Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
Asheville, NC local Rev. Ronald Gates thinks he can ban books he doesn't agree with based on the usual rhetoric of misinformation and lies.He worked with the Pavement Education Project and NC Values Coalition to craft a letter, along with pictures of the books that are in the elementary schools, middle, and high schools, and dropped it off at area schools. They also included a list of the books and their locations and provided a website which also lists the books with locations, pictures, and storylines.
A superintendent shared with a procedure sheet to request the removal of books, a step by step process a long and drawned. Buncombe County Schools.
They plan to ignore the process because it's too lengthy with too many policies and procedures!
https://tribpapers.com/archive/2023/0...
A book resume can very useful when a challenge comes to your library, New Jersey high school librarian Martha Hickson told attendees at SLJ's Censorship Town Hall on August 30. She began the practice when the inclusion of Fun Home in her collection was challenged by her superintendent in 2019.Hickson's book resumes include multiple reviews from different sources, awards won, booklists including the work, and news stories from when the book has been challenged but retained on the shelves.
https://www.slj.com/story/Create-a-Bo...
This is a great idea!
Students at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (IN) have nearly 1,500 signatures on a petition to ban book bans in the districtA Columbus North High School student has created an online petition to advocate against censorship in school libraries, reaching nearly 1,500 signatures in less than two weeks.
Adeline “Addie” Hearn created the petition, called “Protect Our Right to Access Information in School Libraries” on Aug. 28. A copy of the petition may be found at change.org.
“As a student within the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., I have personally witnessed the impact that our school libraries have on our education and personal growth,” Hearn wrote in her petition description. “However, recent attempts to censor certain materials by defining ‘profanity and vulgarity’ across our libraries threaten our fundamental right to access information and explore diverse perspectives.”
Since removing its requirement that public comments at board meetings have to be related to an agenda item, the BCSC school board has heard several comments about library materials. Some individuals are calling on the school corporation to remove “inappropriate” books, while others have pushed back against these efforts.
The board has also received written statements on the matter, with two of these mentioned during their Aug. 21 meeting.
Eric Grow submitted a 500-signature petition to the Bartholomew Consolidated School Board seeking to implement standards on profanity and vulgarity for school library books.
The other was a letter from 14 BCSC librarians and library assistants, who feel that calls by some to create a subcommittee on library materials “undermines our professionalism and shows a sincere lack of trust in our abilities to perform our jobs.”
In addition to those two, a letter was sent to Superintendent Jim Roberts from another group saying the writers were “shocked, disappointed and angry” that he was “allowing materials harmful to minors in Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. libraries to poison the minds of the very children we entrust to you.”Billie Whitted and eight other women who signed a letter to Jim Roberts “In Christ’s Name.”
In addition to being sent to the school corporation, this group’s allegations were sent to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay, the Indiana State Police, Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane and the Columbus City Council. The letter was signed, “In Christ’s name, Billie Whitted, Jean Glick, Marcia Bandura, Jackie Tallent, Alta Robb, Dianna Robertson, Amber Killon, Rebecca McKinney, and Adrianne Siefert.
In addition to being sent to the school corporation, this group’s allegations were sent to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay, the Indiana State Police, Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane and the Columbus City Council.
When asked what inspired her to start her petition, Hearn said that she heard some of the board’s most recent meeting, as her mother was watching it at home.
“I heard about everyone talking about banning books, and I was really surprised that that would happen in time like this, in today’s time,” Hearn said. “And I just really thought that I had to start a petition to spread awareness about it, because I don’t think that a lot of my peers even knew what was happening or that book banning was even a thing.”
According to a presentation from Hearn, her campaign had reached nearly 1,500 signatures as of Wednesday morning. Of that number, about 600 named Columbus, Ind. as the city they reside in. Others list their residences as other locales in Indiana, the United States, and, in some cases, other countries.
Hearn’s petition calls on the school board and others with decision making authority to:
“Reject any form of censorship or restriction on library materials”
“Support intellectual freedom by ensuring all students have access to a wide variety of books representing diverse viewpoints”
“Promote critical thinking skills and encourage open dialogue within our school libraries”
“Provide professional development opportunities and support for professional librarians and teachers tasked with handling challenges related to our intellectual freedom”
Hearn’s mother, Lisa Ingellis, shared the results of the petition with school board members and The Republic in an email on Thursday, adding that her daughter also plans to give an update at Monday’s school board meeting.
The BCSC school board will hold a 5 p.m. public work session in the administration building’s board room on Monday to discuss policy. As stated on the agenda, no final action will be taken at this meeting.
https://www.therepublic.com/2023/09/0...
https://www.therepublic.com/2023/09/0...
Banned Books in Georgia Face Protests From Cobb County Students, Community MembersIn this op-ed for Teen Vogue, a Cobb County student details recent organizing against local book bans.
Shivi Mehta, a high school organizer for the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, who’s been fighting book bans in Forsyth County since freshman year, said that protesting, writing, and posting on social media are all effective and necessary to draw awareness to book bans and classroom restrictions: “When we were fighting the [Forsyth] book bans,” Mehta explained, “we had a ‘Banned Books Week’ on our social media pages. We would repost things like, ‘Today is our All Boys Aren’t Blue day.’ We’d get people asking, 'What's that book about?' and ‘Why are we banning that book?’”
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/banne...
11 books require parental permission for students to access now in Natrona County High Schools (WY)The Natrona County School District No. 1’s high schools have 11 books on their library opt-in lists, meaning students cannot access those books without parental permission.
The opt-in policy is a new system for Casper’s public schools. The district adopted its opt-in policy July 1.
“School librarians reviewed library books beginning in November 2022 to ensure they met the (policy) definition updates,” Tanya Southerland, district spokeswoman, told Cowboy State Daily in a Friday email.
“Any library books that met the definitions of sexually explicit content … were moved to the Opt-In only category,” she said.
The policy definition characterizes sexually explicit images as, (view spoiler)
District staffers will not be acquiring library books with sexually explicit images going forward, Southerland wrote, quoting from a new policy.
The district’s reconsideration committee also may consider books for the opt-in list that don’t contain sexually explicit images as defined by the policy, says the opt-in rule.
Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community
Last Man: The Royal Cup
Mangaman
Sing No Evil
Scott Pilgrim, Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe
The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 8
Frequent offenders:
Gender Queer
Juliet Takes a Breath
The Handmaid’s Tale graphic novel
Tricks
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/09/...
Yorkville, Ill. School Board removes title from English class for being "too controversial"Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
or perhaps probably
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story of the Fight for Justice
WSPY news reached out to multiple board members requesting comment on the decision, but received only a statement from Board of Education President Darren Crawford who says that two board members, identified as Mike Houston and Mike Knoll in meeting minutes, found the book to be too controversial. Board members Dr. Shawn Schumacher and Leslie Smogor suggested having other age appropriate titles to choose from instead of removing the book.
Meeting minutes show board members Crawford, Houston, Knoll, and Jason Demas voting to remove the book and board members Schumacher and Smogor voting against.
The statement from Board President Crawford says that the book is still available in the school library.
https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/y...
Some states want to legislate teaching "both sides" to climate change. Um what? Have they looked out the window lately? Been outside? Let's recap the weather in my region in the last week: Sunday historic rainfall and flooding; Monday rain; Wednesday tornadoes and I don't live in tornado alley!; Friday wind, and Saturday hurricane! Not to mention smoke from wildfires in Canada earlier this summer, near record summer rainfall
https://www.eenews.net/articles/no-le...
in Texas, where members of the education board have tried in recent years to block programs that teach about reducing greenhouse gases, emphasizing instead the benefits of fossil fuels. The state education board is now deciding whether it will block textbooks that accurately portray climate science.
In Florida, state officials approved for the first time the classroom use of content from PragerU, a conservative group partially funded by members of the fossil fuel industry that produces partisan videos for students in prekindergarten through high school. Some Texas officials are weighing a similar move.
Last week, the Oklahoma superintendent of public instruction, Ryan Walters, announced that his state would also use PragerU content in the classroom. It will largely be used in social studies classes, Walters said.
In Montana, a “scientific fact” bill that would have described climate science as a theory died in the state legislature earlier this year. In North Carolina, lawmakers failed in their bidto replace earth sciences with a computer class. In Utah, the board of education narrowly shot down an effort to remove the teaching of climate science from schools. And in Indiana, students returned to a school in recent weeks with new standards that required a more robust climate education.
In Pennsylvania, the Kutztown school district backed off a plan earlier this year to have students read Alan Gratz’s “Two Degrees.” The young-adult climate novel focuses on the lives of children and the dangers they face in a world that has already warmed to 2 degrees Celsius. School board member Jason Koch complained that the book was “propaganda” that would make students feel guilty about living in a society driven by fossil fuels, according to the Reading Eagle.
“It is not the purpose of a school to promote a particular political agenda,” he told the paper.
In Ohio, lawmakers passed the Higher Education Enhancement Act, which could require colleges and universities to teach “both sides” of issues that have been deemed controversial, including climate change.
At a meeting of the Texas state board of education last month, some members questioned why climate change mitigation is a topic being taught to students. Some of them distorted climate science and claimed falsely that researchers are evenly split between those who say climate change is a threat and those who say it’s not.
“This business of saying all the scientists agree that climate change is the problem and all that sort of stuff, it’s simply not true,” board member Patricia Hardy told E&E News. “There are a lot of scientists who don’t believe that, and these are some of your top researchers.”
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, is giving away free copies of his recent book called “The Kids Guide to the Truth About Climate Change.” It veers away from the findings of climate scientists.
One of the most prominent climate denial groups in the country, the Illinois-based Heartland Institute, has been sending materials to teachers that attack climate science for years. The organization sent out 8,000 books to science teachers this year, down from about 25,000 six years ago.
In Texas, efforts by the Republican majority on the board of education may prove to be the most durable. Its recent revisions to science curriculum push teachers to omit talking about climate mitigation and focus instead on the carbon cycle. Those lessons won’t be revisited for about a decade.
In the ongoing story of Samuels Public Library in Warren County, Virginia, Catholics in the community are defending the library, as they are upset with how the Clean Up Samuels group is depicting those of their faith.https://bookriot.com/samuels-public-l...
https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/catho...
