Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
Wyomingwhat the what now?
https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/ne...
Library board looks at removing durability and reputable distributors as factors in buying books
paywalled
They already have juvenile card restrictions and disbanded the "New Adult" section to put the popular YA books in the adult section. In Gillette, Wyoming, former Campbell County library director Terri Lesley said she was fired after opposing book ban attempts for LGBTQ+ books.
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/11/...
The public library in Gillette, Wyoming, is disbanding its “new adult” section, which detractors called a place for the library’s “books of shame.”
Named after book publishers’ terms for books that are written for an audience of younger adults, or people new to adulthood, the “new adult” section became a landing zone in March for books written for a younger audience but deemed inappropriate for the young adult section of the library, Campbell County Library Board member Sage Bear told Cowboy State Daily on Monday.
Creating the “new adult” section followed months of controversy surrounding sexually-graphic books in the children’s and young adult sections of the library, particularly in the Gillette branch of the Campbell County Public Library System.
The board was considering policy language defining the new adult section, but discarded that idea in a public meeting Oct. 28, in a unanimous vote.
The main reason the new adult section didn’t take off was its confusing name, Bear said.
Some detractors told the board that the sparse shelf was in a place in the library frequented by homeless people and so felt unsafe; some jeeringly called the section’s contents “the books of shame," said Bear.
The four books remaining will be moved to the adult section, said Bear.
Those titles are “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins, “Sex Plus” by Laci Green, “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson and “The V-Word” by Amber Keyser, the Gillette News Record reported, adding that there were more books there prior but those have been moved back to their original sections.
Going forward, books that are found inappropriate for the young adult section may be moved to the adult section if they are to remain in the library, Bear said.
Controversy for the public library system in Campbell County is nothing new. The board fired its prior director, Terri Lesley, last July, and a local family is now facing a civil lawsuit in which Lesley alleges they defamed her by accusing her of disseminating p____graphy.
Follow-up to the New Adult dramaGillette resident asks library to put "The V-Word" back in teen room
https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/ne...
Paywalled
Good news for Amanda Jones The lawsuit filed by Amanda Jones has been granted the ability to be heard again. This is the initial lawsuit filed by the school librarian against several individuals involved in state extremist groups for defamation.https://www.wbrz.com/news/supreme-cou...
Kelly Jensen of BookRiot's Literary Activism newsletter shares the news that"Residents of Huntington Beach, California, may be the ones to decide whether or not the public libraries can be privatized. Making public libraries private via an outside company running them is a terrible decision; one recent example is Huntsville Public Library in Texas, which was privatized because some of the city employees ... disliked Pride displays and LGBTQ+ books."
https://laist.com/news/politics/voter...
Bookstore has the perfect response to complaint its gay section is too bighttps://www.queerty.com/bookstore-has...
A bookstore in Texas has dismissed a complaint that it stocks too many books of interest to LGBTQ+ readers. Book People, in Austin, describes itself as the “largest independent bookstore in Texas.”
Besides a wide range of reading material, it offers a coffee shop and numerous book-related events. However, one recent customer was unimpressed. They took to X to complain, “I went in a bookstore today. They had a bigger gay book section than business section. I will not be going back again.”
Book People in Austin, TX
The tweet came to the attention of the store, who retweeted it, saying, “guilty as charged.” They added an emoji covered in love hearts for good measure.
Book People’s tweet has had over 110K likes in less than 24 hours. Some of those replying asked how they might support the store if they weren’t based in the US. Book People encouraged people to support independent bookstores local to where they live.
These laws are so ridiculous and vague.Alabama
Book placement, not banning? Spanish Fort library review stirs free speech concerns
https://www.al.com/news/2025/01/book-...
paywalled on laptop, was free on tablet
Excerpt:
Spanish Fort city officials are expected to revise their city’s library’s policies on where books should be placed within library amid continued concern over LGBTQ titles and teen s-- guides found in young adult areas.
The review, confirmed Monday after the library board’s meeting, will last two-to-four weeks and is the result of concerns raised over the removal or replacement of titles that might not adhere to policies adopted by the state last year.
I think the book in question is
Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
Also in Alabamahttps://www.alreporter.com/2025/01/06...
Alabama’s library battles are heating back up as 2025 kicks into gear, with momentous meetings in Athens and Spanish Fort.
Some Limestone County residents have been complaining for months that they lack representation on the Athens-Limestone Public Library board, which is currently appointed solely by the Athens City Council.
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Since Athens-Limestone is the only library system serving Limestone County, some county residents felt left out by not having county-appointed representatives on the library board.
The county commission specifically had agreed, however, to allow the Athens City Council to be in charge of appointing library board members until some citizens began complaining.
The Athens-Limestone library board has scheduled a meeting of its own for 4 p.m. to discuss the creation of a joint city-county library board.
It is not yet clear what the process will be for converting the board makeup and making board appointments. Some libraries in the state have had boards replaced by individuals who have supported efforts to keep LGBTQ+ content away from minors.
In Spanish Fort, some patrons are planning to speak out about apparent policy changes that are doing just that.
Patrons have noticed that two board books, “Mama, Mama and Me” and “Papa, Papa and Me” are both now housed in the young adult fiction alongside other books with LGBTQ+ content like “Love is Love” that are made for children.
All three aforementioned books deal with children having same-sex parents and do not contain s--ually explicit content.
Patrons upset about these moves told APR they aren’t sure exactly when these moves or new policies were implemented and have not yet been able to obtain and review the minutes for previous meetings.
AlabamaBook placement, not banning? Spanish Fort library review stirs free speech concerns
follow-up
Alabama library removes [Let's Talk About It] amid outcry: ‘Not a lot of checkouts’
https://www.al.com/news/2025/01/alaba...
In Minnesota where people out Victorian the Victorians. https://krocnews.com/rochester-school...
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - In response to an objection submitted by the parents of a young elementary student, Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Kent Pekel has ordered the removal of a book from the open shelves of the school district's elementary media centers.
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The elected officials [of the school board} are being asked to approve the submission of the Superintendent's decision to the Minnesota Department of Education, but under district policy, the school board cannot override his action to remove the book.
The Superintendent went on to stress that his decision was not because the book focuses on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. Pekel went on to say, "I strongly support the inclusion of books that introduce students to and celebrate the lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in our libraries and classrooms."
In further explaining his decision to remove the book from the media centers, Pekel stated that "being nude in public is not a fundamental aspect of living life as an LGBTQ person in our country today." He also wrote that "the nudity depicted in the book is inappropriate for placement on the open shelves of a library where students as young as five and six years old of age can pick up the book."
Pekel says the objection to the book was submitted last spring by the parents of a student at Franklin Elementary School, where a first grade student checked it out and brought it home.
The Superintendent's ruling concerning the book runs counter to the recommendations of the school district's library materials review committee. The Chair of the School District Media Department also submitted a letter to the school board indicating that the licensed media specialists working in the library's in the Rochester Public Schools would like to see the book remain on the shelves and stated that "not all books are for everyone, but our goal is to have books that represent all students in our school district."
Florida school board chair upended by comments at Moms for Liberty eventhttps://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
In school board politics, words matter.
