Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
Manybooks wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "And sorry, this Canadian story about a Catholic high school student who was suspended (and later also arrested for protesting against his suspension) for saying..."That is extra weird. Around here, the Catholics take a super hard line on their faith and woe betide anyone who protests in favor of separation of church and state. Yet Catholic schools are closing left and right so I don't know what they teach kids these days.
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I am trying to find out if the story is legit and not just some kind of new urban myth, lol.
Manybooks wrote: "I am trying to find out if the story is legit and not just some kind of new urban myth, lol."Fox News, The Daily Mail, New York Post ... sources I don't trust. Is the Toronto Sun a trustworthy paper? The story seems to have originated there. Reddit has more information on why he was arrested and it's not so simple. He was arrested for trespassing on school property after being suspended. It also sounds like he was harassing other students and that's what got him suspended.
https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comme...
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Fox News, The Daily Mail, New York Post ... sources I don't trust. Is the Toronto Su..."
The Sun is a bit trivial but is also not known to post deliberately false stories, but yeah, the story is mostly to be found on Social Conservative websites, so I am a bit skeptical.
The anti-critical race theory advocates have reached Rhode Island. They're not quite as extreme as the red state groups but I wouldn't be surprised if they're working up to that. I read this in the Providence Journal today."The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, in partnership with the Civics Alliance, based in New York City, released a critical critique of draft social studies standards now under consideration for grades K-12 by the state Department of Education.
The groups, which challenge the “assumption” of systemic racism in America, say proposed changes in the social studies curriculum are destined to “teach students to hate their country, its history and its ideals.”
The proposed standards present “almost all of U.S. history as if it was seen through the eyes of some aggrieved group,” rather than focusing on straight-forward events and American ideals, said Mike Stenhouse, CEO of Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity.
“Yes sure, history should teach that we’ve been imperfect in that pursuit of liberty over our country’s almost 250 years now,” Stenhouse said. “But that’s the noble pursuit and they don’t teach that at all. They just teach the oppressed versus the oppressor — whether it's women oppressed, or Native Indians or people of color oppressed. It’s all through that lens.”
The Rhode Island Department of Education is apparently choosing not to engage in debate.
State lawmakers directed the state commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop statewide academic standards for core subjects including math, English, science and technology and social studies.
Morente did say that over the last year the draft standards were “sent out into the field” for feedback to “thousands of education stakeholders,” including teachers, educational administrators and nonprofits.
Stenhouse said the window for public comment was too small. He said he was looking for a Republican sponsor in the General Assembly to file a bill that would repeal the 2019 legislative directive requiring RIDE to adopt curriculum standards, and return the decision to local communities. Those local communities could consider an alternative social studies curriculum more in line with the one being advocated by the Civics Alliance that restricts discussions about race. "
https://www.providencejournal.com/sto...
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Good luck getting a bill like that past the Democratic majority General Assembly and governor.
Like everywhere else, the majority of kids in public schools in Providence and nearby Pawtucket are Black and Brown. There's more diversity and more conservative White parents in some of the other cities and no diversity in the small towns. They barely teach history at the elementary level and each district has different standards. I got blank stares when I asked about who picked the cotton, about where cotton was grown (which of the 13 colonies) and a teacher who said the Revolutionary War was coming next after the unit that covered Industrial Revolution/state local history. Umm ok...? Other teachers said their curriculum was changing to no longer include the Industrial Revolution and some said there was no time for doing a whole unit on Plymouth and taking a field trip out there like we did when I was a kid. My old school district teaches underground railroad to second graders who have no conception of what slavery is. They also teach westward migration (wagon trains) and the causes (industrialization) but I'm not sure how in depth that goes. Real, true tell it like it is history didn't come until 7th grade.
Iowa governor Kim Reynolds has a new education bill planned to rival Florida's Don't Say Gay and Stop WOKE acts. "The bill would ban any instruction related to gender identity and sexual activity in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools and innovation zone schools in grades K-3.
Schools would not be able to provide any program, curriculum, material, test, survey, questionnaire, activity, announcement, promotion, or instruction of any kind relating to gender identity or sexual activity in grades K-3.
The bill would require each school district to publish online all materials used in all classes throughout the district, all employees in direct contact with students, all books available in classrooms and school libraries, and a detailed process for parents to request any material be removed.
Districts would be required to update that information two times a semester or at the start of each trimester.
Any book removed from a school would be put on a statewide "removal list" maintained by the Iowa Department of Education. The "comprehensive removal list" would be available online, updated every month and sortable by the book's title, author and the school districts that have removed the book from school libraries, classrooms or any areas on school property.
A school district must receive written parental permission before allowing a student to check out or access any book that is on the statewide removal list.
The bill would require all Iowa high school students to take a U.S. citizenship test, and schools would be required to provide the results to the Department of Education.
High school students would need to answer at least 70% of the questions to graduate. Students can continue to retake the citizenship test until they earn a passing grade."
https://www.kcci.com/article/bans-on-...
This sounds scary and Big Brotherish. Republicans are supposed to be about small government. I would be very concerned about students being forced to take a citizenship test. What happens to those test scores and if they fail what happens? I think they need to make every person who thinks of running for office take a citizenship test FIRST before they even make it to an election campaign. The students need to learn civics, yes and know the information needed to pass a citizenship test. I'm certain I can do it because I had that kind of education but I'm equally certain most older adults and teenagers I know can't pass it.
More schools "evaluating" booksIn Pittsford, N.Y. concerns raised during a school board meeting have prompted an investigation into reading material in the Pittsford Central School District. However, as usual, the would-be censor hasn't read the book or filed the proper paperwork. She is reading out loud the objectionable content out of context, which is how these special interest groups operate. Also as usual, the parents have the option to opt-out and the teacher will select an alternate assignment.
