuesday. One proposed bill removes protections of schools and their staff against prosecution for “obscene materials violation.” The other bill prohibits a school district from using school library aid funds to purchase “any item that would be considered obscene material.”
emails sent by former Rep. Jesse James (R-Altoona) showing that James had been provided a list of potentially “inappropriate” books by parents in his district. The books on the list dealt with LGBTQ topics and characters, issues of gender identity and sexuality and the burden of overcoming racial stereotypes and inequality.
James approached school districts in his Assembly district to determine whether they had copies of the books on the list. The emails also discussed plans to open up librarians and teachers to prosecution for providing such materials. Allen, Jacque, and other school districts also discussed nearly identical copies of the list and used it to remove books.
....
The memo references Wisconsin statutory language which “makes clear that obscene material is sexual conduct described in an offensive way with no educational value.”
The memo states that the bill related to funding would “help school districts do their jobs to prevent obscene material from showing up in schools and school libraries.” It adds, “some might worry that the removal of exemption will unleash waves of lawsuits against schools but this is untrue due to provisions in current law.” The memo states that two layers of review, a district attorney and the attorney general, help ensure that “only clear violations of the law result in litigation.”
It concludes by further downplaying concerns which may arise from the proposal. “With these protections there should be no reason for a school employee to fall afoul of distributing obscene material, but if they do distribute obscene material, then parents should expect there to be accountability. Surely our school employees who are influencing the future generation of Wisconsin should not be immune to accountability.”
https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/r...
Today's good news:STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - The Stevens Point Pride event is about a month away, but the event is already being ridiculed by some people in the community.
The Point Pride mission is to create a safe and welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community, encourage the display of differences, and celebrate the diverse array of lives in Stevens Point. The fourth annual event will have a variety of activities from family-friendly to adult events.
“Free, family-friendly event open to anyone who wishes to help the community celebrate, and support the unity of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Ryan Goszkowicz, the event director for Point Pride.
The opening storytime event for children has faced backlash and ridicule from trolls online.
“Every single year that we’ve done this book reading, we’ve gotten negative comments talking about how we’re trying to groom children or how pride is not supposed to be involving families or anything like that,” said Goszkowicz.
For the storytime event, organizers invited two prominent, young, self-actualized performers in Wisconsin.
“So, we thought what better way to avoid the rhetoric of adults, men in dresses, trying to read books to children than to have literal children read books to children,” said Goszkowicz.
The board of directors for Point Pride said the storytime event is appropriate for people of all ages and is free from suggestive outfits and movements.
This is one that receives an unfair amount of backlash mostly from misinformation or embellished truths and I saw that happening a lot. I mean really mean, hateful things being said on social media that weren’t true and that really annoyed me,” said Mayor Wiza.
Goszkowicz said for every person showing hate, there’s an ally showing love and support.
“There have been companies that after they saw that we were having this hate or this negativity coming back at us, being like ‘we really want to be a part of it now. We really want to donate or sponsor your event,” said Goszkowicz.
Copyright 2023 WSAW. All rights reserved.
https://www.wsaw.com/2023/05/11/point...
In Punxsutawney, PA School Board member proposes banning books containing 'graphic content'“If you google the 50 most banned books," said Deneen Evans, a Punxsutawney School District School Board Member. "You will find that "The Kite Runner", "The Hate U Give", and "The Handmaid's Tale" are one of those 50 banned, that are in this curriculum, in this contested literature course.”
The three books she listed are part of a course offered at the school called “Contested Books.” Students wishing to participate in that class require parental consent as some of the books contain graphic content.
“We shouldn’t be subjecting our kids to this type of sexual content," said Evans. "There is profanity, there is racism We want the best education for our kids. Free of racism, free of They get enough of it outside of school, we shouldn’t be adding to it in our schools.”
Evans was asked if she read any of the books she’s contesting.
“I have extensive on the 50 most banned books," said Evans. "It goes down page by page what is in those books. No, I have not read them, but I’ve watched "The Handmaid’s Tale" and that is not for young kids.”
The Punxsutawney School District School Board has not officially discussed or voted on the issue thus far. They will open the topic on their next meeting on June 1st.
https://wjactv.com/news/local/punxsut...
MENTOR, Ohio (WJW) – The debate over a controversial book came to a head Tuesday night as a long school district considered banning a Colin Kaepernick book from the middle school library.The Mentor City Schools Board voted not to remove Colin Kaepernick: From Free Agent to Change Agent from the middle school library following a parent complaint.
However, it wasn’t an unanimous decision.
During a board meeting, the board voted 2-2, with one member being absent. This means all copies of the book will remain in the library catalog.