Volusia County board member Jessie Thompson learned that lesson when a video surfaced days after her selection as chairperson, showing her making controversial negative statements about some students and a fellow board member during a summer Moms for Liberty event.
The backlash came quickly. Some area leaders, including at least one of her board colleagues, demanded that she step aside as the board’s figurehead leader.
Without explanation, Thompson resigned the post on Tuesday. That move paved the way for the board to choose someone else to chair the panel next week.
https://www.news-journalonline.com/st...
Thompson previously apologized for controversial remarks she made at an August Moms for Liberty conference in Washington – including comparing Deltona High School diplomas to "participation trophies," saying she wouldn't trust some Deltona students with pumping her gas and making reference to board member Ruben Colón as a "tan gentleman."
A YouTube video of her talk surfaced in early December. That was followed by a cascade of criticism. Thompson said in a Jan. 2 email to Superintendent Carmen Balgobin, that there are some people "who seek to make me their focus and detract from the real work that needs to be done."
Thompson, a 36-year-old mother, former PTA president, author and comedian, was first elected in 2022 representing District 3, covering New Smyrna Beach and Southeast Volusia. Fellow board members voted her in as chair on Nov. 19 last year. She then chaired her first meeting on Dec. 10, when she apologized for the comments.
That day, the board voted unanimously to reconsider her election by holding another organizational meeting on Jan. 14.
"This is not an easy decision, but one that has to be made for the best interest of the students, and they're why I'm here in the first place," Thompson's email read.
She didn't immediately respond to a text message seeking comment Tuesday night.
Colón, the board member who represents the Deltona area, called the comments "very unnecessary," and promised to continue to be an issue, as he expected a "lot of folks" to speak during public comment.
Florida students are giving up Saturdays to learn Black history lessons their schools don’t teachhttps://apnews.com/article/florida-bl...
In an old wooden bungalow in Delray Beach, Charlene Farrington and her staff gather groups of teenagers on Saturday mornings to teach them lessons she worries that public schools won’t provide. They talk about South Florida’s Caribbean roots, the state’s dark history of lynchings, how segregation still shapes the landscape and how grassroots activists mobilized the Civil Rights Movement to upend generations of oppression.
“You need to know how it happened before so you can decide how you want it to happen again,” she told her students as they sat as their desks, the morning light illuminating historic photographs on the walls.
Florida students are giving up their Saturday mornings to learn about African American history at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach and in similar programs at community centers across the state. Many are supported by Black churches, which for generations have helped forge the cultural and political identity of their parishioners.
Since Faith in Florida developed its own Black history toolkit last year, more than 400 congregations have pledged to teach the lessons, the advocacy group says.
Florida has required public schools to teach African American history for the past 30 years, but many families no longer trust the state’s education system to adequately address the subject.
By the state’s own metrics, just a dozen Florida school districts have demonstrated excellence at teaching Black history, by providing evidence that they are incorporating the content into lessons throughout the school year and getting buy-in from the school board and community partners.
School district officials across Florida told The Associated Press that they are still following the state mandate to teach about the experience of enslavement, abolition and the “vital contributions of African Americans to build and strengthen American society.”
But a common complaint from students and parents is that the instruction seems limited to heroic figures such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks and rarely extends beyond each February’s Black History Month.
FL AG joined 17 others to defend the LA law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all K12 classrooms."So “adultery” is an age appropriate topic, suited to students’ needs & abilities to comprehend in ES, but let’s question all those classroom library books?"
https://bsky.app/profile/flfreedomrea...
In Florida, a DOE-approved 6th grade assignment asks students to put the Ten Commandments in their own words.
https://bsky.app/profile/flfreedomrea...
I can just see the 6th graders interpreting "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's ass." THAT won't pass muster with the parental rights enthusiasts. How many 6th graders know what that word really means - donkey and not rear end? How many 6th graders can tell you about separation of church and state and how this assignment is so so illegal?
QNPoohBear wrote: "FL AG joined 17 others to defend the LA law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all K12 classrooms."So “adultery” is an age appropriate topic, suited to students’ needs & abilities t..."
I would instruct my child to write, "Adultery is something that Donald Trump does all of the time. It's cheating on your wife, with or without a porn star." It's even better if she shares it with all of her friends.
Kelly Jensen's Book Riot Literary Activism Newsletter has a great round-up of all the sites the censors use to ban books. https://bookriot.com/booklooks-ratedb...
Mobile PUBLIC Library in Alabama has just bannedLet's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
I flipped through a digital copy and at this point in my life, it's not useful to me and a lot of it was covered back in Junior High health class. The rest was more relevant to today's youth (we had the fear of AIDS to try to keep us on the straight and narrow) and I thought it would be useful for teens who don't get that information at home or school. I didn't read it word for word or look at every page.
https://www.fox10tv.com/2025/01/02/mo...
Mobile library removes controversial book deemed inappropriate for teenagers
[C] ommunity activist John Young Jr. raised concerns about a s---ally explicit library book and showed up to thank City Council members Thursday after learning that the book has been removed.
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“We do have the ability to positively impact and influence our children, not just the children that are being hurt, but also the children that are being exposed to things that promote hyper-sexuality at a very young age,” he told council members.
Young, who founded a group called Men United Against Violence in Mobile, primarily had focused on crime. But he added that the impact of what he described as “p___graphy” can be just as dangerous.
The book in question, published in 2019, is called “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human.” Young said he was shocked by the content – frank descriptions of s-x, along with graphic cartoon images. He said he first found out about it from a Facebook post and noted that the social media platform quotes from the book as a violation of community standards.
“It was deemed p---graphic and offensive,” he said after Thursday’s meeting. “But this book is available, was available, in the library for 13-year-olds to 17-year-olds with no adult supervision. If it’s not good enough for public consumption by adults, then why are we allowing our most vulnerable children to read this book? And it’s just another illustration, a manual on se---al perversion.”
It turns out the Mobile City Council had nothing to do with the decision, though. Library officials told FOX10 News the book already was in the process of being removed after a review and has been gone from the shelves since before Christmas.
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Coleman said the Mobile Public Library is compliant with the state’s new materials selection policy. She said the library also got rid of its young adult nonfiction section as part of that requirement.
Coleman said the library has removed a couple of other books and decided to keep several others. She said a book’s popularity also is a factor. She said the library system originally had five copies of “Let’s Talk About It,” starting in April 2021, and that it had been checked out just 32 times. She says by the time the system decided to remove it, there were just two copies.
“It wasn’t earning it’s keep in our collection,” she said. “‘Cause books need to earn their keep in our collection, because we buy a lot of new books. And, you know, if they’re not circulating, we need that space.”
Although the City Council appoints library board members, Councilman Ben Reynolds said that does not mean council members are their bosses. He was non-committal on what the policy should be. But he said he does believe this book is not appropriate for children.
“I did look at the book that he (Young) laid out and, you know, my kids are not checking that book out, I can tell you that,” he said. “If I’m there overseeing it, my kids are not checking that book out.”
Little Miami, Ohio schools censorshipOhio village board of ed introduces policy to ban most classroom displays, including Pride flags
Little Miami Board of Education in Maineville, Ohio held a first reading of a restrictive classroom display policy.
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2025/01/0...