"Since at least May of this year, the Samuels Public Library in Front Royal, Virginia, has been the target of a book banning campaign. Dubbed “Clean Up Samuels,” members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church gathered together at a meeting May 13 called “Beer, Babysitting and Cleaning Up Samuels Library,” which came with a link to a website listing dozens of books the group considered “smut.”
The Clean Up Samuels group is comprised of 53 individuals, who have flooded the library with over 800 reconsideration forms. The group has not stopped at demanding book removal, though. They have turned their attention to defunding the library if their demands are not met.
Today, Tuesday, September 5, 2023, is the last day for public comment before the library’s potential closure. A group, Save Samuels, has stepped up to push back against the book banners and in support of the library, and have put together a petition and call for all supporters to show up to the board meeting this evening and demand restoration of funding.
“Our group is now over 600 and we have so many parents, allies, grandparents, teachers and even teens speaking out and fighting to save our library,” said Kelsey Lawrence, founder of Save Samuels.
Concerned about the perception that the entire Catholic community in Warren County is calling for the removal of books and the restructuring of Samuels Public Library, some local Catholics are publicly expressing their support for the library.
“We, as Catholic parents concerned for the good of the entire Warren County community, urge you to release all the funding designated in this year’s budget for Samuels Public Library,” she read from the statement. “We believe that the closure of the library, even if only temporary, would deprive the citizens of Warren County of a resource that is essential for our flourishing as a community.”
Beer went on to say that the group of 42 signees understands the concerns voiced by some regarding the curation of the library collection, adding “we believe that the library is taking appropriate steps to address these concerns.”
Dixie Lane, who signed the statement presented by Beer, said, “We thought that reading the statement at a board of supervisors meeting would inform the supervisors that Clean Up Samuels and the Front Royal Catholics Civic Education Group and individuals who agree with them do not represent all local Catholics.”
Lane said that the statement of library support come from members of Front Royal’s Catholic community who have been meeting, along with non-Catholic friends, in an effort to promote civil discourse about the library issue.
“The statement originated with our group which, though not comprised exclusively of Catholics, thought it was important to make it clear to the public that Catholics may and do disagree on the library conflict and that some of us wish the library to be fully funded and that we acknowledge and appreciate the efforts the library has made to address concerns about certain books in the collection,” said Lane, a parishioner at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Front Royal for 11 years.
Though non-Catholics participate in the group, the presented statement was signed by Catholic parents, Beer said.
The email, signed by “moderators,” questioned why “practicing, believing, seemingly intelligent Roman Catholics are joining the side of Christophobia, bigotry, and destruction of the innocence of children.” The Front Royal Catholics group, which is not affiliated with any church, has sent out several emails in support of Clean Up Samuels’ efforts. Last week’s email, which reiterated the group’s disapproval of some of the library’s content, was forwarded to the Daily.
Thomas McFadden Sr., a moderator of the FRCCEG who has been active in local politics and filed 13 requests to remove books from the library, replied to that email by saying, in part, “What a joke are ‘the 42 Catholics’ who support porn-pushing public libraries... Most likely it’s a coalition of liars and mentally disturbed people. There are a lot of baptized, but lapsed people with an ‘axe to grind.’ I might be impressed if each of the ‘Phony Forty-Two’ furnished receipts for the amount of their 2022 contributions to the parish.”
By Thursday evening, Clean Up Samuels had sent out its own email. Noting that “many of our supporters are graduates and financial supporters of Christendom College,” the email says that “unbelievably and disappointingly” seven Christendom College professors signed the letter of library support submitted to the supervisors. Calling the statement “bigoted” and “overtly political and totally dishonest,” the email lists the professors’ names and urges Christendom graduates and donors who support Clean Up Samuels to make sure that they (the professors) “understand the facts.”
On Saturday, in an email forwarded to the Daily, McFadden issued an apology through the FRCCEG mailing list to the “Library 42,” saying that his initial “false characterization” of the group was due to his misunderstanding that they had asked to remain anonymous, which they did not.
“The library controversy is highlighting the breakdown in community discourse that we have had in Warren County for years,” Lane said.
Richard Kurzenknabe has been a parishioner at St. John’s for nearly 40 years. While Kurzenknabe has not participated with the Community Discourse group, he spoke separately with the Daily about his support for the library and disagreement with the efforts of Clean Up Samuels.
“I know that many if not most of the Clean Up Samuels group are parishioners at St. John’s. I consider them friends and fellow parishioners. I love St. John’s and I love all the parishioners there. I just differ very much in believing that banning books is the way to go,” Kurzenknabe said recently.
Kurzenknabe said he has for years made a monthly donation to the church. He recently decided to donate that money instead to the library until its funding comes through.
The first public call to action by Clean Up Samuels was posted in a Facebook group called Young Adults of St. John the Baptist.
The post invited group members to an event called Beer, Babysitting and Cleaning Up Samuels Library to discuss the books and the process for having them removed from the library. The post included a link to an early version of the Clean Up Samuels website with a list of the books the group found offensive, as well as links for requesting their removal and tips on how to effectively fill out those forms.
https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/catho...
Follow-up:Samuels Public Library Board Rejects Warren County’s Funding Agreement
Melody Hotek, the President of Samuels Public Library, highlighted the depth of the discussions leading to the decision. “We had a very good discussion with free sharing of ideas between our board members,” Melody shared. The board is expected to have an executive meeting on Tuesday, where they will discuss the details further with key stakeholders ex-president Henry “Mac” Hobgood and Eileen Grady, interim director; the five executive committee members, supervisors; and both lawyers.
At the heart of the rejected MOA, titled “LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT,” were several key points. The agreement stated that the library, a non-profit organization, would receive county funds, with County taxpayers accounting for more than three-quarters of the library’s operational funding. The term of the agreement was set to end on June 30, 2024, with automatic renewals unless either party expressed the desire to end it.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors would appoint all Trustees.
The funding criteria section, perhaps the most contentious, delved deep into library management, suggesting controls over the library’s material collection, establishing policies regarding “sexually explicit” materials, and ensuring public involvement in decisions related to the library’s collection.
Also, the agreement placed strong emphasis on transparency, directing that all library board meetings should be open to the public and compliant with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
https://royalexaminer.com/samuels-pub...
Better news from SamuelsSamuels Public Library board of trustees voted to retain in its collection two books that had been requested for removal while trustees board President Melody Hotek addressed ongoing discussions with Warren County officials about the library’s operations.
This spring, a group of about 90 residents submitted nearly 800 requests to remove books with LGBTQ themes from the library. Per library policy, a staff committee first reviews each book, comparing its content with the standards set out in the collection development policy before deciding if the title should be retained in place, moved to a different section, or removed from the library.
If the person who filed the complaint is not happy with the outcome of that process, they can file an appeal. An ad hoc committee of five trustees then reviews and analyzes the book and makes a recommendation to the complete board about placement of the book.
Following the recommendation of both the staff and ad hoc committees, trustees voted to retain “Prince & Knight” by Daniel Haack and “Cheer Up! Love & Pompoms” by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise.
https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/samue...
Better news from SamuelsSamuels Public Library board of trustees voted to retain in its collection two books that had been requested for removal while trustees board President Melody Hotek addressed ongoing discussions with Warren County officials about the library’s operations.
This spring, a group of about 90 residents submitted nearly 800 requests to remove books with LGBTQ themes from the library. Per library policy, a staff committee first reviews each book, comparing its content with the standards set out in the collection development policy before deciding if the title should be retained in place, moved to a different section, or removed from the library.
If the person who filed the complaint is not happy with the outcome of that process, they can file an appeal. An ad hoc committee of five trustees then reviews and analyzes the book and makes a recommendation to the complete board about placement of the book.
Following the recommendation of both the staff and ad hoc committees, trustees voted to retain “Prince & Knight” by Daniel Haack and “Cheer Up! Love & Pompoms” by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise.
https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/samue...
Some good news from Texas for a change.The committee tasked with reviewing book complaints at Helen Hall Public Library in League City, Texas, determined that none of the books shall be removed nor moved. Indeed, two of the book complaints were for books not even in the children's section, despite the claims by the crisis actors that they were.
The Great Big Body Book
Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity
Queerstory: An Infographic History of the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights
The committee Monday determined that two of those books, "Unbound" and "Queerstory," were not located in the children's section of the library, despite the reconsideration form asserting they were, and dismissed the requests.
The committee also decided that "The Great Big Body Book" should remain in the children’s non-fiction section of the library. And despite the requester asserting that the book contains p_____graphic content, the committee determined it doesn't.
Katherine Swanson, president of Galveston County Library Alliance said there were two takeaways from the meeting Monday: the committee members determined it's the parents responsibility to answer questions about content in those books, and League City residents think the committee is unnecessary or redundant.
Monte Burton, who submitted the reconsideration request for "The Great Big Body Book" said Tuesday that the committee's decision to keep the book in the children’s section is "alarming."
"My daughter was asking questions she should not be asking at six years old after reading that book," he said.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...
Caro Area District Library (MI) continues to hear from right-wingers about needing to remove three sex education books from the children's and teen areas of the library,Parent James Brandt stated "We won't stop fighting on this issue," said , a speaker during the public comment period. "The board and director have failed to protect our children."
One speaker made a comment on how he filled out a request for reconsideration form, but did not yet receive a response because the library claimed he did not have a current library card.
Young teens also spoke during the meeting, saying how they disagree with the fact that to get a library card, you need a parent's signature, but are able to check out books that contain "sexual references and actions."
One man, chair of the Tuscola County Republican Party, even gave the library board an ultimatum, saying they have until October to relocate the books.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU
both retained in children's
Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human retained in teen section.
The library board and director Erin Schmandt have expressed their decision on not moving or relocating the books to the adult section of the library, saying it would be a First Amendment violation. Schmandt also noted that based on the publisher's information and professional reviews for the books, they will stay in the children's and teens section as they are aimed at that age group.
As of Tuesday afternoon, a person filed a reconsideration form for the book, "Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human," by Erica Moen, but the request was denied. An appeal hearing date will be set by the board of trustees, but is planned to happen during the October meeting.
https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/a...
A failed school board candidate,Danielle Scarpellino, challenged five books at Guilford Schools (CT), whose board is expected to decide in the next few weeks. Parent Gloria Gibney agrees with the challenges.