"Superintendent Michael Pero responded.
"Concerns don’t fall on deaf ears," he said. "I need that to be on the record. We do have a formal process."
"Every family has values, and they're respected," he continued. "They need to be respected. If there is literature you feel should not be in the hands of our students, there is a process to have a complete review of that book.
Pero said no books have gone through the process this year.
In a statement shared with 13WHAM Friday, the district explained the review process and said a committee will be appointed to investigate and evaluate the material challenged Tuesday."
https://13wham.com/news/local/pittsfo...
More from Florida...A librarian’s frontline view of Florida’s ‘vetting’ process for school books, and the titles being banned
The reasons for these bans, noted in a document viewed by The Independent, are brief and vague. They include descriptions like “racial profile” [sic], "Lewd/Offensive” and “Inapp. Behavior.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...
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"The bill would ban any instruction related to gender identity and sexual activity..."
Social Conservatives might be right wing and individualistic etc. with regard to economics but politically they thrive on collectivism and are totally left wing in so far as that places like Iowa, Florida etc. are totally and utterly Stalinist (and that it is also not surprising that Donald Trump and many of his political acolytes supported and support Puntin's invasion of the Ukraine).
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A librarian’s frontline view of Florida’s ‘vetting’ process for school books, and the titles being banned
The reasons for these bans, noted in a document viewed by The Indepen..."
Oh brother, but how is banning books and acting like freaking dictators NOT inappropriate behaviour?
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Manybooks wrote: "So could students who fail their US citizenship test be arrested and those students with a non "American" a non English surname be deported (even if they were born in the USA)? I mean, this kind of..."No one who is a legal citizen can be deported but I'm suspicious about what the purpose of these citizenship tests actually IS when I know for a fact most citizens can't past a citizenship test.
High School and college kids are well aware of what's going on and DO fight back. The Middle School kids will probably protest too if they can. It's the little ones K-5 that are powerless.
The would-be banners use the excuse that parents can buy these books for their kids and read them at home.
What about parents who can't afford to buy books?
What about when selling that book is a crime, like Virginia tried? What if a kid is questioning their sexuality or gender identity and can't talk to anyone in their family?
What if the parents don't speak/read English and don't read with their kids? (That's the case with a lot of families in my city).
What if the parents have to work too hard just to afford a roof over their heads to pay attention to the fuss about books? (my city also).
What if a kid is such a voracious reader but no one else in the family is and they don't value books?
Where are these kids supposed to go if they don't drive/have a bus pass/bus fare/subway fare/ public transit doesn't go to the library? What about the littles who can't go anywhere alone? How are THEY supposed to get access to books if the school libraries are empty of anything meaningful and interesting?
More news just popped up:Add Washington Township, NJ to the list of schools that banned The Bluest Eye from freshman honors English class!
"A parent objected in November, controversy erupted, and the school board voted to immediately remove it from the curriculum, but not the library, before some students could even finish it."
"The Washington Township school board approved The Bluest Eye for the freshman honors curriculum in 2018, when it was also placed in the school library. (A January motion to remove the book from the library failed.)
After a parent complained in November that the book was sexually explicit and inappropriate for students, the board directed its Reconsideration Committee to take up the matter. One freshman English teacher had finished teaching the book and another was midway through it."
(That means they already read the objectionable content).
"In the complaint, obtained by The Inquirer under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, the parent admitted not reading the book in its entirety and that his or her student had not made specific complaints about it. The parent said students should not read the book because of its graphic content."
"Judith Pissano, chairman of the Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom committee, submitted a statement to the Washington Township board opposing the book ban and worries that the board will not reconsider the decision.
“The concern is that it will just fall through the cracks,” Pissano, an assistant library director for the Gloucester County Library System in Mullica Hill, said Friday. “It feels like it’s very political."
https://www.inquirer.com/news/book-ba...
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ALL of this shows that in the USA, the individual states have way way too much power. And yes, I would say the same thing if a left of centre state started acting the same with cancel culture etc. etc.
Manybooks wrote: "ALL of this shows that in the USA, the individual states have way way too much power. And yes, I would say the same thing if a left of centre state started acting the same with cancel culture etc. etc."Education is in the hands of the states. It's the parents who seem to be calling the shots and politicians who are using children as pawns in their quest for power and total control.
I am sad to say protests at drag events are still happening, even in London at the Tate Britain and in Santa Barbara, California. Happily, the kids were still able to enjoy a fun storytime. https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/02/1...
https://keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s...
This mom said it best "Brittany Heaton brought her two kids to the event and says she doesn't believe her kids are confused at all.
"I think the kids enjoy it. It's fun. It's like having someone who expresses themselves in a really fun magical way and reads a book to you. I don't know what's wrong with that. It's great," said Heaton. "
and this quote too
"Patty Semenza showed up to the counter protest with a bright yellow sign that read, "We love you Angel".
Semenza says she works with young kids and believes the kids just think drag is like dressing up.
"[The protesters] are putting the hate into the children's minds," said Semenza. "
"[The protesters] are putting the hate into the children's minds," said Semenza.
While people protested and counter-protested outside, Miss Angel read inclusive books to at least a dozen young kids in the library.
Miss Angel said she could see the kids soaking in the experience while a barrier of parents and supporters listened too.
Andrew Rawls, the owner of The Crafter's Library, says he is proud of the event and will continue to host drag story hours.
"What we were able to do here today was provide a safe space for everyone to be who they are and to share positivity and inclusion and kindness," said Rawls.