The proposed policy would only allow a limited number of displays, such as the American flag, state flags, university insignias (in approved locations) and items pertaining to a “temporary unit of study in the curriculum.” This would not only result in the removal of safe space posters with LGBTQ+ flags, but also much of what a teacher displays in the classroom.
The policy would also apply to “any electronic messaging, including emails any electronic messaging, including emails,” presumably including insignia that might be associated with the staff member’s signature. The policy does not contain language on enforcement.
According to individuals who spoke during the public comment, photos of classrooms with LGBTQ+ symbols were specifically circulated online through social media.
A petition against the proposal by Moms for Little Miami has nearly 800 signatures.
“The broad language would mean teachers have to remove any posters/signs/flags that are not related directly to curriculum,” the petition reads. “This would include, but is not limited to, signs that say things such as ‘Welcome to Our Classroom,’ ‘Let Your Light Shine,’ ‘Go Bengals/Reds/other sports teams!’ and more. This interpretation has been confirmed by Central Office.”
Kelly Kohls, a leader of the National School Board Leadership Council, a “parents rights” organization that partners with Moms for America, an org that speaks out against “gender confusion,” spoke during public comment.
She said if the board did not pass the policy, people will send flags to the school.
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Some speakers derided Kohls’ approach as one that deliberately mires the district in controversy to force them to enact the restrictive policy,
Other speakers said how the presence of an LGBTQ+ symbol was inherently exclusionary to cisgender straight people.
Rowan Rozzi, a 2020 graduate and transgender man, said those symbols were important. He spoke about his life after he came out in 8th grade, experiencing bullying which led to self-harm.
“The Safe Space stickers…told me that the educators would see me for more than my identity — they would see me for my potential, for who I was, and support me all the same,” Rozzi said.
The room erupted in applause after he spoke.
One person encouraging the policy said bullying made her a “stronger individual in the long run,” and later said teachers coddling kids were one of the causes for school shootings.
According to a child adolescent psychiatry study, bullying was found to possibly be an “important risk factor of suicide attempts among adolescents globally.” The study was also cited by The Trevor Project.
According to the district’s board policy, one of the school district goals and objectives is to “respond to each student’s need to develop a positive self-image and enhance his/her ability to determine, understand and examine his/her own capabilities, interests and goals.” Another goal is to understand value systems, cultures and heritage. Both goals and other board policy were cited by speakers against the restrictive flag policy.
A local pediatric physician, Kate Ruck, took the stand to speak about how environments can shape how a child feels about themselves and contribute to their wellbeing.
“If someone doesn’t feel safe in their environment, they will not be able to fully engage with the material whether that be learning or working,” she said. “This proposed flag policy appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to remove any potential cultural or LGBTQ+ ally flags, and I hope all here sees that for what it is.”
“Our community is a wonderful one, and to retain our fantastic teachers, to continue to develop a kinder, more compassionate world, I hope we can agree that this policy does not aid in making our schools any safer.”
Also in OhioWHAT THE WHAT NOW?
Ohio governor signs bill into law forcing teachers and counselors to out LGBTQ+ students
The bill also mandates that all schools find a time during the school day when students are able to leave school for religious instruction.
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2025/01/0...
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed HB 8 (“The Parents’ Bill of Rights”) into law on Wednesday. He did so behind closed doors, not televised as he did for another bill he signed into law the same day.
HB 8 will force teachers and school staff to out LGBTQ+ youth to their parents and will limit the mention of LGBTQ+ identity in school curricula.
The bill requires that teachers and school staff – including school social workers, counselors and psychologists – notify a student’s parent of “any change in the student’s services, including counseling services, or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being.”
The legislation specifically calls out trans identity as necessitating parental notification, and previous testimony has affirmed that disclosures of s--ual orientation would also trigger parental contact.
The bill further bans any mention of “s--uality content” in grades K-3 and mandates that such content be “age-appropriate” for all other grades. Sexuality content is defined in the bill as “written instruction, presentation, image or description of s--ual concepts or gender ideology.” Nowhere in the bill is “gender ideology” defined.
“I think the basis for it for me, if you’re a parent, you want to be informed what’s going on in your child’s life,” DeWine told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday. “Parents are the best teachers.”
“It’s about creating the right kind of culture educationally in Ohio,” added Lt. Gov. Jon Husted added.
DeWine was specifically asked by reporters about the part of HB 8 that would result in LGBTQ+ students being outed.
“We love these students as we love anybody else. They’re not only welcome in Ohio, but they’re welcome in our schools. We want to protect them as we protect every other student. But I do believe parents are the most likely people to help that child,” DeWine said.
The bill passed by the Ohio legislature during the last hour of their legislative session on December 19 also included language mandating that all schools find a time during the school day when students are able to leave school for religious instruction.
DeWine had previously indicated he would sign the bill into law, specifically endorsing the language on release time for religious instruction.
TransOhio Executive Director Dara Adkison wanted to remind Ohioans that HB 8 will not remove trans students, faculty and parents from Ohio schools.
“No law can erase us, no matter how much some want that to be the case,” Adkison said. “We are here, we are queer, and we are a part of Ohio schools.”
Adkison also said that HB 8 is a dangerous violation of First Amendment rights for both faculty and students, particularly freedom of expression and the separation of church and state.
“TransOhio will be doing everything we can to mitigate the intended harm of this bill in coalition with partners who also care about Ohio students, unlike some of our elected officials, Adkison said.
Equality Ohio Executive Director Dwayne Steward highlighted that HB 8 had bipartisan opposition in the state legislature because “it did nothing to create a school that welcomes LGBTQ+ Ohio students as they are, and did nothing to support teachers in creating a safe learning environment.”
South Carolina school board panel puts 4 more books on statewide chopping block after challengeshttps://scdailygazette.com/2025/01/09...
The five-person committee voted to keep two books — “Bronx Masquerade” and “The House on Mango Street” — on shelves and in the classrooms where teachers use them for assignments. Those two were held over from a prior meeting.
The four books the committee voted to remove aren’t used in classroom lessons, though they are available in some school libraries. They will join seven others barred from school library shelves since a state regulation forbid public schools from using or allowing students access to books containing “s--ual conduct.”
The full, 15-member Board of Education will take up the recommendations at its Feb. 4 meeting. If a majority agrees, the books would have to be removed.
The four books newly reviewed Thursday came from a challenge by parent Ivie Szalai, who says her children attend Beaufort County public schools. According to her appeal form, she again asked the school district to consider removing the books after the regulation took effect.
A district committee had already reviewed the books between 2022 and 2023 as part of a list of 97 titles, almost all of which Szalai brought before the school board. The committee voted to remove five of the books, leaving the four Szalai challenged Thursday available to high school students, according to the district website.
The district board had 90 days to take up her appeal before it went to the state education board, based on deadlines set in the regulation.
This is the first time a book has gone through the appeals process laid out in the regulation. The first 11 titles were curated by agency staff, and the next three bypassed the process because they were being taught in classrooms instead of just available in the library.
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[T]he books clearly violate the state regulation, Szalai said. Removing them from schools doesn’t cut children off from them completely, since children can still check out the books from their county public libraries or buy them at a bookstore, she said.