In her complaint, Scarpellino warned that the books may result in “unwanted accidental exposure to sexually explicit material,” emphasizing that this was not an attempt to ban books. She suggested that parents decide what age group these books are appropriate for and asked the board to go on record regarding the appropriateness of the books for children.
On Monday, Guilford resident Anita Porto thanked Scarpellino for challenging the books, saying, ironically, that it gave her the opportunity to read the books in two book clubs, meet new people and make new friends.
She added that the town would be on a slippery slope if it began banning books, pointing to what she said were analogous situations in Houston.
“That’s the kind of slippery slope we’re talking about,” she warned.
Local resident Dana Regett questioned the motives of the complaint.
“Maybe the individual bringing these book challenges really is opposed to the mostly minor sexually explicit passages in the novels. But it is striking that no book with heterosexual white characters was challenged,” Regett told board members.
Responding to a request for comment on Wednesday, Scarpellino replied at length in an email with passages that she deemed inappropriate, writing that:
“Parents must be alerted every time a sexually graphic book is made available to their minor, dependent children. Full stop. Someone needs to be the adult in the room and forewarn our children of what they are about to encounter. Any adult who is tasked to oversee the safety and wellbeing of a child and would knowingly and willingly place these books in our children’s reach without any warning, is negligent.”
Scarpellino also took aim at those claiming she supported the banning of books, noting that her complaint to the board used only avenue available:
“Those who want to make this a political issue are disingenuous at best. I stand by my request for the Guilford Board of Education to go on record regarding the appropriateness of these books for children. And again, I emphasize, the documents that GPS insists that parent MUST submit in order to even enter into this conversation is entitled ‘Request for Reconsideration,’ not ‘Request to Ban.'”
Most parents don't want the books banned!
https://ctexaminer.com/2023/09/12/gui...
Lawn Boy (adult)
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health (children sex ed)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (YA)
The Bluest Eye (adult)
https://ctexaminer.com/2023/09/12/gui...
Fighting back in Greenville, SCSusan Ward, a member of Greenville’s Freedom in Libraries Advocacy Group (FLAG), presented a petition to County Council Tuesday, asking for the removal of chairman Allan Hill from Greenville County’s library board.
The petition, presented during a public communication forum, claims "Hill and several board members following his leadership have wasted resources on micromanaging internal library functions, blatantly violating First Amendment rights of the public and overreaching their authority in an attempt to directly manage county employees."
More than 2,000 people have signed the petition.
The petition was crafted by members of FLAG and created into 2,000 rainbow chain links, representing the signatures in the petition and calling back to a rainbow chain displayed in Travelers Rest that was asked to be removed in June.
Ward also called out Councilmember Steve Shaw (District 20), alleging he insulted Tiffany Santagati after he sent an email to other councilmembers to oppose Santagati’s appointment to the library board.
“He attempted to insult her by saying she identifies as an outspoken advocate for gay, transgender or LGBTQ+ influence in our community,” Ward told council, with Shaw present via Zoom.
Shaw told the Greenville News he did not "mean this as an insult."
https://www.greenvilleonline.com/stor...
Bad news again Texas.Katy ISD bans 14 more books, including Dr. Seuss title, after putting $93K in books in storage
Katy ISD has remained silent on the whereabouts of $93,000 in new books held for review and the reasons 14 additional books were removed from shelves, despite a public pledge of transparency on book banning.
Of the seven Katy ISD board members, only Rebecca Fox would discuss her opinion on the move, saying the new policy may need to be revisited if exhaustive book reviews continue.
In August and September, an internal committee found 14 books, including titles by Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle and Judy Blume, to be inappropriate for children for reasons the district would not make public.
Prior to enacting the new policy, Katy ISD removed four books in 2022, eight in 2021 and four in the first seven months of 2023.
This year the district expanded the terms under which a book could be pulled for review, adding "nudity" in the definition of inappropriate material. For the first time, six elementary school books have been removed.
The book “No, David!” — winner of Caldecott Honor Book and several other national awards — is one of them.
At one point in the story, a cartoon David jumps out of the tub and and is pictured running off without clothes on.
The Day the Crayons Quit was one of 44 books flagged for review in August that was later retained. An illustration depicts a beige crayon that has lost its wrapper, becoming “naked.”
Fox, who voted in favor of the book review policy, said it's an example of how implementation has deviated from the policy's intent.
“Nudity was added to the policy, but a book about a crayon with a wrapper is not nudity. That’s not what was intended by the policy,” she said. “If this continues, we may have to revisit the definitions of the policy.”
The district's communications office and Board President Victor Perez would not answer questions about why the books were removed, except to send emails stating the removals are in accordance with the policy. Neither answered questions about how the policy is being implemented.
The revised policy gave the board authority to bypass committee review to challenge and ban books, the Chronicle previously reported. However, Perez said the board didn’t remove the books. “It is not the board’s intention that any traditional, harmless, cartoon-like books be affected,” Perez said.
Draw Me a Star
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Wacky Wednesday
The Paper Bag Princess
The amended policy requires titles of any incoming new books to be submitted to the board for review 30 days before they're ordered. In June, the board of trustees mandated that already-purchased incoming books be placed in storage to await review. The list included $93,000 worth of books, including dictionaries and textbooks.
District and school board officials would not say where those books are now or comment on the process or timeline for reviewing and potentially banning those titles.
Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association, said some other Texas districts have asked library staff to stop ordering books or arbitrarily put books in storage until they can be reviewed for "sexually relevant" or "sexually explicit" content.
“The problem is, whether or not a book is sexual is incredibly subjective, and what one person considers vulgar another might disagree, and in the meantime, kids don’t have the books.”
Former Katy ISD board member Bill Lacy called the board's amended book policy an "overreach of power," noting the district already allowed parents to stop their own children from checking out books.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neig...
More craziness from Texas and they wonder why they can't get teachers.The Hamshire-Fannett ISD tells KFDM/Fox 4's Angel San Juan the district has released a teacher following a controversy involving what it calls the presentation of an unapproved and graphic version of Anne Frank’s Diary to her eighth grade reading class. Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
KFDM first reported on the story earlier this week and received a response from HFISD.
"A version of 'The Diary of Anne Frank' book that was not approved by the district was read in class," Mike Canizales, Hamshire-Fannett ISD spokesperson, told KFDM.
"The teacher was sent home [Wednesday]. There is an active investigation," Canizales said.
The objectionable content?
Frank wrote about male and female genitalia.
In an email sent to parents Tuesday evening, the school district said, "It was brought to the administration's attention tonight that 8th grade students were reading content that was not appropriate. The reading of that content will cease immediately. Your student's teacher will communicate her apologies to you and your students soon, as she has expressed those apologies to us. HFISD has provided a quality, engaging education to all students in the past and will continue to strive for the same in the present and future."
https://kfdm.com/news/local/investiga...
More from Front Royal (Samuels Library) Virginia and it's scary.Opequon District school board candidate filed for library book removals in Front Royal
Since the spring, a group of around 90 library patrons have filed almost 800 forms requesting that about 134 books be removed from the library. Two of those requests were made by Delane Karalow, who’s running for the Frederick County School Board’s Opequon District seat in the Nov. 7 election.
Beetle & the Hollowbones
Pride Colors (board book!)
She is not a Warren County resident, but said she has a Samuels Library card, which is required in order to make a reconsideration request about a book.
“When these situations come to public attention, they ratchet up a lot of drama, and people start with, they begin to throw out terms such as ‘book banners,’” Karalow said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I am not a book banner. I would not ban any books unless they are obscene, determined to be obscene and in there (the library) on a loophole. And this is something you know, I am, you know, if you wanted to use that term ‘banner,’ I would say I’m an obscenity banner or a pornography banner where our children are concerned.” (LIAR! Pride Colors is a baby book!)
On Karalow’s reconsideration form, she wrote that “Beetle and the Hollowbones” “introduces witchcraft, gender identity issues, and promotes a ‘challenging’ attitude in children.” On the portion of the form which asks patrons whether the work includes any worthwhile material, Karalow wrote, “No. The book discourages thinking along traditional educational norms via witchcraft.”
Karalow did not indicate on the form whether she had read this novel.
“Pride Colors” is a picture book for children ages three months to two years, according to its product details on Barnes and Noble’s website. The book features rhyming verses for each of the six colors of the pride flag. Images show children wearing and/or interacting with these colors. There are also multiple depictions of same-sex parents. The end of the book explains what each color of the pride flag represents.
Karalow wrote on her reconsideration form that “This book uses ‘colors’ that appeal to children, to refocus and mislead children.” Under the section that asks if there is anything worthwhile about the text, Karalow wrote “No.” She indicated that she had read this book in its entirety.
The form ends with a question asking what action the patron is asking the library to make regarding said book. On both forms, Karalow wrote “Please remove this book.”
Karalow declined to comment on the LGBTQ aspect of the controversy.
She said that if elected to the Frederick County School Board, she would be in favor of removing books of a similar nature from the school system’s libraries.
“I’m for academic rigor,” Karalow said, “and these books do nothing to reinforce academic rigor in schools. As a matter of fact, they go against it. We’re having discipline and behavioral issues with students in schools to the point where they’re trying to hire more behavioral specialists. And having books in the schools that hyper-sexualize students, and particularly when it’s done without the parents’ knowledge, and parents don’t know that these books are in the schools, it’s a concern.”
She said that she recently received a list of “questionable” books that are allegedly in Frederick County Public Schools’ libraries, and added that she needed to do more in-depth analyses on these books before coming to a conclusion on whether she believes they should be removed.
In a statement she emailed on Thursday evening, Karalow wrote: “It has come to my attention, via a list that was sent to me this week, that there are numerous books that are of questionable adult content in the elementary, middle school, and high school libraries of Frederick County, Virginia public schools. This is concerning because some of these books do not meet the guidelines for determining obscene content. The Commonwealth of Virginia Code of Law, Article 5, clearly determines what constitutes ‘obscenity’ and, although I have not yet studied this list of books carefully, it appears upon quick examination that there is reason to be concerned about many of these books. Many public and school libraries have acquired these books through a loophole in this law, 18.2-383 (3), which exempts schools, theaters, museums and public libraries.
“It is my sincere belief that most parents in Frederick County do not want their children and young adults to have access to these adult materials. Indeed, many parents are not aware of this situation. These books should be removed from the schools and replaced with books that meet higher moral and academic standards. This is not ‘book banning.’ It is my understanding that this is what parents, citizens, and taxpayers expect from the public schools.”