The decision is in line with the opinion of a district review committee, along with the superintendent. But before that decision was made, parents stood up to voice their concerns to school board members.
“Colin Kaepernick is a controversial political activist, not a universal role model. And 5th grade is way too young to read about controversial figures without parental guidance or discussion,” said
one parent.
“My kids will read this and say yes. And for that reason, I need this book in these schools so that my daughters will be able to see someone who looks like them,” said another parent.
The superintendent added that it is a choice book in the 5th grade library, not a required text. Parents have the right to request that the child does not check out the book.
https://fox8.com/news/mentor-schools-...
It is hateful and mean’: fighting back with the banned book reading roomWith book bans continuing across the US, a museum in New York has assembled a hub for those defying extreme censorship
Listen Until You Hear is on display at Fotografiska in New York until 22 October
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...
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Good news from Henrico County (Richmond), VirginiaThe School for Good and Evil can stay in the elementary school.
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/...
Bad news everywhere else.
Central Bucks, Penn. school district is banning
Gender Queer: A Memoir
This Book Is Gay
already they have banned:
Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
+ 1 adult novel
The book removals are the first since Central Bucks passed a policy last year targeting “sexualized content,” sparking outcry from advocacy groups and community members who argued it would pave the way for banning books.
“I don’t think this ought to come as a surprise,” said Katherine Semisch, a retired English teacher in the district and cofounder of Advocates for Inclusive Education, a group that has opposed the school board’s policies regarding library books and prohibiting staff “advocacy” in classrooms.
“This was the intent of the library policy ... to make it easier to remove books,” Semisch said Friday.
The policy didn’t immediately result in book challenges: The district was developing administrative regulations to carry out the new rules — including enlisting a law firm focused on religious liberty to help. But administrators disclosed in January that they already had initiated internal reviews of the five books named in Burger’s email.
More than 60 additional books have since been challenged through requests submitted to the district. Central Bucks has not disclosed who filed the challenges, which include objections to sexual content as well as “inflammatory racial commentary” and discussions of gender identity and abortion.
The district has also not commented on the status of any reviews of those books.
In her email, Burger told librarians they would have 24 hours to pull Gender Queer and This Book is Gay from library shelves and send the books to her.
Burger did not provide specific reasons for the book decisions, but said they were in line with the library policy. She said reports from the reconsideration committees that reviewed the books would be published on the district’s website “in the near future.” As of Friday afternoon, it did not appear any reports had been posted.
“If they’re banning a book, how come the only people who know it are the librarians?” Semisch said.
Central Bucks, which has been embroiled in allegations it has created a hostile environment for LGBTQ students — claims that were recently refuted by a district-commissioned review — has said its policies are not discriminatory. Under the library policy, any book that is removed is supposed to be replaced with another from the same genre.
Semisch said she didn’t know if there were other books that spoke to the particular experience described in Gender Queer.
“That book is unique,” she said.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/central...
Not specifically about books per say but maybe PBS Kids shows are based on books and there are books based on the shows that were not originally books like Sesame Street.Oklahoma governor wages war on PBS station after claiming it is indoctrinating children with LGBTQ content
The Republican governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, recently vetoed a bill that would have renewed the license and provided millions in funding for the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, the statewide PBS network that reaches more than 650,000 viewers a week. Stitt took issue with what he alleged was LGBTQ-inclusive programming on the station, claiming to Fox News that it amounted to the “indoctrination and over-sexualization of our children.”
“It doesn’t line up with Oklahoma values,” Stitt told the right-wing network this week in an interview about the decision.
While the Oklahoma station receives $6.3 million in funding from donors and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, $2.9 million comes from the state government. If Stitt’s veto is not overridden by the state legislature, it would send the station into uncharted territory and could prompt painful decisions to be made.
Not only is OETA the home of educational children’s programming, but it also plays an important civic role. It produces and airs the “Oklahoma News Report,” the only state news program that reaches every county in Oklahoma. And, crucially, it is the broadcast network that state authorities rely on to disseminate emergency alerts to the public, including for severe weather, a frequent and dangerous occurrence in the Tornado Alley state. In just the last year alone, the network has transmitted more than 200 emergency alerts.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/12/media/...
Scary news from Western, Mass. The Ludlow school district has apparently copied the book review policy from Central Bucks, Pa. which was influenced by the Pa. Family Institute. "The new policy was submitted by committee member Joao Dias and it would dictate how and which books are approved to be in Ludlow Public School libraries. Western Mass News obtained a copy of the policy after it was made public this week. The process for deciding which books will be in the libraries will be as follows.