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In my opinion, that totally needs to change and parents need to have much less power and clout as they obviously cannot be trusted one bit.
Other censorship news:In Iowa, parents are lying about books and student access to material in Iowa schools and libraries. no educators or librarians were in this meeting.
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/...
Iowa governor Kim Reynolds keynoted a Moms For Liberty town hall in Iowa, of course she spoke about how a book banned in one district should be banned state-wide.
https://wcfcourier.com/news/state-and...
The reading app in Orange County, California, schools, which was removed because some parents were mad about some books — thus revoking the rights of all students to access ANY materials on it — has been restored.
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/02/03...
In Blount County, Tennessee,
"ooks with certain words and topics related to sex “do not need to be available to our students,” Bell said. “If they want that, the internet has plenty out there outside of the school. Schools should be wholesome.”
Susan Wright started her comments by displaying the book “I Am Jazz,” which the Amazon description says is for ages 4-8 and is about the experiences of a transgender child, Jazz Jennings.
“This is the kind of stuff that can really confuse kids,” Wright said.
“Having things like this in the library gives kids ideas, and I just don’t see the purpose,” she said."
Jennifer Moore, then supervisor of grades 6-12 instruction.
Moore told The Daily Times that each of the district’s middle school libraries has a section that requires students to have parent permission to check out the materials. “Those books might address more mature subject matter or have a higher reading level than most middle school students,” Moore said in an email to the newspaper.
Moore also checked the high school circulation records of the list of books from Bell. The records show that of eight titles available at William Blount two had never been checked out, and at that time only three had been checked out since 2019: “The Art of Racing In the Rain,” once; “The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian,” four times since 2010; and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a dozen times since 2014. At Heritage the book “13 Reasons Why” had not been checked out since 2019
Following last week’s meeting The Daily Times asked whether BCS has received any formal “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” during the current school year, and Amanda Vance, supervisor of elementary instruction and district communications, said no.
“Wright emailed the school board and BCS Director David Murrell a list of nearly 70 books that she said was the result of searching the school libraries online database for the topics gay, lesbian, gender, transgender and homosexual. “My sincere hope is that you will glance through it and, if religious, pray about it and decide whether it is appropriate to expose our children to this material,” Wright wrote. “I do want to add that I am not attempting to ban books,” she wrote. “If there are gay or lesbian couples with children then they can certainly buy these books and read them to their children and explain their views to them. But the majority of our parents are not LGBTQ+.”
Pastor John Lowe of Tuckaleechee Chapel Baptist Church repeated what he has said at other recent board meetings, that the leaders of 28 churches that are members of Awake 21 are praying for the board, teachers and students every Wednesday morning.
He told the board that they are concerned about the moral impact of what is being taught in schools and asked the board again to remove the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, which the pastors consider inappropriate in the elementary grades, and replace it with one that “supports the Judeo-Christian values of our community.”
In previous school board meetings opponents of Wit and Wisdom have said the texts seem to be “normalizing gender fluidity” in a first grade lesson on seahorses that shows the role males play in raising the young, and “designed to instill shame within the White children” with a second grade text about Ruby Bridges’ experience entering a previously all-White school in 1960.
Brenda Bell, is retired from the University of Tennessee’s Center for Literacy Studies and had a second career in the international division of the Education Development Center. She cited her experience in developing curricula and helping parents and educators choose curricula appropriate for students’ ages and mental maturity.
Specifically addressing Wit and Wisdom, she said, “I find it to be a good, strong researched-based curriculum.”’
Bell told the board, “I consider myself a person with strong faith and family values, but I don’t see myself recognized in the comments that have been given to you preceding me.”
“Our children, my grandchildren are growing up in a very challenging environment; I agree with you on that,” Bell said. “At home, in church and in school are the places where we can talk about issues that are challenging.”
Talking about topics such as racism, sexuality and gender identity can be awkward, she said, suggesting it’s better to have those conversations in a classroom with a teacher and approved curriculum than whatever kids might find on the internet.
“We don’t want to be indoctrinated with a minority of people’s opinions about something because it’s uncomfortable,” she said.
https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/bl...
The city of Liberty Lake, Washington, wants to remove the power of the city’s public library board because they decided last year not to remove Gender Queer from the shelves when right-wing parents complained.In Lynchburg, Virginia, schools, books will be opt-out, rather than changed to opt-in.
Flamer was at the center of book banners and bigots’ agenda at the Montrose Public Library (Colorado) board meeting this week. Because the library had an optional LGBTQ+ teen club where they talked about queer books.
The budget for the Indian Valley Public Library (Pennsylvania) was cut significantly for the coming year:
"Opponents of the funding cut argued that the library is an essential public resource and that the cut is rooted in a false national hysteria over library content and prejudice towards the LGBT community. Supporters argued that the library was offering inappropriate material to children and that the funding is needed by the police department. Council has stated that the cut was purely a financial decision."
Bizarre comment of the week... "John Harrell, a former councilmember, criticized the library’s pride display during pride month, saying it excluded conservatives and Christians."
?????!! ARE there books about queer conservatives and Christians?! PRIDE month is about gay pride. I think this guy missed the memo.
https://www.thereporteronline.com/202...
Selinsgrove Middle School (Pennsylvania) will no longer be using Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes in the classroom after a multitude of complaints. The bill proposed in South Dakota to remove “obscene” materials in libraries has been killed. Now let’s see this same decision in the dozen+ other states where it’s been proposed.
https://bookriot.com/template-to-writ...
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New restrictions in St. Johns County Florida:St. Johns County Schools has grouped criteria for book reviews into categories based on additional guidelines from the state department of education.