Karalow is running against Daryl Bell for the Opequon District seat. The board’s Back Creek, Gainesboro and at-large seats also are on the ballot.
https://www.winchesterstar.com/winche...
Havre de Grace MDParents Express Concern Over Harford County's New School Library Review Committee
The committee was discussed at a Harford County Council meeting on September 5. At the meeting, Councilman Aaron Penman said he had contacted school superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson about the content in school libraries, which led to discussions about establishing a standard policy for appropriate materials.
Bulson clarified that the group is not a "book review committee," stating that it is tasked with examining current practices concerning the purchase and evaluation of school library books.
"We want to find common ground," Bulson said. "We have to look at the process we use when we purchase books and the process of how we are reviewing books when they are challenged."
the primary goal of this group is to examine existing practices within Harford County Public Schools and consider potential changes. The group will make recommendations but is responsible for reviewing books and making final decisions.
Despite Bulson's reassurances, parents expressed their concerns that the newly formed committee is influenced by the politically conservative organization Moms for Liberty. Board members Melissa Hahn and Diane Alvarez received endorsements from the Harford County chapter of Moms for Liberty in the 2022 elections, and two other members have reported ties to the group.
https://havredegrace.patch.com/g/havr...
Cobb, Georgia The superintendent in the district that had the teacher fired for reading My Shadow Is Purple is now facing calls for his termination.
Cobb County Superintendent Chris Ragsdale on Thursday defended the school district amid calls for him to be fired and end “censorship” after a recent decision to remove two books considered inappropriate for students.
There are those who believe Cobb schools are nothing more than a convenient battle field for whatever their political cause, and that’s what we’re currently experiencing,” he said. “There is no room to flip-flop where you stand. You are either in favor of providing inappropriate material to children, or you are against it. And I assure you, I am against it and I will not be moved.”
While he spoke, protesters wearing red T-shirts that said “Replace Ragsdale” stood and turned their backs to the dais to reveal another message on the backs of their shirts: “Ragsdale is wrong.”
“We have no confidence in him, and this is why we demand new leadership,” said Micheal Garza, one of the leaders of the Cobb Community Care Coalition, which organized the “Remove Ragsdale Rally” ahead of the meeting. “Our educators deserve a leader who supports them, and our children deserve a leader who values them for who they are.”
The coalition brought a list of demands to the school board. Some stem from the book controversy, while others go back farther.
Under Ragsdale’s leadership, Cobb “has a well-documented history of failing to address racism, antisemitism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination, even when brought to public attention,” the group said in a statement.
They want the board to replace Ragsdale and fire another top district official, implement an anti-bullying curriculum that was previously discontinued in the schools, withdraw a ban on teaching critical race theory and define terms in its policies such as “controversial issue” and “divisive concepts” to give clarity to educators they said are “enduring a hostile workplace.”
While about 20 people gathered for the protest against Ragsdale, another sizeable group held signs thanking him for his leadership and cheered when he asserted that Cobb schools would not provide lewd, obscene or p___graphic content to children.
The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition also held a press conference ahead of Thursday’s meeting calling on the school district to better support students’ needs and to stop censorship.
https://www.ajc.com/education/cobb-su...
Bad news good news Florida128 books under review in Indian River County school libraries; some already removed
Another 128 school library books here are being reviewed — and will be permanently removed if found to have sexual content, district officials told the School Board this week.
All the books stem from continuing challenges made by the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative political group, over the past two years.
"That puts us in a good place of adhering to what is in state law and making sure that of the 100,000 books we have, they all are aligned with state law," school Superintendent David Moore told the board Monday, referring to the latest efforts to review challenged books for sexual content. "That is a humungous list to do, but ultimately we are charged to do it, and we are moving very aggressively to ensure that is exactly where we are."
M4L chapter President Jennifer Pippin
Using a new state law — that requires removal of a book if an individual is prohibited from reading it aloud during a public meeting, the group succeeded in getting 34 books removed after School Board Chair Peggy Jones either stopped people from reading passages or placed a content warning on the speaker.
The group decided to take advantage of provisions in HB 1069, which went into effect July 1, Pippin said.
"It's just the quickest, fastest way to get these books out of the hands of children," Pippin said.
After last month's meeting, Pippin resubmitted to the district the group's list of challenged books, promising additional staged events if the books remained on the shelves.
An additional 14 books the group considers to contain critical race theory content have been referred to the district's book-review committee.
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/edu...
The Color Purple
The Bluest Eye
Jodi Picoult
More news and it's not good. M4L are gaining power.Charlotte N.C. - Union County allows Moms for Liberty library event, denies local Pride group
Ten months after Union County closed its library meeting rooms to non-governmental groups, the county has granted an exception for a local Moms for Liberty event — while denying access to a local Pride group that planned a similar event.
The Union County Main Library will host a "Constitution Day Storytime," presented by the local chapter of Moms for Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to noon. According to a flyer shared on social media, the event will feature "patriotic stories, music, and free crafts."
In a statement to WFAE, local Moms for Liberty Chair Abigail Prado said "our event is for the whole community and everyone is welcome."
Union County Pride President Cristal Robinson said after learning about the Moms For Liberty event, the local Pride chapter also submitted a request to hold a Constitution Day event at the Main Library at 2 p.m. But the Pride group's application was denied.
Robinson, who uses they/them pronouns, said they were told their event would violate the library's policy barring non-governmental groups from reserving meeting rooms — but that the local Moms for Liberty event was permitted because it was approved by County Manager Brian Matthews.
Robinson said their group also reached out to Matthews to request permission, but Matthews would not return their calls or emails.
"This is a blatant violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments," Robinson said.
In November, the Union County Board of Commissioners approved a new policy that allows only governmental agencies to reserve library meeting rooms.
The library's website says outside groups may only reserve rooms "with express permission of the County Manager or Facility Official designated by the County Manager."
In a statement, Union County spokesperson Liz Cooper said the county granted approval to the local Moms for Liberty event "based on its educational theme, the historical significance of the day, the County's participation in the educational materials and message, and its alignment with the established event format of regular library activities."
The county said the meeting request from Union County Pride was "vague and ambiguous" and did not mention Constitution Day.
The president of the Union County NAACP, Archie Hansley, told WFAE his group was also denied access to a library meeting room earlier this summer after requesting the space for an NAACP subcommittee meeting.
With no meeting room reserved for Saturday, Robinson said the local Pride group will continue to host other events through this weekend for the 2nd annual Union County Pride. Other events include an "Adult Kick-Off Party" Friday night at The Bottle Factory, a "Teen Kick-Off" Saturday in Indian Trail, and a Pride festival in Belk-Tonawanda Park on Sunday.
https://www.wfae.org/race-equity/2023...
_________________________________
This is not right. If you say yes to one group with an agenda, you say yes to them all or no or rent the community room and hold your own event unaffiliated with the library! You can't ban non-government groups from renting the meeting room. That's against library policy not to mention Unconstitutional.
M4L gaining power in Arizona too.Tom Horne strikes alliance with Moms for Liberty over flipping Arizona school boards
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne struck an alliance with Moms for Liberty supporters at an East Valley event Thursday evening over what he said was a shared goal: electing conservatives to school boards in 2024.
"That's going to be my main occupation for 2024," Horne said.
In 2022, 275 of the 500 school board candidates Moms for Liberty endorsed won their elections, according to its website. None of the group's endorsed candidates were in Arizona.
Moms for Liberty is attempting to establish a stronger presence in the Phoenix area, where a former chapter failed to gain traction and shut down a year ago. Now, it's trying again with a new chapter in Mesa.
In addition to Horne, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Mesa Public Schools Governing Board Member Rachel Walden, Apache Junction Unified School District Governing Board Member Gail Ross and Higley Unified School District Governing Board Member Anna Van Hoek were in attendance. Van Hoek has submitted filings in a lawsuit to support Horne in defending Arizona's law preventing transgender girls from competing on girls' school sports teams. Representatives from the conservative group Turning Point USA were there, too.
Thursday's event was dominated by a panel discussion featuring state lawmakers Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, and Barbara Parker, R-Mesa. Discussion topics included the close monitoring of what children are learning in schools, combating Marxism and advocating "real American values" in the classroom, and fighting teacher unions.
One attendee suggested putting cameras in classrooms to monitor teachers. Another — who identified herself as being part of Arizona Women of Action, a conservative group that partnered with Moms for Liberty on the event — voiced concerns about mental health centers in schools and told the audience the youth suicide rate is being manipulated. Youth mental health struggles and suicide attempts rose after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walden, the Mesa school board member, said she doesn't plan to be involved in the new Mesa Moms for Liberty chapter aside from attending events where her constituents will be or accepting potential invitations like serving on a panel, for example.
"I don't see Moms for Liberty as an organization for school board members as much for parents to give them a way to help them be involved," Walden said.
Horne, a Republican, told Moms for Liberty his values are "very much in common" with what the organization values and encouraged attendees to run for school boards, citing specific targets like Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert. "I'll do everything I can to help you," Horne said.
He told the audience he's fighting to raise the academic performance of the state's students, blaming "terrible" proficiency rates on "distractions" [the usual nonsense CRT, LGBTQ+]
Horne told attendees that academics need to improve or the U.S.'s position as a global superpower will wane.
"If we don’t turn this around as a country, we are going to be a third-world country," Horne said. "China will be the dominant power, and China will be calling the shots if you can imagine that — what kind of world that will be."
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...
Ironic much? China = government censorship, erasure of history. et tu Horne?
Some people in Lancaster, Penn. are seeing the light.'A positive force' Grandmas for Love in Warwick form as counter to Moms for Liberty values, ideals
Shirley Showalter has formed a new group: Grandmas for Love.
The group, which defines itself as a nonpartisan counter to Moms for Liberty, has as its purpose advocating for school board candidates who it believes want to take the politics out of education, Showalter said.
Less than a year ago, Showalter began working alongside Jeanette Bontrager and Lynette Meck, who came to Grandmas for Love feeling similar sentiments of hope for the community and concern over Moms for Liberty. All three – and several of the group’s members – live in the Lititz-based senior living community, Moravian Manor.
“I’m just incensed at this whole Moms for Liberty endeavor,” Bontrager said. “It just makes my blood boil. I want to do what I can to keep it out.”