A district level library supervisor of each school will give a recommended list of books to the school superintendent. After the superintendent’s approval, that list will be provided to the school committee and posted publicly for 30 days, which will allow parents guardians and employees to submit written comments on the recommended list.
The superintendent will then make a final list recommendation, considering the public comments, and bring it to the school committee. The committee may accept or reject the list in whole or in part.
This process will be done for every public school in Ludlow. The policy also lists restrictions for books including books that have (view spoiler)
Dias confirmed his policy was derived from a Pennsylvania school’s policy.
Members of the Ludlow School Committee told us that me they cannot discuss this policy any further until their next meeting on May 23, which is when they plan to discuss the proposed policy and hold public comment and then vote on the policy at the following meeting.
https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/...
The lists of banned books keep growing!Pender County, NC Board of Ed. banned 8 of 40 books under review.
https://www.wect.com/2023/05/12/pende...
https://www.wect.com/2023/02/17/pende...
In Wakulla County, Florida, Little Rock Nine, a graphic novel, has been banned
Jessica Compton is the parent who filed the complaint to Riversink Elementary School, saying that she said she read Little Rock Nine by Marshall Poe after her 9-year-old stated her library book had profanity in it. She felt the book was inappropriate for her age.
That inappropriate comment included racial slurs in the book. The book chronicles 9 African Americans, the first group of students to desegregate Little Rock Central High school in the 50s.
Assistant Superintendent Sunny Chancy says:
"In accordance with Florida Statutes, and Wakulla School Board Policy, concerns regarding curriculum from parents and community members are appropriately reviewed. The outcome of the review for the book in question was the recommendation to move the book from elementary school to a grade level deemed more appropriate. This does not constitute a ban, as WCSB students will still have the opportunity to read the book during their K-12 experience."
That's what we're seeing in a lot of districts is one parent complains and because of all the rhetoric," said Raegan Miller, director of development for the Florida Freedom to Read Project. "They err on the side of caution, they're threatened with a third degree felony, or you could lose your teaching license."
The Florida Freedom to Read Project made a records request and posted about the removal of the book on their Twitter several days ago. Miller says they do believe in parental rights but not when it impedes on the decisions of other parents.
"I understand the language is harsh but it is history and it was not part of the curriculum it was simply a book in a library and exercise your parental rights that way and opt your child out of the library instead of removing access for all children," said Miller.
ABC27 tried to find a copy of The Little Rock Nine book today and many stores in Tallahassee didn't have it.
Florida Freedom to Read Project pointed out that copies in a library might be a child's only access to a specific book.
https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/...
Jodi Picoult and Nora Roberts are speaking out against their books being banned.The same week that we announced that Nora Roberts made a donation to EveryLibrary Institute, her books were banned in schools in Florida!
Now we're challenging you to join them by participating in the #NoraRobertsChallenge by making a tax-deductible donation to fight against book bans and challenging your friends to do the same.
"I have always believed that libraries are essential to our society and the preservation of our democracy. They provide access to knowledge and ideas that are critical for personal and intellectual growth." -Nora Roberts (Tweet this)
100% of your tax-deductible donations will go towards fighting against censorship and for your right to read.
EveryLibrary Institute
http://www.everylibrary.org/
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Sadly, many US states are becoming more and more like Nazi Germany not only regarding books and the freedom to read but also regarding basic human rights with regard to one's or one's children's sexuality.
I think it is also time for Canada, the UK and the European Union to issue general travel alerts regarding the USA for people who are trans or who are openly gay, as I bet even tourists would and could be targeted, and not to mention that having "banned books" on your Kindle or in your possession whilst travelling might also be dangerous.
There is a travel alert for Florida from Equality Florida, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and the Florida Immigration Coalition, and the NAACP's Florida State Conference.https://floridatraveladvisory.com/
The book banning bill issue has come to my state. I mentioned the "don't say gay" style bill and now we have a new one. I know it won't pass but I'm going to write to my representative and the newspaper and maybe the Attorney General. I know the Secretary of State was a civics teacher at my high school, after my time, I think, and he would never ever support a book banning bill.
It is sponsored by Rep. Patricia Morgan, Republican and 7 Democrats!! In the bluest state in the region, maybe even the whole country. (Small state, mainly city)
"Protecting our children from inappropriately sexually-explicit materials is a long held public policy," Morgan said. "Parents have restricted access to school libraries and thus, are not aware of the pornographic content of books that are being offered in the children’s sections of public libraries and in our schools."
Seven Democrats are also sponsoring the bill: Reps. Samuel Azzinaro, Deborah Fellela, Arthur Corvese, Patricia Serpa, Gregory Constantino, Charlene Lima and Edward Cardillo. However, when asked for comment — including for an explanation of the inspiration for the bill — none replied by the time this article was filed.