1.No reference to gender identity or sexual orientation (K-3rd Grade).
2. No racial slurs
3. no kissing beyond a "friendly peck."
Middle School:
No crude profanity (slang for genitalia).
No descriptive sexual activity.
High School:
No pervasive use of crude profanity or racial slurs.
No explicit graphic description of sexual activity.
These rules for K-5 are very vague. So no wedding stories? So no fairy tales? Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel? Disney versions or otherwise?
No wedding stories? If they think rule #3 is going to eliminate books featuring LGBTQ+ couples, they're wrong. Contrary to what they think, the picture books don't actually show same sex couples in bed, kissing or doing anything behind closed doors. They're parents or uncles or aunts who love the kids in their family just the same as any other parents or uncles or aunts.
3. Does include Drama: A Graphic Novel but they ban it anyway.
Is A Family Is a Family Is a Family banned because it has two very vague references to same sex parents? It also has a reference to foster parents.
2. eliminates any book written before the late 1990s and important books like Huckleberry Finn that are appropriate for a middle school and up classroom setting with instruction from the teacher. Several Newberry Award winners contain racial slurs too.
One teacher says : "An example could be an elementary book that is about gender identity and sexual orientation, that's the law it can't be there," St. Johns County School District Superintendent, Tim Forson, said. "Doesn't matter the nature of the way the story is developed or anything else that has to be removed."
Creekside High School English teacher, Lloyd Savage, is frustrated with the process. He said books with mature material have merit in libraries and classrooms.
Including, Madame Bovary, a book he said was banned in France for pornography.
"A layman just reading this would not pick up on that but studying the context you can really see that this is an issue of infidelity."
Madame Bovary is allowed in St. Johns County and Savage has used the book in his classroom before.
"This reason I'm talking about this particular one is this at the time was so bad I'm wondering if these people making these rules or pushing this agenda are aware of how much worse what the kids can get through their phones is and so what we have to offer in school is mild." Savage said.
Savage says Madame Bovary, represents the book struggle in Florida public schools.
He said just because the book has mature material, doesn't mean it lacks merit and should be removed.
"In isolation almost anything can look extreme but together in a story it makes sense, and it's part of the human condition we need to learn about."
Savage said he hasn't taught or seen most if any of the books removed from St. Johns County schools.
"You take a whole group of people that are trying to help kids out and you threaten them with a felony, jail time, $5,000 dollar fine, that's striking." Savage said.
Savage said morale is down among teachers he knows and wonders if state leaders are actually reading books in question or just judging them by their covers.
"For all the books that I've ever taught we've never had graphic sexuality graphic violence graphic profanity. Non-teachers making decisions or non-literature people making decisions for the classroom doesn't make a whole lot of sense." Savage said. "
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/articl...
Also disturbing news from Kutztown, PA. I'm going to see if my mom knows anyone with grandkids in that area to send books to. They've banned a popular YA book about climate change. For some reason they don't want a planet for their children to leave behind for their children and they don't want their children learning, thinking and trying to leave the world a better place for the next generation. That's VERY much what Gen. Z are into these days.
Two Degrees
"According to the Reading Eagle, Republican school board member Jason Koch described Two Degrees as “a fear-driven book,” adding: ““Do we want our children to look at us in the way we live in this community and say it’s wrong?” Koch’s complaints were echoed by several parents — albeit a minority of those who spoke out — at a Kutztown Area board meeting last week. Said Daniel Wismer, father of two: “There are messages that are really directed to middle schoolers to feel guilty about a whole host of things. And that guilt is designed to spur them into action. One of those actions is with their parents.”
"Indeed, the district superintendent, Christian Temchatin, had already called off the “One Book, One School” program before that board meeting, after some teachers told him they didn’t want to get dragged into a political controversy over a program intended to promote literacy...."
"For now, school officials are shipping hundreds of copies of Two Degrees — the program is funded by a grant from a nonprofit group — back to the publisher, not to be read by the middle schoolers of Kutztown. The good news is about 50 copies that were opened by teachers or district officials are still around, and kids aren’t prevented from reading those on their own time, if they want. The bad news is that the reading list for the Kutztown Teens Banned Book Club has just expanded by one title."
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
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They've banned a popular YA book about climate change. For some reaso..."
I guess if anyone, if any student were to say something positive or laudatory about Greta Thunberg or do a report or a representation on her, the student would be suspended or expelled?
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Manybooks wrote: "I guess if anyone, if any student were to say something positive or laudatory about Greta Thunberg or do a report or a representation on her, the student would be suspended or expelled?..."No, it was things in this specific novels that "caused distress" and I think "teach children to go against their parents." It was this specific novel and kid can read it on their own time if they want.
I asked my mom if she had any childhood friends with grandkids in this school district and she said no. I would have sent copies of this book and other banned books from my niece's favorites to them. Mom said PA is very conservative outside the college towns and she told me her mother once ran for school board! THAT surprised me.
I know if my poor grandmother knew what was going on she'd be spitting nails. I'd tell her but I know she won't understand and it would distress her if she did. I can ask about the time she ran for school board but I doubt she remembers that. Her father was an educational psychologist and being a conservative person from the WWI generation, he probably wouldn't approve of some of the banned books but I don't think he'd be in favor of banning. He argued during WWII that parents should be involved in their kids' education but there was no one size fits all policy. Parents need to work with teachers to develop an education plan that is best for their child (THEIR child, not them all). The difference between Nazi Germany and the U.S. is that in Germany parents took the kids away to state schools were they indoctrinated kids into Nazi ideology. In democratic America we have choices where to send our kids to school!