Moms for Liberty’s Lancaster County chapter has taken root in the Warwick School District, with its chapter chair, Rachel Wilson Snyder, residing in the district. That chapter has produced a long list of “inappropriate book resources” they’d like removed from the district’s high school library and has called for more stringent policies surrounding library book content across the county.
Snyder, who referred to Grandmas for Love as a campaign manager for the Democratic school board candidates, wouldn’t comment on Grandmas for Love's apparent opposition to the conservative group.
She urges others to forget whether a candidate is Republican, independent or Democrat and instead look beyond to how they can best serve the students.
“Read and listen and make wise choices - not party choices,” Sitler said.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/loca...
Bad news FloridaOsceola schools ends public library program over state law concerns
Program gave students automatic access to public library resources.
The school district announced Tuesday it was ending its OLL Access Pass program.
The program automatically gave all students in the school district direct access to public library materials, including books and resources, which could all be accessed through the school libraries.
The district said it was discontinuing the program to comply with two laws, Florida HB 1069 and HB 1467, two laws passed in the last two years meant to give the public more access to the books and materials in school libraries and the ability to challenge in works they believe may be “p____graphic, harmful to minors, or describe or depict s--ual conduct.”
The school district said it will continue to work with the Osceola County Library System to provide events at schools where parents can sign children up for library cards.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/loc...
‘Gender Queer’ author responds to Kennedy’s viral Senate readinghttps://thehill.com/homenews/4207105-...
AN EDITORIAL CARTOON CRITICIZING MOMS FOR LIBERTY MANIPULATED BY THE GROUP FOR GAINhttps://bookriot.com/mama-bear-editor...
Today's newsIn Coronado, Calif. (San Diego),
Protesters ask the library to deem books that address sexuality inappropriate for children’s storytimes and to remove books with sexual images from the children’s section altogether.
Protesters are asking the library to create a policy to ensure books of any topic that address sexuality are considered inappropriate to be read during all children section storytimes. Those include any discussions of sexual preference, orientation, fetishes or how those subjects relate to gender.
They also want books that include images or illustrations of adult nudity, pornographic material, genitalia and other sexually themed material deemed inappropriate for the children’s section.
They offered three solutions: Moving those books to the teen section; creating a PG-13 section on higher shelves that would require an adult to access them; or creating a section on sexuality within the children’s section that would require parental consent.
Jessica Tompane, a mother of three who was at the June storytime and has since helped lead protests on the age-appropriateness of these books, noted the library already has designated religion or early-reader sections and likened the proposed policies to having movie and song ratings and computer browser blocks for kids.
Coronado resident Doris Besikof — the only one who spoke in support of LGBTQ+ books — noted that more people would have been there to speak in support if they’d known the current policy could be revisited.
“I think a lot of people thought it had been dealt with — and very fairly,” she said.
Carl Luna, a local political science professor who is also president of Friends of the Coronado Library, says supporters should not have to show up at every meeting.
Those who spoke in opposition to any restriction of LGBTQ+ books argued that moving the books would be antithetical to the library‘s purpose as a public resource.
However, protesters say that they aren’t trying to ban books. They say they only want to prevent young children from being sexualized in the name of access and inclusion.
Supporters also said parents should choose what books to let their children read or what programs to let them participate in — a sentiment echoed by the Coronado Library.
During the July council meeting, City Manager Tina Friend relayed the revised library policies, which share more details on what books would be read at storytimes.
Scheduled topics for the preschool and toddler programs are now posted a month in advance on the library’s website, rather than three days ahead of time.
The books they select also are displayed at the front desk at least 15 minutes before the event for parents to review.
However, Friend confirmed that books deemed appropriate for children 12 and younger will remain in the library’s children’s section.
She cited the library’s policy that any child under 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and said library staff will review storytime book choices more closely.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...
Please note the picture books in the photo. I have read and reviewed half of them and absolutely none of them contain anything "obscene". And also, there is a sexuality section in non-fiction where they can find or not find the sex ed books they object to. AND a PG-13 section is called Young Adult and usually in a different part of the library.
Mod
Let's face it, many Conservative provincial and state governments not only want to cater to parents, they also actively desire to punish students since students, since children and teenagers are often against right wing and pro centrist and left wing politics and economics (and are thus almost automatically seen as possible traitors, since freedom of expression I guess only goes one way).
I'm glad the children in Canada have an advocacy group fighting for them at least."A Regina-based advocacy group filed court action against the government in the Court of King's Bench, arguing the pronoun policy infringes on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for children under 16."
Today's news from Texas where they apparently don't teach honors English in middle school (and if they do, I don't know what on earth they DO teach). I hope these kids are smart enough to hack their parents' emails and choose opt-in.
Middle Schoolers Can't Borrow FAHRENHEIT 451, Any YA Books, Without Parental Permission in Dripping Springs ISD
The new policy goes against the district's own language about limiting access to books.
Parents have to "opt-in" for their kids to access "Young adult" books which includes books they might need for class, classics like Farenheit 451! Ironic much?
Also, for sixth and seventh-grade students, the Young Adult section is an “Opt In” section. All parents must complete a permission slip (Google form) to allow their students to check out books from that section. Middle School students are not allowed to check out Young Adult books unless their parents have given them permission for access.
A quick search of the school board meeting minutes for Dripping Springs ISD do not show discussion of such a change for the coming school year, even in the previous three months for which only an agenda is available. It is unclear when or how this decision was made, though two new members of the board began late last school year.
The district's school library website makes no mention of the new policy, though it does offer parents a document outlining what students might be reading and, emphasized at the bottom, indicating that parents who disagree with a book being made available to all students can submit a challenge form.
https://literaryactivism.substack.com...
Mod
"A Regina-based advocacy group filed court action against the government in the Court of King's Bench, arguing th..."
I think it is time for students to both hack into their parents account as you suggested but to also simply NOT cooperate with either their parents or their teachers regarding what books they want to read (and indeed, I also think that students stealing books from the library if they are not allowed to sign the books out is totally and utterly acceptable behaviour).
Sadly, the students are ratting out teachers who teach in spite of the rules. South Carolina students reported their teacher for teaching Between the World and Me- only TWO students complained! Out of a whole class!_____________________
"Two of Wood’s Advanced Placement English Language and Composition students had reported her to the school board for teaching about race. Wood had assigned her all-White class readings from Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “Between the World and Me,” a book that dissects what it means to be Black in America.
The students wrote in emails that the book — and accompanying videos that Wood, 47, played about systemic racism — made them ashamed to be White, violating a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress” on account of their race.
Reading Coates’s book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people,” one student wrote.
At least two parents complained, too. Within days, school administrators ordered Wood to stop teaching the lesson. They placed a formal letter of reprimand in her file. It instructed her to keep teaching “without discussing this issue with your students.”
A day after she gave out copies of “Between the World and Me,” a mother emailed asking to speak about “an assignment.” Wood didn’t see it as different from the parental objections she was used to fielding in Lexington-Richland School District 5, which serves roughly 17,000 students and is about two-thirds White. In interviews, several teachers recalled dealing with opinionated Chapin parents who pushed back against lessons or for better grades.
Wood emailed, phoned and left a voice mail with the mom. “Please call me back,” she remembers saying. She figured they would chat and that would be the end of it.
Wood thought she was on safe ground. She had taught Coates’s book — and accompanying YouTube videos titled “Systemic Racism Explained” and “The Unequal Opportunity Race” — the year prior. No one complained.
She also counted on the fact AP Lang is supposed to be a high-level class. The College Board curriculum says it can address “issues that might, from particular social, historical, or cultural viewpoints, be considered controversial, including references to … races.” Wood’s supervisor, English department chair Tess Pratt, had signed off on Coates’s book. Plus, Wood had required AP Lang students to read a speech from former president Donald Trump, a balancing conservative voice.
She knew most students leaned right and guessed that many of her colleagues did, too, based on their social media presence and offhand remarks. The popular circles at school are red, current and former students said.
But amid a red sea, Chapin’s English department was a blue island. And Wood was known as the bluest of the bunch — conspicuous for decorating her classroom with posters of Malcolm X, Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes and LGBTQ pride stickers.
“She had that granola-crunchy vibe,” said a former Chapin teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional and personal retaliation. “It wouldn’t be difficult to guess how she votes walking into her room. I think that’s what made her a sort of lightning rod.”
Aubrey Hume, a recent Chapin graduate, recalls seeing the Malcolm X poster and immediately clocking that Wood thought differently from most people in town. She also taught Black, female and queer voices that most students never heard in other classrooms nor at home, Hume said.
“It was like, ‘Oh, I got Miss Wood, and now I have to scoff and roll my eyes because she’s going to teach me things I don’t want to learn,’” Hume, 18, recalled. “A lot of kids did not like her.”
Elizabeth Jordan, now 20, was one of those students. Raised in a conservative, Christian household, Jordan was unhappy to learn Wood would be her AP English teacher back in 2019, Jordan’s junior year.
At first, Jordan found Wood’s lessons unsettling — especially the classes focused on mass shootings or transgender rights, during which Wood held up left-leaning viewpoints for students’ inspection. Jordan could not understand why Wood was asking high-schoolers to discuss controversial current events.
“All I was thinking was, ‘This isn’t allowed, this just isn’t allowed,’” Jordan said. “Just because it was a complete 180 from anything I had known.” (South Carolina had not yet passed its legal restrictions on what teachers can say on these topics.)
Over the course of the year, though, Jordan’s opinion shifted. She noticed how students seemed to pay more attention in Wood’s class. She noticed that Wood never pushed students to adopt viewpoints but challenged them to account for their convictions. Now a junior in college, Jordan still remembers the debate that followed after a popular boy, the student body president, said transgender athletes should not be allowed to play sports.
“Okay,” Jordan recalls Wood saying, “can you explain that a little bit more?”
By 2023, when Wood assigned Coates, her strategy hadn’t changed: She still gave difficult texts about hot-button issues, convinced it was the best way to keep students’ attention — and teach them how to argue, an AP Lang exam requirement. She still demanded students consider novel perspectives, setting the essay question: “Explain Coates’ problem with America’s tradition of retelling history. Explain your support or disagreement with his position.”