“I want to see every person, race, color, s--ual persuasion represented in books,” Szalai said. “All of our children deserve that, but I hope that our highly educated librarians and educators will now see to possibly looking for books that provide that without the s--ual conduct.”
“Bronx Masquerade” and “The House on Mango Street” did not cross the line into s--ual conduct, committee members decided. The two books came before the committee again after the Fort Mill parent challenging them failed to provide enough information for board members to make a decision in November.
“Bronx Masquerade,” which is structured through a series of poems designed to be read aloud, had no objectionable passages, department staff said. And while “The House on Mango Street” includes a scene in which the main character experiences s--ual assault, the attack is not described in detail, keeping it appropriate for students, board members said.
During previous reviews, board members decided that a s--ual encounter that happens off the page does not violate the regulation. For a book to be removed from shelves, it must describe “s--ual conduct” in a graphic enough way that a reader who didn’t know about s-- would be able to envision it, the board has previously decided.
PennsylvaniaPine-Richland school board meeting on book policy turns contentious
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/edu...
Tempers flare during 7-hour Pine-Richland School Board meeting over book policy
The latest episode in Pine-Richland School District’s yearslong discussions about book bans and book review policies took place Thursday during a nearly seven-hour school board meeting.
Tempers occasionally flared as audience members shouted and board members sometimes argued among themselves while attempting to revise its “Library Resources” policy.
The meeting was the third in a series of contentious gatherings to read and amend a policy that would give the school board power over the acquisition and consideration of books in the district — including whether to remove them.
Tara Niesslein has a third grader and a sixth grader in the district. She said she felt compelled to speak at Thursday’s meeting because the potential policy change “actively affects” her children’s access to books.
Though the policy change is supposed to bolster parental rights, Niesslein said the current policy — which allows parents to challenge a book’s inclusion in the library — is enough.
Niesslein describes herself as a conservative. She said she voted for some of the board members whose views she now opposes. Niesslein said she worries about Pine-Richland’s “educational integrity” and the potential for costly lawsuits should the board eventually attempt to remove books.
“It takes a lot to get the continued attention of moderate voters like me, but we are listening, paying attention and ready to vote,” she said at the meeting.
Previously, the district formed a committee for the review of 14 books challenged by parents in 2023, many of which focused on LGBTQ characters.
The committee offered recommendations to Superintendent Brian Miller who ultimately recommended that the titles remain. Last last year, board members began to discuss the revised policy that led to Thursday’s outcry.
Board members, librarians and administrators debated the wording and goals of the policy, and often sought to define nebulous terms such as “classical art.” Some of these speakers, including board member Ashley Fortier, expressed concern about the “vagueness” of the policy and its ultimate “feasibility.”
“Not every book in the library needs to be educationally suitable or developmentally relevant for every child,” Miller said at the meeting.
While chairwoman Christina Brussalis kept tight control over the meeting’s rules of order, Fortier said she sought brief suspension of the rules to allow for more open discussion of the policy. These motions failed.
Chris Bonneau, who has a sixth grader in the district, said he tuned in to the livestream of the meeting from a work conference in Puerto Rico.
He said the priorities of the board are “mind-blowing” and some members are “just not reasonable.” Pine-Richland, he said, maintains a positive reputation and high-quality educators. But he worries that “ideological agendas” may squander those things.
WisconsinWhere as usual parents whine about choice when all they have to do is call the teacher or librarian and request a different assignment or say they don't want their kids to check out these books. It's not about the kids, it's not about the books, it's about control!
Committee asked to reconsider some books in Platteville Middle School library
https://www.wkow.com/news/committee-a...
Members of a committee in Platteville are considering whether several books should be removed from shelves at the Platteville Middle School library.
Some community members asked the committee to reconsider several titles, including "All Boys Aren't Blue," "Flamer," and "Me, Earl and the Dying Girl."
Parents who argued for reconsideration said they're concerned about s---ally-explicit material that they believe is not appropriate for middle schoolers.
Some just want more conversation about the books that are available to their kids.
"If we can't have a say in what our children are reading, then kind of the only other option we have is to say, well, then those books need to be challenged. Really, what I'd like is just more transparency, more communication, more choice," parent Trent Schaller said.
Others went to the meeting to push back against banning any books.
Committee members didn't make any decisions Wednesday. They'll meet again in the coming weeks.
Rochester, MinnesotaRemoval of The Rainbow Parade was first in 10 years.
LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, Rochester Pride is responding to Rochester Republic School's decision to remove "The Rainbow Parade" from Elementary school libraries.
In an email subject line titled Harmful Impact of Removing "The Rainbow Parade" from Elementary School Media Centers, sent to Superintendent Kent Pekel and the Directors of the Rochester School Board,
The letter says, in part
"While Dr. Pekel’s memo expresses support for including books that celebrate LGBTQIA+ lives; the removal of "The Rainbow Parade" contradicts that statement. It sends a message that LGBTQIA+ representation is acceptable only when it conforms to specific, narrow standards deemed "appropriate" by a single individual, effectively silencing certain voices and experiences.
LGBTQIA+ children, like all children, deserve to see themselves and their families reflected in the books they read. "The Rainbow Parade" is fundamentally about the joy and importance of being true to oneself and celebrating diversity. It offers a positive and celebratory portrayal of an LGBTQIA+ event, providing crucial validation and affirmation. Removing it from the shelves limits student’s access to literature that reflects their lived experiences, making them feel isolated and invisible. This decision will continue to perpetuate the idea that being openly LGBTQIA+ and expressing yourself as such should still be considered widely shameful and only take place behind closed doors."
"For non-LGBTQIA+ children, books like "The Rainbow Parade" offer opportunities to learn about and develop empathy for people from diverse backgrounds. Removing this book limits their exposure to different family structures and experiences, hindering their ability to become understanding and accepting adults.
The near-unanimous recommendation of the library materials review committee to keep the
book on the shelves demonstrates that a diverse group of professionals, including librarians and
educators, found the book to be age-appropriate and valuable. Overruling their expertise based on a narrow interpretation of "appropriateness" undermines their professional judgment and the established review process."
"Dr. Pekel cited chatgpt as a source that helped to inform his opinion about why this book was inappropriate based on depictions of leather outfits. It is disappointing that as an educator, Dr. Pekel chose to rely on chatgpt rather than listening to the professional judgment of his staff and the lived experiences of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, Dr. Pekel sharing that he grew up with a gay father, in a time when having a gay parent was widely considered shameful, does not absolve him of his own personal bias that is being shown in this decision.
Dr. Pekel’s decision to overrule these qualified professionals sets a dangerous precedent, suggesting that any book depicting or discussing LGBTQIA+ themes might be deemed "inappropriate" based on his sole discretion. This could lead to a chilling effect, where librarians and educators self-censor and avoid selecting books that represent LGBTQIA+ lives for fear of controversy, further limiting access to inclusive literature."
https://www.kimt.com/news/local/roche...
May be paywalled.
Pekel's initial response was that the book contained nudity and then later added images of (view spoiler) which he used AI to confirm his opinion this wasn't appropriate for elementary school. Then he backpedaled and said AI didn't influence his decision and also added an illustration of a man wearing a collar with a chain led by another man was inappropriate for 6 year olds.
The online story is paywalled but I have the print edition.News from southern Rhode Island... (RI might be the bluest state in the entire country!)
https://www.providencejournal.com/sto...