In the most ridiculous and terrifying news of the day... Idaho bill would allow parents to sue over ‘harmful’ books in schools, libraries
" A new Idaho bill would open schools and public libraries to lawsuits for allowing minors to obtain books, films and other media that depict sexual content deemed “offensive.”
The legislation, from Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, would allow parents to sue schools and libraries if employees gave their child “harmful” material or if the institution failed to take “reasonable steps to restrict access” to “harmful” materials for minors.
“Seeing as these public school and community libraries are funded by Idaho taxpayer dollars, it is in the best interest of our state that these institutions make a reasonable effort to restrict access to children when it comes to these materials in libraries,” Crane told the House State Affairs Committee on Monday.
Currently, schools, libraries, colleges, universities and museums are exempt from the law barring the distribution of “harmful” materials to minors. ...
A guardian of a child who was able to obtain “harmful” material from a library or school can claim $10,000 in statutory damages for each instance the material was obtained.
The bill allows legal defenses if the school or library employee had “reasonable cause to believe” the person obtaining “harmful” material was 18 or older or if the minor obtaining the material had permission from a guardian.
The Idaho Family Policy Center, a Christian lobbying group that’s co-sponsoring Crane’s bill, in a Monday blog post about the legislation included a photo of an LGBTQ Pride book display. The group also has pushed lawmakers to ban drag shows and block doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth.
“No one is talking about banning books,” Idaho Family Police Center President Blaine Conzatti said in a news release. “We’re simply asking that schools and libraries take reasonable steps to prevent children from accessing pornographic material.”
Keep me mind that parents can opt-out of books in schools and have freedom of choice in libraries and keep in mind who is defining "harmful."
https://www.eastidahonews.com/2023/02...
The poor, poor children in Brandywine, IN middle and high schools will not have any new books to read this year. The Brandywine School Board voted to halt all new inventory of books. Way to go. Get the kids to stop reading!"Many members of Brandywine for Educational Freedom voiced their concern.
Parents say they should always be concerned what their kids are exposed but that censorship shouldn't be the answer.
“Get them to really to be exposed to things and learn about things because they might not encounter it in their daily lives, and so that’s why it’s so important that that they learn about these things and have stories to read and I don’t think that it’s the place for politically motivated individuals to tell our parents and our educators with their kids should be reading,” said Jasmine Labine.
Parents are hoping to find another way to get the books in the students hands."
https://wsbt.com/news/local/brandywin...
And back to Florida.... More than 1 million books in Duval County schools are subject to review based on state's new laws!
Yes 1 MILLION! No I can not possibly list them all. At this point it will be faster to list what is NOT going to be on the list to review. There are 1.6 million books in the library and 1 million under review! Let me repeat that - 1 million of 1.6 million books under review!
"As required by state law, we are in the process of having certified media specialists review all classroom library books," said Tracy Pierce, chief of marketing and public relations at Duval County Public Schools. "There are approximately 1.6 million titles in our classroom and media center libraries that need to be reviewed by a certified media specialist."
County officials say books about historical Black and Hispanic figures were under review, including books on Roberto Clemente, a Puerto Rican baseball player who became a Major League Baseball icon despite facing racism and segregation in his career, as well as Hank Aaron, a Black baseball player who holds the second-highest total of home runs in history and was outspoken against racial discrimination.
However, officials say these books have been approved and are back on shelves.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/thousands-b...
So far, just 2,800 books have been approved for use.
Not confirming the aforementioned titles had been removed, a spokeswoman with the public schools district, Sonya Duke-Bolden, told NBC News Friday that more than 100 were deemed to have 'content too mature for the grade level for which they were' intended.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...
Several have spoken out against the ongoing review since it came to light over the weekend, with Roberto Clemente's son, Roberto Clemente Jr., among those outraged.
Speaking to NBC News, he said he owns the book, which is intended for children in grades K-3, and that he and his family are planning on reaching out to the Duval school district some time next week.
'We need to continue to figure out how to continue that conversation and unifying our cultures and nationalities,' he said. 'His story is his story. He went through racism. It's something that can't be changed.'
Addressing reports that the Clemente book had already been pulled, a Duval County spokesperson only said: 'The book on Roberto Clemente is pending review.'
She couldn't immediately share the review status of other books named in the Pen America report.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...
I lied ... the scariest news to come across in my feed today is from Missouri.Rule targeting Missouri libraries could go into effect with no public hearing.
Rep. Alex Riley, R-Springfield, said Tuesday he hasn’t made a decision on whether to schedule a hearing where people can further weigh in on Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s proposal to block public funding for libraries if they offer books that are pornographic for minors or labeled as obscene under state statutes.
“We’re taking a look at that. We’ll make a decision a little later once we’ve had a chance to review everything,” Riley told the Post-Dispatch Tuesday.
Riley’s decision is key to whether a 10-member panel of members of the House and Senate take testimony on an issue that drew an estimated 20,000 comments in support and in opposition to the rule Ashcroft proposed last year.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/g...
Meanwhile, in Michigan, After book banned, Portage school librarians discuss selection process
"The librarians take suggestions from students and staff, monitor award lists, read reviews and figure out the best way to use their budgets, Portage Northern High School Librarian Lisa Miller said.
“There’s a lot of thought and process that goes into selecting the books,” Miller said. “We just know our students and our teachers. We know what’s being taught in the school. We already have an idea for things that we know that those teachers and students are going to need for their classroom.
The presentation follows the January removal of “Push: A Novel” by Sapphire from the district’s general library collection. A citizen, who does not have a child in the district, made a complaint about the novel, saying it was too graphic for students.