For the two days Wood got to teach “Between the World and Me,” classroom discussions were lively and open, said Connor Bryant, 17, one of the students who took AP Lang last year. Bryant, whose father is a Chapin English teacher, said his peers debated systemic racism and what it’s like to be Black in America, agreeing and disagreeing with Coates, without Wood picking a side.
“She did a really good job of keeping things not boring,” Bryant said. “People spoke up and they had different opinions — I honestly didn’t hear a single complaint about the book from anyone.”
Still, Bryant did remember a handful of disengaged students in the back of the room. They whispered to each other during class.
As in years past, Wood’s style of teaching had left some students feeling uncomfortable. But this time, they didn’t come to respect her.
They reported her.
“I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” the student wrote, according to school records obtained by The Post. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”
Another student email followed at 9:35 p.m. “I feel, to an extent, betrayed by Mrs Woods,” the second student wrote. “I feel like she has built up this idea of expanding our mind through the introduction of controversial topics all year just to try to subtly indoctrinate our class.”
Especially troublesome, the student wrote, was one of Coates’s sentences stating, “In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body — it is heritage.”
The student names were redacted from the emails obtained by Wood through a records request and provided to The Post. A parent who complained about Wood’s course to the school board did not answer a list of emailed questions. Barnhardt, who was endorsed by Moms for Liberty last year, did not respond to a request for comment.
....
Wood agonized over how to face her classroom again. She wasn’t angry with her students, she said. She expected high-schoolers to get upset about some of the things she taught. But before, teenagers and their parents had always brought their complaints to her. And she had always defused the situation.
What frustrated her now was that she’d been skipped over: The students had gone directly to the school board. And school officials were listening to the teens, not her.
“Taking the word of a couple of students over the professional integrity of a seasoned educator is damaging to the relationship between all parties involved,” she wrote in an email to her principal and the superintendent on February 8.
“I didn’t know who did it,” Wood said. “And I — I didn’t know how to talk after that.”
five teachers walked up the five aisles between students’ desks. They lifted copies of “Between the World and Me” from desks as they walked. Some students began rereading underlined or favorite passages as teachers approached, said Bryant, the AP Lang student.
A boy sitting next to Bryant had plastered his copy with what looked like five sticky notes per page. A teacher, Pratt, stood and waited until the boy had pulled out each note. It took almost half a minute.
“Looks like you wrote a lot,” Pratt remembers telling him.
A teacher placed the collected copies of the books on a shelf in the classroom. They remained there, untouched, until the last day of school.
South Carolina State House Rep. Robert J. “RJ” May III (R), .... thinks Wood broke state law and acted outside the parameters of her job by assigning Coates’s book — which May said presents the author’s biased views of history as fact. He said books that deal with systemic racism should be taught in social studies, government or politics courses. If they are taught at all.
“We should be a colorblind society,” May said.
...
[Wood's] 16-year-old son and a student at Chapin High addressed the issue with his mom:
“Mom, did you break the law?” he said, according to his and Wood’s recollection of that night. “My friends called you racist.”
Wood told him that, sometimes, good people get bad information from the wrong places — like Fox News, popular in Chapin. Summit nodded, face tight. He said he’d tackled one of the students who called her racist and didn’t want to be friends with those people anymore.
Wood knew the friend group he was talking about. They were all boys she liked: They’d eaten lunch in her classroom many times the year prior. She swallowed the hurt and told her son what she knew she should say.
“You can be friends with them,” she said. “You just have to talk to them about it.”
[This year Wood was assigned AP Lang again] two students had requested to switch out of another English class she was teaching, without sharing why. She wondered if it was because of what happened. A few teachers who she knows disagree with her politically didn’t respond when she said “Hi” to them in the hallways. She wondered, again, if it was because of what happened.
A week later, on the day students returned to campus, her phone buzzed with a text during morning assembly: “I love you,” her son [and student in her AP Lang class] Summit wrote. Then a second message: “Thanks for always doing what is right.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/educat...
Student’s LGBTQ mural must be removed from Michigan school, board saysThe high schooler, who painted the mural after winning a student art contest, said she hoped the mural would “make people feel welcome.”
An LGBTQ-inclusive student mural created inside a Michigan middle school must be painted over by the end of October. The decision, made last week by the local school board, comes nearly a year after the mural ignited backlash from some parents who said it promoted LGBTQ imagery and witchcraft.
A high schooler in Grant, Michigan, painted the mural inside of a student health center at Grant Middle School after she won a student art contest. Some parents objected to the mural during a Grant Public Schools Board of Education meeting in October because the mural features a student wearing a T-shirt with the colors of the transgender Pride flag, two students wearing the colors of the bisexual Pride flag and another wearing rainbow Pride colors.
Some critics argued that the artwork promotes witchcraft because it includes a video game character that looks like a demon and a Hamsa Hand, also known as the Hand of Fatima, a palm-shaped design seen as a symbol of protection in many cultures.
The school board voted in June to cut ties with Family Health Care, which operates the Child and Adolescent Health Center inside Grant Middle School, in addition to two other school-based health centers in the area, according to WOOD-TV, an NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The centers provide free medical, dental and behavioral health care to children, according to the Family Health Care website.
Family Health Care and a group of parents challenged the board’s vote, and, after months of negotiations, the board approved a new contract with Family Health Care last week, WOOD-TV reported. The mural’s removal is part of the deal.
At the school board meeting last October, Evelyn Gonzales, the Grant High School student who painted the mural, said through tears that she created it “to make people feel welcome.”
At the same meeting, one parent condemned the inclusion of LGBTQ Pride colors, specifically characterizing transgender people as having a mental illness.
Following the meeting, Grant Public Schools said in a statement that, “at the student artist’s request, the mural will be returned to its original form as originally submitted and approved by the Administration,” which meant the demon video game character and the Hand of Fatima would be removed, NBC’s TODAY.com reported at the time.
Superintendent Brett Zuver, who judged the contest for the mural, told TODAY.com in October that Gonzales added those symbols to help fill extra space in the mural. He described the agreement between Gonzales and the school board as a “very positive resolution.”
“I am very proud of her,” Zuver said at the time. “She is a great young lady.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-n...
In AlabamaNorth Shelby Library Board fires back at “misinformation” by Rep. Susan Dubose, others
The library board said the “community” did not take issue with the library’s pride month display, and said librarians aren’t indoctrinating children.
“Of the more than 8,600 people who visited the library in June, only about 1 percent expressed an opinion about the display. The library received 76 supportive written comments and 39 negative written comments. Additionally, the number of visitors to the library in June 2023 increased by more than 3,000 from the previous year and the Summer Reading Program registration and attendance also increased over the previous
year.”
The board also addressed comments that “the board would not consider or address requests to remove the display in the Children’s Department.”
“This is false,” the board stated. “The Board DID consider the motion made to change
library policy. This change would have included the requirement for the Board to review
(program), display, or exhibit that takes place at the library. The board voted to keep the existing library policies.”
Dubose has also referred to the display as “huge.” The NSL board gave its exact measurements.
“The display was a set of bookshelves in the Children’s Department which were approximately 4’ x 6’ with an 8.5” x 11” sign that said ‘Take Pride in Reading.’ She also stated that every book on the shelves contained transgender subject matter, which is also false,” the board said.
“Other recent public statements that accuse librarians of indoctrinating children are simply untrue and unfounded,” the board said. “A statement made by Representative Dubose on a recent radio interview referred to a library in her district where she said she would be “afraid to ask a librarian to help her child find a book” or let her child run loose. The NSL Board agrees with the last portion of her statement because it would be against the NSL Unattended Child policy to let a child ‘run loose.’ Parents and/or legal guardians are always fully responsible for their minor children/charges and are expected to always comply with library policies.”
https://www.alreporter.com/2023/09/18...
Even in Alabama, it's the smallest most vocal minority who is winning. The reality is that more people support the libraries than not.How library supporters rallied against a call to ban LGBTQ books in Fairhope
When word got around that a local activist planned to ask the Fairhope City Council to ban LGBTQ books from the teen section of the public library, library supporters, book clubs, and other community groups rallied to fight back. They packed a city council meeting, arguing that the library should remain a safe place for free expression.
“I’m pretty sure no one who came tonight changed their mind,” Fairhope resident B.K. Gray said at a recent packed city council meeting. “A group came to ban books, and a group came to defend books, and nobody changed their mind.”
About 150 people attended the meeting, not for anything on the agenda, but for discussion about the library.
Brian A. Dasinger, a local attorney and conservative Christian advocate, spoke on behalf of the Faith Family Freedom Coalition of Baldwin County.
Members of the Fairhope Public Library Board of Trustees told AL.com they were informed personally by Dasinger that he planned to attend the city council meeting to speak about library books.
Word spread among library supporters and others in the community so that they could attend the meeting and share their views.
Yet despite all of the outcry, Jay Robinson, the president of the Fairhope City Council, told the crowd that the council has “no input” on which books go into the public library.
“This is not a city council issue, this is a library issue,” Robinson said. “The library has a board, and I would expect everybody who has expressed an opinion tonight will express that opinion to the board.”
Still, dozens of people spoke to the council during the public comment portion of the meeting, with most of them supporting the library.
Jada Pryor said her daughter and other teenage readers in Fairhope support the librarian whom Dasinger condemned.
“They’re not here because they’re with her right now at a teen program that she provides,” Pryor said, adding that, at the library, her child has “learned community leadership, she has put on plays, she has learned interpersonal skills.”
Anne Johnson, the chair of the library’s board of trustees, defended its collection.
“In a typical year, we have no — as in zero — or maybe one request to reconsider a book purchase, and we have a process for that,” Johnson said. “In the last three weeks, we’ve had three requests, each with a book list, totaling some 55 books. This kind of feels like a coordinated and targeted attack on the library.”
Of those 55 books, eight are not carried in the Fairhope location, one is not carried in any Baldwin County libraries and 14 are not cataloged in the teen section of the library, according to a search of the library’s catalog by AL.com, which obtained a copy of the list.
Most of the books listed contain LGBTQ themes or discussions about race. Many that are challenged due to sexual content are already cataloged in adult sections.
“The library board is unanimous in supporting the right to read for all of Fairhope’s citizens,” she said.
https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2023/0...
This is kind of a no-brainer given Boston's liberal tendencies but 10 Boston high schools offer controversial AP African American Studies course! https://www.wcvb.com/article/ap-afric...