Beatrice Pulliam, head of the Rhode Island Library Association, which represents nearly 500 library staff in the state, said the bill was a clear response to a different proposed amendment to the same law — one that would protect librarians from being criminalized.
That measure was introduced in early March, nearly two months before the competing amendment.
The measure states that if prosecution arises, "it is an affirmative defense that the defendant was a bona fide school, museum, or public library, or was a person acting in the course of employment as an employee or official of such organization."
Pulliam said her association was "disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised" to see the restrictive bill later introduced as a response.
"It's just another effort to criminalize teaching about health and sexuality, or circulating books with information about sex, or books that are LGBTQIA-positive," Pulliam said. "We think it's really dangerous that a very vocal but small minority of uninformed politicians are basically playing whack-a-mole with our intellectual freedom."
Under current law, judging that a book, movie, or other material is "obscene" is determined by what is offensive under "contemporary community standards." But figuring out those standards can be a rather nebulous task.
Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island arm of the American Civil Liberties Union, said it's "very rare" that the law is used, but when it is, the standards are defined by U.S. Supreme Court Cases from the 1960s and 1970s that dealt with this very question. Think Miller v. California, a 1973 case in which Chief Justice Warren Burger established a three-pronged test for obscenity.
Yet Brown said criticism of so-called community standards continues today.
"It is extraordinarily vague and open-ended," Brown said. "And it also means that a book or other material could be illegal ... for one community in one state and lawful in the other, depending on these amorphous community standards. And that's been one of the big criticisms about trying to ban obscenity, generally."
Brown doesn't believe the latest attempt to put restrictions on schools will pass, but he recognizes it is no coincidence that the bill was introduced.
https://tinyurl.com/RIBookBanbill
Gun control and state sponsored health care (abortion access) are also up for debate and getting more attention.
Two Florida moms are at the center of the fight against book banning in America(On opposite sides)
https://news.yahoo.com/two-florida-mo...
LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow) takes on the State of Banned BooksRegister for a special event, the L.A. Times Book Club meeting on May 24 to discuss the State of Banned Books.
This year Burton was executive producer of a new documentary, “The Right to Read,” which “frames early childhood literacy as a civil rights issue.” The film debuted at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and follows an NAACP activist and educator, a first-grade teacher and two families.
“That’s what Reading Rainbow was all about: fostering a love of the written word,” Burton says in a People interview. “I’m focusing my attention now on giving kids the tools they need to learn how to read.”
Free tickets at eventbrite.com
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-times...
Australian author Mem Fox's book Guess What? is banned in Florida.Bestselling Australian author Mem Fox has become the latest victim of ultra-conservative Florida governor Ron DeSantis, with the writer’s 1988 children’s book Guess What? being banned in the Jacksonville county of Duval.
The book, about a witch called Daisy O’Grady, was banned in Duval schools under a section of Florida law that prohibits adults from distributing on school property “any picture, photograph, drawing … of a person or portion of the human body which depicts nudity or (view spoiler)
The book, illustrated by Vivienne Goodman, depicts the O’Grady character taking a bath.
Her agent said in a statement: “We have nothing to say on this issue. Duval County is a county of 997,000 people in Florida. It is not important.”
Guess What? is no stranger to bans in the US. It is listed on the American Library Association’s register of the 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990-2000 because of its alleged positive representation of the occult, the supernatural and its references to punk rock. The Florida ban appears to be the first time the book has been classified as pornographic.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
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Register for a special event, the L.A. Times Book Club meeting on May 24 to discuss the State of Banned Books.
This year Burton w..."
I'm so glad he continues to champion literacy and fostering a love of reading in children. I loved Reading Rainbow when I was a kid! wonder if any books featured on Reading Rainbow are currently banned :-(
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ked up some banned books to pass along to people in book banning states. I'm lucky to be in the most liberal neighborhood in the Northeast and don't need Walmart to buy ba..."
Sorry, I wasn't clear.
The point is, I hope you all support Walmart's efforts to be inclusive. Send them a message that you're glad they are carrying this stuff by buying some of it there. Or at least telling your friends to do so.
Walgreens is selling Disney Pride gifts! At least the one in my city is. I hope to get back and buy something. Lots of news as usual. Mostly opinions about why books shouldn't be banned.
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In Texas, Public school libraries see impending restrictions; Critics contact Waco trustees"Carl Hoover
State legislators are weighing new restrictions on what materials public school libraries may give students access to and what districts can purchase.
Bills before the Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 13 and House Bill 900, would change existing procedures on book selection, vetting and purchasing in the aim of banning or limiting material some critics consider sexually explicit and inappropriate.