It is graphic and difficult to read, but that’s the point of the novel, Portage parent Jacqueline Denoyer said at the meeting. She read the book after the January school board meeting. The novel is about incest and the struggle of a person growing up, Denoyer said.
She said she was deeply moved by the novel, but doesn’t think it should be available for all children. It should only be available to students who are ready to read serious material, and it should come with support resources, Denoyer said.
Other factors librarians consider include whether books support curriculum, show a diversity of cultures, are age appropriate and are durable, Silliman said.
“We want students to see themselves reflected, but we also want them to see experiences and other places,” Silliman said. “(It’s) trying to balance all those things.”
Librarians are also continually weeding out books, but that is dependent on when their schedule allows it.
Books will be removed if they are out of date or no longer factually accurate, Silliman said. Duplicate copies will be removed if there’s no longer demand for multiple copies. Books will also be removed if they are past the point of physical repair or if they haven’t been checked out in the last five years.
There are about 10,000 items at each library in the district, Silliman said.
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/...
The only good news to come across my feed...Congresswoman Lois Frankel, educators, and advocates gathered to speak out against the banning of non-fiction historical books.
"Speaking alongside educators and community members, Congresswoman Frankel said she was "alarmed" and "scared" about the Governor's direction for the state.
The conference focused on stopping the banning of books regarding non-fiction historical accounts of the lives of civic leaders, humanitarians, athletes, musicians, and others.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D) 22, came together with community advocates to fight to keep books on shelves.
“I think the most important thing that people need to know is they need to understand what's going on, especially for young children. There isn't an attempt to indoctrinate them to somehow there seems to be this extreme belief that if everybody is just the same that was everbody is equal. It's actually it's celebrating diversity and embracing diversity,” said Rep. Frankel.
In a news conference on Tuesday, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis– responded to Frankel. He said she and her supporter's argument is manufactured and that these kinds of books are not the problem
Rep. Frankel says the main issue deals with those in Tallahassee having the final say.
“It should always be age-appropriate education. that is something for parents and teachers, principals, and school board members to figure that out in the community. There should not be broad bands like no black education- no black history,” said Frankel.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/congress...
As if banning books isn't bad enough, citizens in Meridian, Idaho have filed a petition to eliminate library district!ADA COUNTY, Idaho — First, people wanted to ban books in the library. Now, they want to take away libraries all together.
A group labeled the Concerned Citizens of Meridian filed a petition last week urging the Ada County Board of Commissioners to eliminate the Meridian Library District, claiming the district supports sexual indoctrination and refuses to discuss "obscene and sexually explicit materials."
It claims the MLD has refused to provide financial transparency, shut down public discourse at meetings, refused to discuss minors "access to obscene and sexually explicit materials." It also claims the MLD refused to communicate with speakers at board meetings, have allowed minors to obtain material targeted towards sexualization, that the MLD "continues to provide facilities for sexual indoctrination of minors by the Queer Straight Alliance" and that the board has a member who "supports chemical and surgical castration of minors."
The petition is also asking for a decrease in trustee terms to three years instead of six years and to "segregate" explicit material.
.....
It's a long process, but according to Ada County, the petition must have 50 signatures that is presented to the board of commissioners and a hearing must be held. The clerk will deliver the petition to the board on Thursday at 10 a.m. and it will be livestreamed. No one will be allowed to testify at this point.
The board then has to send their notices for the hearing to the public and the governing board of the library district, a press release from Ada County says.
Another hearing will be held, and then the board will issue an order within ten days. The board can choose, or not choose, to order the Ada County Clerk to hold an election. Once that happens, and the elimination of the library district is approved, the board has to "dispose of the district's property," the release said.
https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/loc...
More from FloridaBroward high schools remove book reported by parents’ group and labeled by DeSantis administration as pornographic.
Let’s Talk About It. The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human,” was in the libraries of three schools, Fort Lauderdale High, Coral Glades High in Coral Springs and Nova High in Davie. It has now been removed.
“Once we received a complaint, we initiated our review process of the material. During the review, the book will be removed from our schools,” Broward school district spokesman John Sullivan said.
The complaint came from the Broward chapter of the socially conservative group Moms for Liberty, and its affiliate Moms for Libraries.
The book also was found in Orange and Seminole counties, Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ press secretary, said Wednesday via email. The books the governor’s staff said were in Orange and Seminole county public schools have already been removed, officials said.
...
Pinero said she will be “checking again later this week to make sure that it has been removed from all of our schools in Broward County.”
...
The book “Let’s Talk About It: The Teens’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human” was at one Seminole County high school — and was never checked out by a student, said Seminole County Public Schools spokesperson Katherine Crnkovich, in an email. The book, praised by the School Library Journal among others, was removed after someone filed a complaint about it in October, she said.
In Orange County, Superintendent Maria Vazquez said in January that “Let’s Talk About It,” and “This Book is Gay” were removed for fear they did not comply with new state laws related to libraries. The book “Gender Queer: A Memoir” raised the same worries, but district staff had already removed it in 2021.
Only two to four copies of those three books were available to students in just a few of the 22 Orange County Public Schools’ high schools, according to district staff and a review of online library catalogs.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/edu...
The good news from Florida is...Broward County Democrats launch effort to buy and distribute banned books
The Broward Democratic Party has launched an effort to have people buy books about Black and LGBTQ subjects — and donate them to tiny neighborhood libraries in an effort to provide students with books and information that’s being removed from public schools.
It’s an effort to do two things: get books in the hands of students in the face of heightened challenges on what they can access in their schools and to counter policies from Gov. Ron DeSantis involving Black and LGBTQ subjects.
The effort began on Feb. 3. In the first week, 450 books from the Amazon wish list had arrived; 550 had been ordered.