The Chariho (Charleston, Richmond and Hopkinton) school committee meeting turned into the usual broo-ha-ha when Karen Reynolds, a Democrat, was nominated to be chair. She's a teacher with over 30 years experience, longest serving member of the committee and former vice chair. Her running mate, also a Democrat, supported the nomination. Sounds logical, like common sense... The Republicans, on the other hand, cry foul, and want their M4L endorsed candidate instead. I'm not name calling right now, these are small towns in a small state.
A Republican formerly on the committee moved to table the vote until her replacement could be present, wanting her town fully represented. Former committee Republican claims her replacement should be present AND considered for chair. Replacement woman is affiliated with Moms for Liberty and is co-founder of Taxpayers PAC, raising concerns among some of the other members.
Some worry the discussion violated the Open Meetings Act. The local law states the chair has to be selected within 10 days of the election or face lawsuit. Republicans are not to be deterred and the committee voted 7-5 to table the selection of the chair. Town residents obviously divided along party lines. The chair is supposed to be selected today, Tuesday.
QNPoohBear wrote: "PennsylvaniaPine-Richland school board meeting on book policy turns contentious
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/edu......"
Follow-up.
In short - they banned the book.
https://triblive.com/news/education-c...
Pine-Richland School Board rejects book during heated meeting
The Pine-Richland School Board voted against incorporating Angel of Greenwooda novel set during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, into its ninth grade curriculum ...
Board members, administrators and several public attendees traded barbs over the district’s ongoing controversy surrounding the board’s proposed library policies and book policies, more generally.
Several speakers pressed the board to approve “Angel of Greenwood,” including high school Language Arts Chair Elissa Mitchell.
“I’m here tonight in the spirit of collaboration urging you to work with us as we come to agreements on curricular decisions,” she said. “The only agenda I have is to teach kids and make them feel valued and respected and, by way of our curricular choices, show them that we care.”
Although the board approved, 5-4, a revised ninth grade Language Arts curriculum that could have included the novel, members ultimately voted down Randi Pink’s young adult work, 3-5-1. Joseph Cassidy, Ashley Fortier and Amy Terchick voted in favor of the novel’s inclusion while Phillip Morissette, Lisa Hillman, Marc Casciani, Christina Brussalis and Michael Wiethorn rejected it. Leslie Miller abstained.
Morissette, Hillman and Brussalis all expressed skepticism about whether the novel was at a high enough literary level for a ninth grade curriculum. That conversation took place among a drawn-out attempt by board members and administrators to define exactly what the term “curriculum” meant.
Audience members jeered and clapped throughout the meeting, often leading to hostile exchanges with board members. Verbal arguments even dragged into the parking lot after the meeting adjourned.
At one point, numerous audience members shouted down Brussalis after she repeatedly interrupted Assistant Superintendent Michael Pasquinelli as he attempted to answer a question.
Numerous residents, parents, alumni and students spoke for more than an hour, often shaming the board, praising Pine-Richland administration and staff and demanding a change in course.
Pine-Richland senior Matteo Rotelli spoke in favor of allowing district educators leeway over what materials are utilized in the classroom.
“Let them guide us through the tough conversations rather than pretending the tough conversations don’t exist,” he said. “When you ban books, you deny students the opportunity to learn, to question and to grow.”
...
Monday’s five-hour meeting came after a nearly seven-hour board meeting Jan. 9, which also saw large crowds and bickering among the board over its Library Resources policy.
Previously, the district formed a committee for the review of 14 books challenged by parents in 2023, many of which focused on LGBTQ characters.
The committee offered recommendations to Superintendent Brian Miller who ultimately recommended that the titles remain. Last year, board members began to discuss a revised policy that would give them the final say over library books.
...
GeorgiaMonroe County citizens concerned over LGBTQ books found in city's public library
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/l...
Monroe County commissioners appointed three new board members for the public library, and will be making a decision on the books soon.
Back in August, Monroe County citizens voiced their concern after finding LGBTQ books in the children's section of the public library. Since then, three new members have joined the Monroe County public library board.
The board will hold its first meeting of the year Thursday, and may continue to get questions about the books.
There are only four LGBTQ books remaining in the children's section of the public library. [WHAT?!] David Barbee, the library assistant, says no book should be removed from a library.
“We believe in adding more knowledge to the library, never subtracting something just because it's controversial,” Barbee said.
When we spoke with two commissioners in August, they wanted the books moved.
Commission Chairman Alan Gibbs told us if books weren't moved, he would want to shut the library down to get an entirely new board.
But after appointing three new members Gibbs, says he hopes they make what he calls the right decision. Still, people like Barbee are fighting to keep the books where they are.
“Whether they're nonfiction or fiction, it's all art so it doesn't deserve to be censored or banned in any way no matter what it is,” Barbee said.
Now, Gibbs says commissioners will give the new members time to get used to the job before making a final decision about the books.
Related stories:
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/l...
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/life/p...
QNPoohBear wrote: "The online story is paywalled but I have the print edition.News from southern Rhode Island... (RI might be the bluest state in the entire country!)
https://www.providencejournal.com/sto......"
Absolutely egregious committee meeting! The Republicans pushed through their candidate without any real procedure.
https://steveahlquist.substack.com/p/...
Meanwhile, in the very urban inner city of Pawtucket, the school committee did the right thing and unanimously elected their chair, the first ever man of color. That seems strange because the kids are primarily "Spanish". These kids have bigger problems than what books are in the schools.
In Providence, the mayor chooses some board members and the rest are chosen by the voters. (5, one for each region).
This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one...Florida’s debate over the appropriateness of children’s books has begun shifting from schools to public libraries.
The Pasco County library advisory board on Tuesday began discussing how it might revise its policies to ensure books that some county commissioners deemed “disturbing” are not so readily available for young children. Many of the books focused on LGBTQ+ themes and characters.
Commissioners asked for changes, basing their effort in part on the Florida Department of Education’s rules relating to book challenges and removals.
A handful of parents and patrons got wind of the effort and showed up to register their discontent with the proposed move. A few advisory board members also expressed their unwillingness to censor books.
County staff will continue to work on the proposals.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
Paywalled story
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
This one also is not a surprise. If My Shadow Is Purple is so objectionable as to get a teacher fired...They lie and claim "We have not “banned” a single book. We have removed age-inappropriate, s--ually explicit content for minors." Semantics.
and wouldn't you know, this story is behind a paywall so I don't know which book. I think it was an adult memoir A Stolen Life: A Memoir
Here we go... Kelly Jensen's weekly roundup.She proposes what a Student Bill of Rights would look like. They keep trying that here. Do students have a right to education?
https://bookriot.com/envisioning-a-st...
*Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) is a student-led movement to ensure that student visibility is at the forefront of educational policy, and they’ve been advocating for student rights for over two years. SEAT’s first act of 2025 is delivering a Student Bill of Rights to over 1,200 Texas policymakers the week prior to the opening session.
SEAT’s Student Bill of Rights was created with the input of over 100 students across the state, representing a range of ages, backgrounds, genders, political beliefs, identities, and more.