Also super excited because Shannon Hale and some diverse and social justice children's authors and illustrators including Grace Lin will be appearing at a local girls' school for their annual children's book festival. I really want to try to go see Shannon Hale and support her. Not sure I can make it though. It's a 45 minute walk or a short bus ride and 25 minute walk or maybe switch bus routes which doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Mod
Honestly, those two students totally would deserve having their entire class collectively turn on them and simply act as though they either are not present or existing as foul and stinkingly polluted air (and I hope that from now on, life at school becomes completely socially isolating for them). They had the choice not to snitch and they with their own free will decided to act in a nasty, bigoted and totally depraved manner (and in my opinion, the two students are exactly THE SAME as when during the Third Reich children and teenagers ratted out their parents etc. for listening to Radio London, for mentioning the Holocaust, for making jokes about Hitler et al and so on and so on and frankly if I were in that class, if these were my classmates I would call them Nazi spies and right to their faces as well).
Manybooks wrote: "Honestly, those two students totally would deserve having their entire class collectively turn on them and simply act as though they either are not present or existing as foul and stinkingly polluted air (and I hope that from now on, life at school becomes completely socially isolating for them). They had the choice not to snitch and they with their own free will decided to act in a nasty, bigoted and totally depraved manner (a."My gut feeling is these students didn't like the teacher because she challenges her students, makes them THINK and do work and these kids didn't want to do it. They took advantage of the law and they knew their parents would jump at the chance to get the teacher fired. I hope she can trust her students again and those who don't want to be in her class can learn something new and appreciate the critical thinking skills instead of going after her.
Scary news of the dayIn Missouri, St. Charles County state senator running for governor on Monday threatened to burn books on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion if voters elect him in 2024.
Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, was responding on X, formerly Twitter, to criticism of a video showing him at a St. Charles County political event burning a stack of cardboard boxes with a flamethrower.
Fellow state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, was alongside Eigel in the video, which was widely shared on social media.
Critics claimed online that the senators were torching books. Eigel said they were cardboard boxes.
"In the video, I am taking a flame thrower to cardboard boxes representing what I am going to do to the leftist policies and RINO corruption of the Jeff City swamp.
But let’s be clear, you bring those woke pornographic books to Missouri schools to try to brainwash our kids, and I’ll burn those too — on the front lawn of the governor’s mansion,” Eigel wrote.
As of Monday evening, Eigel’s X account was suspended. Eigel’s page displayed a message that said, “Twitter suspends accounts which violate the Twitter Rules.”
Eigel and Schroer said the video was filmed at the St. Charles County Republican Central Committee’s Freedom Fest, held Friday at Sugar Creek winery in Defiance.
“No books or human beings were harmed, burned, or targeted in the filming of that video,” Schroer said Monday in a text message. “It sure is telling that liberals have to stoop to promoting lies, hate, and divisiveness to distract from the failed policies of their party and their president.”
Eigel’s comments on book burning generated attention on social media, where he was compared to a Nazi.
Eigel faces Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in the August 2024 GOP primary.
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat and also a candidate for governor, lashed out at Eigel on Monday:
“Bill Eigel and his extremist allies’ idea of campaigning for governor is using a flamethrower to burn whatever he doesn’t agree with,” Quade said in a statement.
“We deserve a government that’s going to work to solve real problems, not make political stunts,” Quade said.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/g...
Mod
In Missouri, St. Charles County state senator running for governor on Monday threatened to burn books on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion if voters elect him in 2024.
Sen...."
Book burners are Nazi Pigs and so are their supporters.
Good news of the dayIn a Blistering Opinion, Judge Officially Blocks Texas Book Rating Law
federal judge Alan D. Albright delivered a major victory for freedom to read advocates, issuing a substantive 59-page written opinion and order officially blocking Texas’s controversial book rating law, HB 900, from taking effect. The decision comes after Albright orally enjoined the law at an August 31 hearing and signaled his intent to block the law in its entirety.
Signed by Texas governor Greg Abbott on June 12, HB 900 would have required book vendors to review and rate books for sexual content under a vaguely articulated standard as a condition of doing business with Texas public schools.
“The Court does not dispute that the state has a strong interest in what children are able to learn and access in schools. And the Court surely agrees that children should be protected from obscene content in the school setting,” Albright concluded. “That said, [the law] misses the mark on obscenity with a web of unconstitutionally vague requirements. And the state, in abdicating its responsibility to protect children, forces private individuals and corporations into compliance with an unconstitutional law that violates the First Amendment.”
Albright observed that the burden placed on vendors by the law are “so numerous and onerous as to call into question whether the legislature believed any third party could possibly comply.” And he called out state attorneys for their inability to answer basic questions over the course of two hearings. “Generally, the government was confused and unaware of how the law would actually function in practice,” Albright observed, citing “approximately 40 instances during the August 18th hearing ('Hearing 1') where the government either did not know how the law would function or did not have an answer as to what the effects of certain provisions were.”
Albright was highly critical of the state’s attempt to outsource book ratings to private vendors (under impermissibly vague standards, and at a considerable, non-recoupable cost) while retaining the unchecked power to change a book's rating and force vendors to adopt it as their own—effectively imposing a state standard. Albright called this a “textbook” example of compelled speech.
Meanwhile, despite initially saying he would enjoin the law “in its entirety,” at press time it remains unclear whether the judge will allow a part of the law to take effect—specifically, a provision that requires state agencies to develop voluntary standards for “school library services” by January 1, 2024.
State officials in Texas have already filed notice that they will appeal.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
The response from the Texas youth is "Book bans violate their rights and take away 'the joy of reading'."Youths with Youth Rise Texas (https://youthrisetx.org/) , an Austin-based group that opposes a law the Texas Legislature passed this year to ban "sexually explicit" books from school libraries. They argue House Bill 900, which a federal judge has temporarily blocked, is harmful to young people because it violates their privacy, takes away their freedom to read, and could make them feel alienated.
18-year-old Charles Barron said needing to get permission to read a book violates young people’s privacy.
“When adults take that away from you and they’re like, 'Oh you can’t read that’ because of whatever reason, I feel like then you don’t have the privacy and the joy of reading a book,” he said.
Bria Virgil, the co-executive director of Youth Rise Texas, said one way the group works to ensure students can access books they want to read is through a library in its office.
"Youth are more than welcome to contribute books to and also checkout books across a wide range of different topics, so they can still stay politically educated," she said. "Trying to maintain that access to resources for our youth is first in mind for us.
Barron said he understands that some adults think they’re doing the right thing by keeping certain books from children. But, he wonders who gets to decide what is and isn’t appropriate.
“What [are] sensitive topics? Like why is being gay such a sensitive topic?” he asked."
Barron said many kids start learning about their sexual orientation and gender identity in middle school and books play an important role in them understanding and accepting themselves.
“These books are giving them a sense of like, they are valid, they are real," he said. "I feel like banning books with those specific topics is just keeping them away from what they’re going to face when they grow up."
Sebastian De Anda, 19, said it’s upsetting to see state lawmakers focus on banning books when there are so many other challenges facing young people, such as inadequate mental health resources and the fentanyl crisis.
“Why are you making laws to ban books when there’s serious problems happening across the country from like California to Florida?” he said.
https://www.kut.org/education/2023-09...
Texans are not ALL for book banningHarris County libraries are now 'book sanctuaries' for banned books across Texas
Harris County Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution for the Harris County Public Library system to become a Book Sanctuary, joining a network of 2,828 book sanctuaries across the United States.
According to the resolution, "The freedom to read is under threat across the nation, and nowhere more so than in the state of Texas which challenged 2,349 books, of which at least 511 were removed from school libraries and classrooms in 2022, and is on pace to once again lead the nation in challenging and removing books in 2023."
"A Book Sanctuary is a physical or digital space that actively protects the freedom to read. It provides shelter and access to endangered books, and can be created by anyone and can exist anywhere — in a library, a classroom, a coffee shop corner, a community center, public park, your bedroom bookshelf, or even on social media," according to the Book Sanctuary toolkit.
Last year, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said during Banned Books Week the county library had over 600 banned titles in its circulation.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news...
Manybooks wrote: "Book burners are Nazi Pigs and so are their supporters.
"
Read the comments, the people of Missouri are not unaware of the direct recreation of events from 1930s Germany!
Some words of wisdom from Pres. General Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953:
Don't join the book burners
https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.098...
Former Texas Poet Laureate knows how to fight against book bansLupe Mendez's book Why I Am Like Tequilawas recently banned in a Texas school.
“I was contacted by a teacher that I had worked with… less than two months prior to the messaging [regarding the ban] that they were looking into having a class set of my book in their class for the fall. They were told by the powers that be that no, in fact, they couldn’t get that book,” Mendez said. “They said that, to their understanding, the reason given as to why they couldn’t select my book is because of ‘substance abuse’—alcohol—being part of the title.”
“So [the teacher] was miffed because that just means they didn’t bother to read the book,” he continued.
In March of 2012, the poet was one of 35 writers, educators, activists, and artists in the Librotraficante Movement, a “book smuggling” operation to help high school students access materials that lawmakers seek to suppress. He chronicled their efforts in an essay for Texas Observer last year, discussing how they traveled to Texas’ major cities to collect over a thousand books to caravan into Arizona and distribute to students and families in defiance of school book bans.
Most—but not all—of the books were caught up in Arizona’s House Bill 2281, which outright banned ethnic studies and restricted students’ access to 78 books reflecting a wide range of cultural heritages, histories, and perspectives, claiming that they promoted overthrowing the American government.
Arizona high schoolers took to social media for help, and Librotraficante answered the call, picking up more than 1,000 books across Texas and dropping them off in Tuscon.
“The response from the public was amazing,” Mendez said. “Every single stop, we collected books. There were lots of people who had not known what was happening. When they finally figured out what was what, they were willing to pay attention to the news and were willing to have conversations about what’s happening in their own communities so these things won’t happen in their neck of the woods.”
He sees parallels and patterns between the bans in Arizona more than a decade ago and current trends in Texas, where a number of lawmakers have been and currently are seeking to remove books from school and public libraries alike through a flurry of proposed bills. Most of the challenged authors are people of color and/or members of the LBGTQIAP+ community speaking to their own histories and life experiences. Such forthrightness is labeled as insurrectionary, “reverse racism,” or sexually explicit, even if the content proves far milder than what remains on the shelves—as is the case for Why I Am Like Tequila.
https://www.chron.com/culture/article...