The largest number of books donated are the classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” along with “The Kite Runner,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “This Book Is Gay” and several by Toni Morrison, including “Beloved.” Also “A Lesson Before Dying,” “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.
Broward County is making an effort to make available books that are or may be banned from school libraries or classrooms.
County Commissioner Beam Furr, a former high school librarian, said the county library system will have copies of all book titles that are removed by the Broward School District. Another objective, he said, is to make sure all students have library cards for the county library system that’s available outside schools.
Haymarket Books, which describes itself as a “radical, independent, nonprofit book publisher,” is raising money to send books to young people in Florida in response to DeSantis’ “attacks on the freedom to learn and teach history. We at Haymarket stand in solidarity with all those in Florida and across the country who are organizing to resist.
“We know that the books we publish are dangerous to those in power, especially when they are in the hands of those who are organizing to fight for liberation.”
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pol...
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Broward County Democrats launch effort to buy and distribute banned books
The Broward Democratic Party has launched an effort to have people buy books about Black ..."
Democrats (anyone against DeSantis and his equally vile and unhinged acolytes), they need to band together and to collectively fight against this and by any means possible. The fact is that the book banners and education haters will band together, so the other side needs to as well. And lest we forget, one of the main reasons why the Nazis were able to consolidate their support and become the government in 1933 (even though only one third of the population had in fact voted for the Nazis) was because the remaining two thirds and the political parties for whom they had voted were so at odds and with so much infighting that the Nazis were able to easily use this to make themselves be declared the winners.
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I was just coming on to post the Idaho stories. You are definitely on top of the news -- thank you for continuing to share.
I subscribe to the literature topic on Google News and books on my Microsoft News app. Stories pop up when I turn on my tablet, phone or laptop! Red, Wine and Blue, a group of suburban moms dedicated to actual democratic freedoms is hosting "troublemaker training: book ban edition" tomorrow night at 7:30 PM ET via ZOOM
Troublemaker Training: Book Ban Edition
TROUBLEMAKERTRAINING
February 16, 2023 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Virtual
Ready to stand up to right-extremists causing chaos at our school boards? Want to defeat calls for book bans in your schools? How do you effectively get people to join together? What tactics can you use to impact issues in your community? Join us to discuss -- and make your voices heard in your community!!
https://secure.everyaction.com/qrTjAf...
https://redwine.blue/training/
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Red, Wine and Blue, a group of suburban moms dedic..."
Great, this is the kind of activism that is needed and required.
I signed up for the Zoom event even though book banning is not an issue in my area YET, I need to be prepared. I found very little info on the school board candidates before I voted. Never paid attention to school board elections before now!
A lot of news today and none of it good. The right-wing extremist lawmakers are determined to not just prevent access to books but to make it a felony to distribute or posses certain books. Yet parents in Flagler County, Florida aren't really using the opt-out feature in the library! Gov. DeSantis claims Florida doesn't ban books (I have a huge list that says otherwise) and it's a political stunt by the left to make him look bad. Finally, an author describes his experienced being cancelled by both the right and left. Right because he wrote a little bit about the racism Roberto Clemente faced while playing baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and left because... the author is a White male writing about women and people of color!
The news stories with links will follow. This is just a quick summary.
Marjorie Taylor Green and George Santos (only openly gay Republican member of Congress and most hated person at the moment) are co-sponsoring a bill that could ban LGBTQ books in classroomsMarjorie Taylor Greene and George Santos are co-sponsoring a bill banning some books in schools.
It aims to end "sexualization of children," echoing bills restricting access to LGBTQ material.
Rep. George Santos and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene are co-sponsoring a bill that aims to remove "sexually explicit material" from schools, and would likely encompass a ban on LGBTQ material.
The bill, HR863, was introduced last week by Rep. Cory Mills of Florida and aims to "end the sexualization of children in schools."
It is co-sponsored by seven lawmakers from the GOP's hard right congressional faction, among them Greene and Santos, and was first reported by LGBTQ Nation.
A description of it on the US Congress website says it seeks to "prohibit a publishing house from knowingly furnishing sexually explicit material to a school or an educational agency, to prohibit Federal funds from being provided to a school that obtains or an educational agency that distributes sexually explicit material, and for other purposes."
The Anti-Defamation League says the campaign is mainly aimed at demonizing the LGBTQ community, and falsely characterizing LGBTQ educational material as "pedophilic."
https://www.businessinsider.com/marjo...
"In Texas, Jonathan Mitchell, the Austin attorney widely credited with devising the legal strategy for a Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks and also empowers private citizens to bring lawsuits against those who violate it, is now applying the same novel legal mechanisms to book bans.Why it matters: Draft city ordinances allegedly written by Mitchell could lead to Texans suing librarians and others for their decisions about which books to put on shelves — or for expressing LGBTQ+ support.
Mitchell represents Llano County, northwest of Austin, in a civil lawsuit brought by seven residents who claim their First Amendment rights were violated after county officials removed books from shelves.
Between the lines: Bonnie Wallace, Llano County library advisory board's vice chair, stepped into the role last year as part of a conservative takeover of the library system.
Appearing before a Hill Country Republican women's group in September, Wallace said Mitchell told her he could "craft municipal ordinances that city and/or county governments can enact that would immediately make pornography in the libraries illegal," per a copy of a message from Wallace displayed by the group, posted online and obtained by Axios.
Mitchell was writing "Safe Library Patron Protection" ordinances for 10 communities — and "there are another 10 in the pipeline," per the September message.
Of note: Mitchell did not respond to interview requests and Wallace refused, citing ongoing litigation. Axios was not able to independently corroborate which, if any, communities were considering these ordinances.