They have already developed the Fight Book Bans Act, introduced to Congress by Rep. Maxwell Frost and Sen. Cory Booker and are hoping to reintroduce this legislation in the new Congress to continue fighting for a safeguard against the movement to censor. They have also distributed hundreds of banned books to students across Texas, donated by publishers, non-profits, and customers of local bookstores.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r...
Among the rights is:
Truthful, critical, and substantive curriculum
“We should trust the expertise of librarians and educators to curate age-relevant and educationally-suitable collections. Interest groups and politicians with ulterior motives should not hold greater authority over the autonomy of all families in a school system.”
Speaking of TexasMidland Public Libraries will now have citizen-led groups deciding what is or is not appropriate in the materials for children and teens. PUBLIC library!
https://www.marfapublicradio.org/poli...
Midland County officials on Tuesday voted to establish a new citizen-led committee that will be in charge of assessing whether books in the children’s and young adult sections at local libraries should remain on the shelves.
The move by the Midland County Commissioners Court institutes a new library policy that changes how books that library patrons flag as potentially inappropriate or harmful are assessed. The new process is referred to as the “Reconsideration of Library Materials Policy.”
The policy establishes a number of changes, including the citizens review committee that will have the “sole authority” over assessing children’s and young adult books that are brought up for formal reconsideration. County commissioners will appoint members to the committee who will serve up to four years. Under the policy, the review committee will have the power to recategorize titles to a “more restrictive portion of the library” or to completely remove books with a unanimous vote.
Commissioner Dianne Anderson, who proposed the policy, said it will help librarians deal with a backlog of reconsideration requests.
Under the county’s previous library policy, the local library director reviewed any material brought up for reconsideration and then responded to the complaint within 10 days. However, Anderson said library staff haven’t been able to keep up with the reconsideration requests being filed.
Anderson has spearheaded previous efforts to remove books from the children’s and young adult sections at Midland County Libraries. Many of the titles she and her allies wanted to remove dealt with s-x, the LGBTQ community and race.
The county’s policy states that decisions made by the review committee “shall be final.”
'Anti-trans bias': Florida school district met with blowback for banning LGBTQ+ bookNote: Lukoff is transgender but it's not the first thing he leads with when he talks about himself but surely banning his books must feel personal.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/new...
Penguin Random House, along with national free expression organization PEN America, said in a Tuesday letter to the Escambia County School Board that the decision to remove "Too Bright to See" by Kyle Lukoff from its libraries represented "further steps to restrict Escambia County students’ right to read and put their ability to learn in jeopardy."
Vicki Baggett, an Escambia County language arts teacher who's filed hundreds of book challenges, also objected to "Too Bright to See."
In her challenge form, she accused the book's purpose as being "indoctrination" and said "sexualities and alternate gender identities" prompted her concern.
That challenge went to a district book review committee, which tied 4-4 on whether to keep the book on school shelves. As a result of the tie, the vote went to the members of the committee appointed by the school board. Only one of those appointees voted to keep the book.
One of those voting to remove the title called it [READ AT YOUR OWN RISK HATEFUL COMMENTS AHEAD] (view spoiler)
Lukoff wrote in his own Tuesday letter to the board that there are reasons not to read his book. For example, he said, maybe they prefer more action- and adventure-driven stories. Maybe they're scared of ghosts.
"But none of those reasons should be because a small number of adults, driven by bigoted and ideological agendas (here, review committee members appointed by the school board), have decided that it should be taken away from young people," he wrote.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documen...
Another of Lukoff's books, "When Aidan Became a Brother," has been removed from county schools. It's a children's picture book that also includes a transgender character and was also challenged by Baggett.
While the district review committee voted to keep the title, the school board reversed that decision. As a result, Lukoff joined PEN America and Penguin Random House's lawsuit.
“We hope the Escambia County School Board will reverse the decision to remove 'Too Bright to See,' allow the students of Escambia County access to this vital work of literature and cease expanding its liability for blatant anti-trans bias in the removal of library books,” said Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America’s Florida office, in a statement.
Skip Dye, chair of Penguin Random House's Intellectual Freedom Taskforce, said in a statement that the decision "deprives students of the chance to discover a beautiful book that fosters empathy and understanding."
Katy Independent School District (TX) denied students access to over 400 LGBTQ+ themed books, despite those books not being officially “banned.”https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neig...
I think this is good news. I guess it remains to be seen.Major shake ups in Livingston Parish, La. concerning the Library Board
https://www.wbrz.com/news/major-shake...
The Livingston Parish council held its monthly meeting, and on the agenda was the potential removal of several Livingston Library Board Control Members.
This is in wake of a lot of controversy going on in the Livingston Libraries, including recent book bans and budget cuts that were made by the board.
The council ultimately voted to remove all board members and essentially "reset" the Control Board. Councilmembers each posed a new member of the Board to replace the ones ousted, and all nominations passed except for those representing Districts 5 and 9.
The Board is scheduled to meet on Jan. 21.
This is Amanda Jones's parish where she spoke out against censorship.
Tenn. where it is not their jobs to "educate" other people's children on which books are "appropriate" for which age groups.Rutherford County school board removes more books from school libraries
The board members wrestled with their responsibility to educate students and what is appropriate for certain age groups.
https://www.wsmv.com/2025/01/13/ruthe...
A caveat to the books’ availability was voted on, which would allow the school to retain the titles, and make them available for high school students with permission from their parents, who would be required to “opt-in” to the approval process. The board approved the parental permission caveat for some of the titles.
QNPoohBear wrote: "This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one...Florida’s debate over the appropriateness of children’s books has begun shifting from schools to public libraries.
The Pasco County library ..."
Kelly Jensen got the story.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
Pasco libraries may install new rules for children’s books
The discussion follows county commission concerns about ‘disturbing’ materials on shelves.
Responding to county commissioners' [THE GOVERNMENT] concerns that children had too easy access to what they called “disturbing” material, the commission’s Library Advisory Committee on Tuesday began discussing potential changes to the rules for where books are placed on shelves and how they may be checked out.
Under the proposal presented by library director Sean McGarvey, parents would get the option of having their children under 16 years old receive a “child library card” that would restrict their permissions to only items categorized as juvenile or younger.
That grouping would not include young adult or adult materials. School-related books such as Sunshine State Readers and classics would be allowed.
Parents would be required to register their children for library use, at which time they could select between the child card and an unrestricted adult one. This tiered model is similar to the one used in Hillsborough County public libraries.
The proposal also would include a review of books in the children’s section of the library, with relocation of titles to adult and support areas “as needed.” This step would allow books to remain available, with added parental oversight, as opposed to removing them completely, as some other counties have done.
These steps come on the heels of a September policy amendment stating that children ages 8 years and younger must be accompanied by their parent, guardian or caregiver at all times. Children 9 and older must follow the library’s code of conduct or face a potential suspension of services.
“Libraries do not act in loco parentis‚” McGarvey said, quoting the policy. He added, “We strive to have parents with their children and to know what they’re reading.”
McGarvey stressed that the approach “is a proposal only,” and did not have many additional details. He expected it would take four or five months before any changes would take effect.
Knowing the concept would be discussed, a half dozen residents showed up to raise concerns. They opposed any effort to limit resources available in the library, which they said should represent diverse viewpoints from across the spectrum of ideas.