Proposed changes would supplant schools’ current procedures to challenge materials on an individual basis or for parents to make requests confined to their own students. In some cases, the proposed laws would give power to parent-driven library councils to make book buying decisions. In others, the state would require book vendors to rate all books they sell to Texas school districts, past or present, in terms of sexually explicit or sexually relevant content.
In recent weeks, Waco Independent School District trustees have been contacted by individuals concerned by what they consider inappropriate materials in Waco ISD libraries, emailing lists detailing books in the high school library collection catalogs that the critics claim are unsuitable for students.
The lists contain 72 books from the University High School library and 41 from the Waco High School library, 58 of which were challenged for sexual references or content. Text in the emails sent to board members references the organization Texans Wake Up, but several board members contacted about the critics said they do not think they are Waco ISD parents.
An item considered for the agenda for Thursday’s trustee meeting, on discussion of the district’s policy regarding sexually explicit and sexually graphic books in libraries as well as possible actions “regarding the removal of all sexually explicit books in Waco ISD school libraries,” was withdrawn from the agenda late Thursday afternoon. Trustee Keith Guillory said the item is not on the final agenda, which is yet to be posted, but said he had discussed it earlier. Guillory thought a group had been contacting area school districts on the subject, but said he had not come to an opinion yet, needing to research it and await guidance from the state.
Board President Stephanie Korteweg said she had been contacted as well, but names of the callers mentioned by some trustees could not be verified.
School libraries and their role in student instruction is a priority for Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon, who earmarked $3.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan pandemic recovery funding to improve district libraries. The upgrade saw collections culled of outdated or damaged books, more certified librarians hired, new books purchased and shelves and display areas reworked at some schools.
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Both Waco and Midway districts choose books and materials for their school libraries with decisions shaped by librarians knowledgeable about children’s and youth books and what is appropriate for various ages and developmental levels; standards and guidelines from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; recommendations from national publications such as Booklist and the School Library Journal, which review books with an eye to age and grade level appropriateness; and book award lists.
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Two pending bills in the Texas House and Senate may alter district policies on book selection and parental challenges, investing special library advisory councils with book selection powers or limiting districts to certain book vendors .
Senate Bill 13, passed the Senate 18 to 12 with Waco’s state senator, Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, voting in favor. No action has been taken on the bill since it was referred to the House’s Sate Affairs Committee on April 24. It addresses the issue of school library material challenged as unsuitable for students through the creation of school library selection councils that would play a leading role in determining what books a district could purchase for its libraries.
A majority of council members must be parents with children in the district, and school teachers, librarians, staff and administrators selected for those councils would have no voting power. The councils, appointed by school trustees, would be required to meet at least twice yearly.
The councils also could recommend the removal of any material in school libraries that members feel is harmful or contains “indecent content or of profane content, or to be inconsistent with local community values.”
School boards would be required to approve all books and materials purchased for school libraries with lists of proposed purchases made available to the public 30 days before the board is scheduled to take action.
House Bill 900 lists McLennan County’s representatives, Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, and Rep. Angelia Orr, R-Hill County, among its more than four dozen coauthors. It passed the House 95-51, and remains pending in the Senate’s Education Committee after receiving a hearing there Thursday. The bill focuses on limiting sexually explicit and sexually relevant materials to school libraries by restricting book vendors.
Vendors would be required to rate all books and materials sold to a district, both past and future, in terms of sexually explicit or sexually relevant content. Vendors also would have to recall any books sold that were rated as sexually explicit.
Districts would not be allowed to purchase books the vendors rate sexually explicit and would have to justify the reasons for acquiring sexually relevant books. Vendors that do not comply with the ratings requirement would be banned from selling to Texas districts.
Factors in determining sexually explicit material include whether it contains graphic descriptions or detail in a description of sexual conduct; whether the material consists predominantly of, or has multiple repetitions of, (view spoiler)
Students who wish to check out sexually relevant material would have to have permission from a parent to do so.
Districts with sexually relevant material in their libraries would have to list them publicly every two years for review.
Both Senate and House bills state that no books will be removed solely on the grounds of ideas in the books or the personal background of the author."
https://wacotrib.com/news/local/educa...
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Out of the Blue (other topics)The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (other topics)
My Rainbow (other topics)
Butt or Face? Volume 3: Super Gross Butts (other topics)
The Day the Books Disappeared (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jodi Picoult (other topics)Sarah J. Maas (other topics)
Ellen Hopkins (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
Scott Stuart (other topics)
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Gender Queer: A Memoir can stay in schools.
https://wgme.com/news/local/windham-r...