The draft ordinance — a copy of which, marked privileged and confidential, was obtained by Axios — says the library may not purchase any item containing "immoral content" or allow people in drag to read to children.
Librarians also may not put on the shelves any book in the young adult section that includes descriptions of nudity, "any type of sexual act between individuals," masturbation, cross-dressing, suicide, self-harm, or "excretory functions."
The draft ordinance also bars librarians and any other city employees from displaying LGBTQ+ flags or emblems — or "tak[ing] any action that ... acknowledges the month of June or any other period of time as LGBTQ Pride Month."
Crucially, the draft ordinance includes a "private right of action" that allows any person to bring a civil action against anyone who violates the ordinance's provisions — including against the library if staff do not pull books from the shelves.
The ordinance calls for damages of at least $10,000 per violation, as well as legal costs and attorney fees.
Submitted by Goodwin during his public testimony, the draft ordinance never got a vote — and the City Council did not discuss the proposal at any length.
Goodwin confirmed that Mitchell had written the draft ordinance — and tells Axios he has been in touch with activists in Lubbock, Amarillo, Waco, San Angelo and small communities near Houston who are trying to get it adopted by their cities or counties.
At least a dozen bills at the Texas Legislature aim to restrict book access in libraries, including barring librarians from defending themselves against obscenity charges on grounds that books they shelved have scientific or educational justification.
Other legislation would change the punishment of distribution of certain harmful material to a minor from a misdemeanor to a felony.
What's next: Wallace submitted a letter in January to Gov. Greg Abbott, signed by nearly 1,200 people, asking him to designate legislation "to stop the sexualization of Texas children, including ridding our schools of pornographic, sexually explicit and pervasively vulgar materials as an Emergency Item of the Governor's office."
Abbott will reveal his priority items on Thursday night.
https://www.axios.com/2023/02/16/texa...
Central Bucks County, PA is considering removing SIXTY (60) more books on top of the 5 already under review.All of the 65 challenged books appear on the Book Looks website, a site focused on banning library books with “objectionable” and “sexual” content. A member of Moms for Liberty, a national organization and the most widespread group leading the charge for book bans in the country, created the site and the organization uses it as a resource in its campaigns.
Laurie Halse Anderson’s book, “Shout,” is one of the 65 challenged. Anderson, a Montgomery County resident and critically acclaimed novelist, said her books have faced countless challenges. Her book, “Speak,” was one of the first young adult books to tackle sexual assault. She said she understands some of the parental fears around what information children are engaging with relating to sex and the human body.
But, she said parents don’t have “the right to dictate their way of seeing the world,” to other kids.
“They just want to shut down the conversations. They want to ban books about vitally important topics like the human body. They want to ban discussions and books about healthy sexuality, about sexual violence,” Anderson said.
“They want to push people of color, people who aren’t straight or cisgender, out of the public forum,” Anderson said. “Let’s know our history. That’s the first step… if you can marginalize entire groups, identity groups… that’s the first step in exterminating them.”
Anderson said her books are meant to help students understand assault, and create opportunities to discuss it in “both classrooms and around kitchen tables.”
“When we withhold from them information about their bodies and information about the boundaries that they are allowed to create,” she said, she believes youth are then potentially more vulnerable.
https://whyy.org/articles/central-buc...
In Windham and Raymond Maine parents call for school district to ban 'Gender Queer: A Memoir'Parents have the option to flag certain books in any public school library in Maine that you don’t want your child to check out.
A public hearing will be held at the next RSU 14 school board meeting on March 1.
https://wgme.com/news/local/windham-r...
More from IdahoKuna School District spokesperson Allison Westfall told the Idaho Statesman in an email Wednesday that the district has placed several books on its “behind the shelf” policy, which means that students need parental permission to check out a book on restricted status
Metadata on the spreadsheet sent out to school administrators, which was reviewed by the Statesman, showed the list was created by Stephanie Gifford, a Bonneville County woman who’s described herself as a “curriculum and literary analyst for Family Watch International,” the Statesman previously reported. Family Watch International is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center that describes homosexuality as a mental disorder. Many of the books on the list contain sexual content or stories about the LGBTQ community. “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe, “Rainbow Boys,” by Alex Sanchez and “This Book Is Gay,” by Juno Dawson
many of the books listed had already been labeled restricted or mature since 2004. The new restrictions only changed to require parental permission. Students can see these books on the shelves, but they must attain a permission form from librarians and present a parent signature to check them out, she said. Kuna schools don’t contain all of the books on the list. Kuna middle and high schools carry copies of “Speak,” by Laurie Halse Anderson, and “Identical,” by Ellen Hopkins, which now require parental permission. Kuna High School’s library also contains “A Thousand Acres,” by Jane Smiley; “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini; “The Bluest Eye” and “Sula,” by Toni Morrison; and “Twisted,” by Laurie Halse Anderson.
In a message sent to the district’s secondary school principals, Superintendent Wendy Johnson said the district takes the removal of learning materials and resources seriously and considers it an “extreme measure.” “As you may already know, the Legislature has been circulating a list of books that need to be removed from library shelves,” Johnson said in the message. “While a direct bill to remove these books has not officially happened, I wanted you to be aware of the titles on the list.” According to Kuna School District policy, the district must consider less restrictive measures before removing a book or resource from its libraries. “Given all of this, I think it is a good idea to place any book that you have in the library that is on this list ‘behind the shelf’ for the time being."
Read more at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/l...
Read more at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/l...
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Children's Books
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Yeah, the whole scenario is really weird, and that the boy was not just suspended but also arrested when he tried to protest being suspended is even stranger.