“A library is for the entire community, not just for those who agree with us,” retired librarian Tracy Suits said.
Parent Taylor Devine told the board that she has brought her son to the library for four years, and has discovered books that have expanded his world view. That included some of the materials that the library recently removed.
Library board members asked few questions. But a couple said they did not support censoring books, with one saying she did not want to see children run off from the adult section of the library if they’re there with their parents' permission.
...
Pasco County commissioner Seth Weightman referred to the state list of challenged school materials as he called for greater controls in his local libraries. He said the subject came to his attention after a local parent complained about a children’s book in the library about a transgender youth called “Calvin.”
Such books might appear harmless, Weightman told his colleagues. But they can lead to adult conversations that parents might want to withhold from their children until they are older, he suggested.
The county conducted a book audit, using primarily LGBTQ+ terms, and temporarily removed more than 100 titles from the children’s section as a result. They included “And Tango Makes Three,” which publishers have sued to get returned to Florida school districts, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky.
Commissioners pushed for the immediate permanent removal of all the books in question, but relented at the recommendation of staff and lawyers who advised them to follow the challenge process they have in place.
Those books remain unavailable pending further review. But no other titles have been pulled, McGarvey said.
Any policy changes the Library Advisory Board ultimately recommends would need to have commission approval.
AlabamaGood news for a change.
Fairhope City Council (AL) reappointed three members to the library board who had become targets of Clean Up Alabama (aka, the book banners).
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/01/14...
The council voted unanimously to reappoint Anne Johnson, Randal Wright, and Andy Parvin to serve on the board.
Moms for Liberty had called for the resignation of Johnson, who serves as chair of the board, and also expressed concerns about Randal Wright, who also serves as director of Friends of the Fairhope Public Library.
In an email to council members, Clean Up Alabama expressed concerns about two books that remain in youth sections of the library and said Johnson had failed as chair to move the books away from access to children.
The group urged followers to sign a petition calling for Johnson to resign and for the council to withhold $225,000 in funding for the library until the challenged books are removed.
The reappointment of three board members at once provided the potential to flip the board toward Clean Up Alabama’s agenda, but the group won’t likely have that opportunity again soon in Fairhope.
Instead of appointing all three members to four-year terms, they agreed to be appointed to staggered terms: Johnson will serve two years, Wright will serve three years and Parvin will serve four years.
Attorney Brian Dasinger, founder of the Faith Family Freedom Coalition in Baldwin County, said his group had seven people apply for board positions and none of them were contacted.
...
“Our position is very much in alignment with America, with Alabama and with the majority of the citizens of this City of Fairhope,” Dasinger said. “I don’t think the majority of citizens of Fairhope want this woke nonsense and this indoctrination to be pumped to our children.”
One other citizen joined Dasinger in opposing the board appointments, and three citizens stood up in support of the board.
Citizen Gustavo Duay told the council about growing up in Venezuela and comparing the authoritarian government there to the push for censorship in the U.S.
MURFREESBORO Tenn. (WSMV) - Murfreesboro Schools received a request to remove the book “It Feels Good To Be Yourself” from its library collection on Dec. 10, 2024.The book, which is part of the collection at Bradley Academy, was brought up in a public comment period by [Pastor] John Amanchukwu and wasn’t previously on the agenda.
The board found Amanchukwu to be out of order for speaking on a topic unrelated to the agenda. He talked about the book’s content, which he considered to be related to children’s gender.
[This person does not live in the STATE let alone the school district!]
Amanchukwu also mocked the appearance of board member Jimmy Richardson, saying he looked like a “knock-off version of Matt Walsh,” and pointed out his shirt that read, “Ban the Fascists. Save the Books.”
During the following meeting on January 14, a review committee convened to discuss the book Amanchukwu was referring to, “It Feels Good To Be Yourself.”
Four of the committee members recommended the removal of the book and one recommended retaining it for an older audience.
The board voted to remove the book by recommendation of the committee.
Up to old tricks in Floridahttps://bsky.app/profile/flfreedomrea...
Nassau Schools (FL) have seen 34 new book challenges–and conveniently, many of those titles are the same ones that they recently settled a lawsuit about and were ordered to return to shelves.
34 new objections have been added to the district's database- submitted either by 34 different Nassau residents or the work of one parent.
The original settlement agreement was reached in September of last year and approved by a judge in November.
However, the law allows for these books to be in a perpetual state of objection/review at the whims of the most extreme viewpoints in the district.
Take a stab at guessing the books on the list.
https://www.nassau.k12.fl.us/Page/5341
Florida againSarasota Schools (FL) held a board meeting this week to discuss science books. Some science books have had to have nearly 100 pages removed to meet Florida standards, which means anything related to climate change has been censored.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/n...
The board advertised the district’s recommended instructional materials for K-12 science. Tuesday’s public hearing allowed speakers to provide input on the listed publishers before the board votes.
Five speakers were mostly uniform in their concerns that the list was too limited and that state guidelines could promote censorship.
Ken Miller, a Brown University biology professor and author of a high school chemistry book published by Savvas, told the Orlando Sentinel last July that his publisher removed 90 pages from the book regarding climate change to adhere to “Florida edition” standards. The directive followed a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last May that deleted most references to climate change from state law.
Kelly Jensen reports (and broke the paywall)https://12ft.io/proxy
In a college-level class in Kalama School District (WA), an English educator used the graphic novel Fun Home. A junior in the class took a photo of a s-x scene in the book and sent it to their mom, who did the only mature thing about it–complained on Facebook. The challenge to the book’s use was not approved, and the district said there was no agenda in why the book was used. So it can be used.
In response, the district instructed students to return their copies of the book, placed the teacher who assigned it on administrative leave and hired an outside investigator to review the incident. The school has not released the name of the teacher. School officials also declined to say whether the teacher still works for the district, due to legal concerns.
Timothy Yeomans, owner of Quartermaster Consulting, interviewed students, parents, Kalama staff and the associate director of the Eastern Washington University College in the High School program. In a report dated to Sunday, he concluded that most of the error was a result of staff, including the teacher who assigned the book, not understanding the review process for new material.
The teacher who assigned the book told Yeomans she believed the approval process had already taken place at the university, according to the report. She said she had read reviews of the book and was excited to teach it as a coming-of-age story, but did not have time to read it herself before it was handed out to students.
According to district policy, core instructional materials should be reviewed by a committee and approved by the school board before they can be used. Supplemental materials, like books, don’t have to follow the same process, but staff are expected to thoroughly preview them before using them.
The review process has been inconsistent since the 2016-2017 school year, according to the report. Staff and administrators were especially uncertain of how to apply it to College in the High School materials, and in some cases incorrectly left it up to the universities.
Yeomans did not find reports of issues with other College in the High School class materials, although he noted that does not mean all of them were properly approved.
Nine of the 10 students interviewed for the report said they felt the teacher who assigned “Fun Home” handled sensitive topics respectfully and did not push any specific agenda. One student and their parents disagreed. The students and parents were also not named in the report.
Over half of the students said they were made aware that controversial topics might be covered in the course. Three students said they were not, and one student “was adamant that they did not expect any topics or discussions that would be controversial,” according to the report.