Hollywood is getting involved in the fight against censorship now.Ariana Grande, Amanda Gorman and others sign letter against book bans
Ariana Grande, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Gorman are among the over 175 actors, entertainers, authors, activists and others who have signed an open letter calling on Hollywood to use their influence to oppose book bans.
https://campaigns.moveon.org/banned-b...
The letter, spearheaded by Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton and published via the political advocacy organization MoveOn Political Action, calls out books bans in US schools as “restrictive behavior” that is “antithetical to free speech and expression”. It also emphasizes the “chilling effect” the bans, often implemented at the local level, can have “on the broader creative field”.
“We cannot stress enough how these censorious efforts will not end with book bans,” the letter states. “It’s only a matter of time before regressive, suppressive ideologues will shift their focus toward other forms of art and entertainment, to further their attacks and efforts to scapegoat marginalized communities, particularly Bipoc and LGBTQ+ folks.”
“We refuse to remain silent as one creative field is subjected to oppressive bans,” the letter continues. “As artists, we must band together, because a threat to one form of art is a threat to us all.”
The letter encourages signatories to “join us in pushing back against these book bans, support free and open creative industries – regardless of personal or ideological disagreements – and use their voice at the local level to stop these bans in their school districts”.
It concludes that “there is power in artistic freedom, and we refuse to allow draconian politicians to take that from us”.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Very scary news today! My mom listened to a talk by noted historian and activist Heather Cox Richards. These megachurch, so-called Christians are prepared to wage a holy war to do "God's will" and the Constitution, our democracy no longer matters. Isn't that what the terrorists on 9/11 and the Taliban in Afghanistan are doing? Why is it different when it's Christian? It's NOT! _________________
Greenville, South Carolina
Pastor replaces Travelers Rest library manager who in June refused to remove LGBTQ display
The pastor of a Baptist church in Anderson will be the new manager of the Travelers Rest library branch, replacing Nathan Schmaltz, who in June defied orders from Greenville County library administrators to remove a Pride Month display at the location.
Brian Morrison, the Greenville County Library Systems access and discovery director, announced the move to staff Sept. 14 in an email obtained by The Post and Courier. In that announcement, Morrison wrote that Ray Arnett, who serves as the senior pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church of Anderson, would be starting as branch manger this week.
According to a LinkedIn profile believed to belong to Arnett, he has served as a librarian in different capacities for more than 20 years.
Tory Sherrill, a library assistant at the Travelers Rest location, said staff at the library see Arnett’s hiring as a clear message during a time of internal strife within the library system regarding management and LGBTQ materials.
“We’re concerned,” she said. “I’m not saying a person of faith can’t be a good librarian. I’m a person of faith, and there are lots of Christians in the library system. But it does seem pointed that admin would make this decision for us now.”
Neither Schmaltz, Morrison nor library system Executive Director Beverly James could be reached for comment on the nature of Schmaltz’s departure. But Sherrill said the branch’s former manager left voluntarily in July to deal with a family matter and was not pushed out.
....
Earlier this month, the Freedom in Libraries Advocacy Group (FLAG) presented a petition with 2,000 signatures calling for Hill to be removed as board chair to Greenville County Council while members held up a rainbow paper chain similar to the one displayed at the Travelers Rest library this summer.
Tory Sherrill, a library assistant, said that amid ongoing tensions, she and her colleagues at the Travelers Rest branch are concerned administrators are sending them a message by hiring Arnett.
“A fear that I have is that he was asked to apply to come and tone down this rebellious branch and keep an eye on the ‘activists’ that are on the payroll, as Allan Hill has called us,” she said. “I don’t want to prejudge, but because of where we are, it’s really hard not to go there.”
https://www.postandcourier.com/greenv...
St. Charles County, Missouri residents raise concerns about 'explicit' library bookan adult book ...
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/loc...
Parents urge St. Charles County libraries to ban two books
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
+ very adult book
"I would like to know who ordered (adult book), who approved the ordering of this book and the person who put this book into circulation because they should all be fired," said Rachel Homolak, who was one of several residents to urge the library to remove the books at Tuesday's St. Charles County-City Library Board meeting.
Tuesday's meeting marked the latest instance of St. Charles County — and especially its library system — being at the center of culture war controversies in recent months. Patrons, largely led by Homolak, have called for the firing of a library employee they say was wearing nail polish, makeup and a goatee; they have called for an implementation of a gender-neutral dress code for library employees; and they have urged the library to disaffiliate from the Urban Library Council because they say the group has a liberal bias.
Those calls have largely been ignored or dismissed by library officials.
On Tuesday, Homolak made photocopies of several of the illustrations [from the adult book] and they were passed around the audience while she addressed the library board. She later tossed the photocopies at the feet of Jason Kuhl, the library system's CEO.
Homolak said she discovered the book was in the library system by searching the word "p_rn" in the library's catalogue.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health was spotted earlier this year by Theresa Lintzenich, a St. Charles resident who also spoke at Tuesday's meeting.
"This book does not talk about the sacredness of sex," Lintzenich said.
Several other speakers denounced the library board for failing to heed the calls of conservatives in St. Charles County. One speaker told the board they needed to "make up their mind because you either fall in line with us or you are going to be run out because we aren't accepting this."
Grayson Jostes, the only person to speak Tuesday in favor of the books remaining in the library's collection, said, "It is not the library's fault that these books exist or that they have them in the library. It is the parent's responsibility to decide what it is acceptable for their child to read, not for them to decide what every child should or should not read."
Kuhl said the library system owns only one copy of the "Bang Like a Pornstar" book, which was on the shelves at the Kisker Road Branch. The library system has seven copies of the "It's Perfectly Normal," according to online records.
"We have nearly a million items in the collection. We get tens of thousands of new items every year. It is certainly possible that something could get miscategorized," Kuhl said.
The library system has a formal process for challenging content at any of its branches, but neither of the books at the center of Tuesday's meetings have been challenged.
"They really need to file the formal challenge, which is the procedure we have in place for instances like this," Kuhl said after the meeting.
Homolak said after the meeting that she hasn't filed a challenge because she doesn't trust the process.
"I am in a chokehold here because the people who would vote on whether or not to remove these obscene books are all already against me," she said.
The three-page challenge form asks the complainant about 10 questions and can be turned in to the library administration. The library system then forms a committee of staff members to read the book and provide a written response to the person who filed the challenge.
If the patron is dissatisfied with the committee's decision, they can appeal to the library's board of trustees, Kuhl said.
Conservative activists like Homolak have argued for months for that the board should be overhauled and include representatives from all of the major cities in St. Charles County.
But three of the four officers elected on Tuesday are from the city of St. Charles.
"This honestly makes me very upset," Homolak said. "(County Executive) Steve Ehlmann and (St. Charles Mayor) Dan Borgmeyer were each given at least 30 applications from people who want to be on this board. They completely ignored them."
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/s...
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)
More...
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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Tambre Wells was shocked and appalled when her 14 year-old daughter came to her expressing concerns about a reading assignment at school.
The assignment was from the novel “The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, which contains sexually explicit material and other objectionable content which Wells felt was inappropriate for eighth graders at Lake Cormorant Middle School to be reading.
She immediately contacted the principal about the book and called for the teacher be fired and for the book to be removed from the curriculum.
“This didn’t come about because I went through her backpack,” Wells told KWAM radio in Memphis. “She was uncomfortable with the reading material and came to me. She said ‘hey, can you read this one page?’ It wasn’t even a page that was extremely p___graphic. It was just a page that was talking about drinking and had some cuss words. That was the page that I read. And that is what made me start reading the whole thing.”
Wells said in addition to having explicit material, the book also contains bullying, teen drinking, shoplifting, and racism. She posted excerpts from the book on her Facebook page to make sure she wasn’t overreacting, and within hours received hundreds of comments from other parents and residents who were equally shocked by what the school was making their children read.
“The support has been overwhelming from the local community and my friends and family,” Wells said. “That’s how alarming the excerpt is. Nobody has ever seen anything like this.”
Wells said she was extremely pleased with how the school handled her concerns. The school’s principal, Lisa Steiner, called her at home and told her that while the book was part of the eight grade curriculum, the students were only being allowed to read certain parts of the book.
According to Wells, the teacher independently assigned the reading without permission of the school. The teacher was immediately fired and the book has since been removed by the school.!!!!!!!
“The school reacted exactly how I would have wanted them to,” Wells said. “(Mrs. Steiner) wanted to let me know that she was not okay with what happened and was going to get to the bottom of it. By the time I got to school the next day, it was completely handled. This one particular teacher provided way more than what she was supposed to including the parts that were supposed to be cleaned and edited out.”
Wells took her concerns to the DeSoto County Board of Education this week and called on school officials to conduct an audit of the curriculum and school libraries to see if there are other books containing sexually explicit content or other inappropriate material being used so that parents can be well informed.
“As a parent with conservative values, I am not alone in requesting an audit,” Wells said.
Board Chairman Charles Barton said he and the entire Board of Education agrees with the concern she raised about the book.
Superintendent Cory Uselton said the Board of Education acted on her concerns over the book within hours after they were notified.
“It makes us all uncomfortable,” Uselton said. “And we encourage our parents. If there is any time a parent has a concern over any type of assignments like that, please reach out to the principals. We have over 2,400 teachers and from time to time there might be something discussed in a class or that is read that we don’t agree here or the principal might not agree with. So it needs to come to their attention.”
Well said she is concerned that children can still go to the library and get access to the full novel and others like it that may not be age appropriate. She said she remembers being able to find a book in the library called “The River”, which is a sequel to a novel called “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen. “Hatchet” has been banned or challenged in schools and libraries as being inappropriate for its target audience due to sexual content, violence, and horror.
“I went and read and found out there was a second book,” Wells said. “I did that on my own without the internet - in sixth grade. If this book with its title - it’s on the page - a child can go and get the entire book.”
Wells said she doesn’t plan to stop with just this one book. Although the school has given her a copy of the curriculum and the books being taught, she plans to push for greater school transparency.
“I’m not done,” Wells said. “I have the time and the motivation to pursue this at a higher level. I’m not satisfied that just my kids won’t be exposed to this book. That’s not enough for me. I want to get behind legislation for transparency in education. I want to help that. And that’s what my family and friends want me to do.”.
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