The district is currently working on reviewing all the books it has purchased to ensure that they align with state and local standards,
Going forward, the district will also implement a formal orientation process for College in the High School classes outlining course expectations and making it clear that students might encounter challenging or controversial material.
Benjamin wrote that the district will reassess its relationship with college partners when it comes to future College in the High School classes.
Idaho House committee considers flag ban in schoolshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ida...
Similar bills have made their way through these steps before but have yet to pass. The most recent attempt was just last year, but it faced opposition claiming discrimination against LGBTQ students and violations of free speech rights.
While the Senate passed the bill, the House held it back.
The legislation moved to a full hearing without objection during the meeting.
Idaho“Adults Only” Room, 140 Banned Books, & New Restrictions on Children’s Access Come to an Idaho Public Library System
https://bookriot.com/community-librar...
Kelly Jensen reports:
Last year, Idaho passed House Bill 710 (HB 710), one of the most draconian book censorship bills in the nation. Over the last several months, public libraries statewide have scrambled to figure out how to comply with the law. This has included the possibility of adults-only public libraries in the state and signs that have taken patrons in some public libraries by surprise–despite how widely publicized the bill was and how loudly those in the state rallied against it.
Now, some Kootenai County libraries (not the same as the Coeur d’Alene Public Library) are planning an adults-only room in one of their branch libraries, have removed over 140 books from shelves “for review,” and seek to eliminate all-access cards for minors.
Kootenai County seven library system*, also proposed new guidelines in their collection development policy that would not allow the library to acquire or own materials for the children’s, teens, or young adult collections that contain “abortion, police discrimination, drugs, gender identity, occult, racism, rape, suicide, violence, nontraditional families or lifestyle.” (i.e. Any books that are among the most popular, most well-read, and most diverse available in these categories.)
...
Idaho’s HB 710 allows parents or guardians to lodge complaints against materials they deem inappropriate for minors. Once a complaint has been filed, public and school libraries have 60 days to relocate the material to a section that is only accessible to adults. If they do not comply, those parents or guardians can receive $250 in statutory damages from the library in question, alongside other financial relief for damages.
At the latest board meeting, the Community Library Network board voted to set up an “adults only” room in the Post Falls Library. This is where books deemed to have “mature themes” and content would be relegated, and the room would be accessible only to those over the age of 18. Those under 18 would be allowed to go into that room if accompanied by a parent or guardian, and that parent or guardian would need to sign a form in order to do so.
Board member Tony Ambrosetti argued that no one under 18 should be allowed to go in the room, even with parental permission. In his perspective, parents who allow their children to do things like attend Pride events aren’t capable of being good parents.
For now, the “adults only” room and collection will be solely at the Post Falls Library, though the board may elect to create additional “adults only” spaces at other branches.
The Community Library Network board also discussed the 140 books removed from the collection “for review.” These books are currently unavailable to any library patrons while library workers–and a soon-to-be-hired collection development manager will review them for suitability and to determine whether they will be banned or relocated in the system. [depending on what the board wants] The library director claimed that, despite the fact the books are currently inaccessible to anyone in the community, those 140 books are not actually banned.
Despite director Martin Walters’s claims, these are not “normal library mechanisms” for reviewing material, especially for materials that are not formally challenged. Seventeen books have received requests for relocation since the Walters began in September, and so far, 15 of those requests have been fulfilled. Hanging onto 140 other books “for review” is straightforwardly banning the books. The titles of the 140 books are unknown, as none of the titles are in the current board packet.
The children’s library card installed by the Community Library Network board in August 2023 is getting revamped. ... The board elected to eliminate all-access cards to minors; now, only the minor-restricted cards are an option for those under 18 because those minors might access material at other libraries that the board does not approve of. This includes the nearby libraries in Washington State.
“I’m going to protect minors, and therefore I’m not going to let minors have access to anywhere, including Washington state, including other libraries in Idaho that may not be as conservative as we are,” board member Tom Hanley said, per The Spokesman Review.
The card change would impact over 8,900 people under the age of 18 who would immediately lose access to books and other materials, both print and digital, if it is not within the approved parameters of the Community Library Network’s collection.
QNPoohBear wrote: "Idaho“Adults Only” Room, 140 Banned Books, & New Restrictions on Children’s Access Come to an Idaho Public Library System
https://bookriot.com/community-librar......"
What happened to "I don't coparent with the government"? No way I'm coparenting with Tom Hanley.
Some interesting thoughts from Peter Schwartz, son of Alvin Schwartz author of Scary Stories Complete Set: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3:Peter thinks the book challenges were a result of a cultural shift Gen. X:
"The other factor that may be relevant is that horror as cultural phenomenon really took off in many directions in the 1980s, not just in children's literature but in adult fiction (Stephen King) and in film. My own view is that the Cold-War politics of the Reagan years and the coming of age of children born in the 1970s - post-Vietnam and post-Civil rights - both contributed to this particular kind of "dark cultural flowering", in that horror represented an inward turn of the psyche as the tides of social change diminished."
We're seeing a similar cultural shift now and the challenges are in response to changing societal norms and cultural shifts moving away from the gentle stories of the 1800s-1950s to stories that reflect lived experiences for Gen. Z and Gen. Alpha. They want to read and make sense of this crazy world they were born into. When they're actively practicing school shooter drills, I can see why they don't respond to the same stories I loved as a kid.
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Elon Musk has backed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-immigration, anti-Islamic party labelled as right-wing-extremist by German security services, in an upcoming national election. He hosted a broadcast with the party's leader on his social media platform earlier this month. To say that this makes me SICK is a huge and all encompassing UNDERSTATEMENT (and in my opinion, anyone who in any fashion backs the AfD is either in agreement with their Nazi policies or is totally and utterly brainlessly ignorant and I do think that Musk is likely a combination of both).
And frankly, Elon Musk is a threat to Germany and to German as well as to Western European democracy. Honestly, the next time Musk sets foot in Germany, he should immediately be detained and incarcerated (of course now that Trump in power, Musk will probably be totally untouchable, sigh).
January 27th marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The UK will be represented in Poland by His Majesty King Charles III. The UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife (of Jewish heritage) have already paid their respects at the memorial. Who will represent the United States? And where will Elon Musk be on that day?
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This is crazy, this is dangerous, this is urging Germans to vote for a party that is clearly Neo Nazi and has been declared as this and as extremist by German security services and with more than ample justification.
The more I am reading the more it becomes clear that Elon Musk did indeed use the one armed Nazi salute during Trump's inauguration deliberately.
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On the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Musk probably will be having Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) with his friends from the AfD.
Elon Musk will defund libraries to undermine democracy. EveryLibrary has issued a statement on defunding the South Dakota Library
Its impact is already evident as Trump's agenda plays out across the states. South Dakota is attempting to defund the state library. Read our statement below:
We strongly oppose the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget cuts to the South Dakota State Library, as well as HB 1041, the enacting legislation that would allow South Dakota to refuse federal IMLS funding and effectively eliminate the State Library’s critical functions and responsibilities.
While devastating for South Dakota, this move also sets an extremely troubling precedent for libraries nationwide. By essentially closing the State Library and rejecting federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding, South Dakota will harm libraries across the state and could provide a model for other states that may be motivated to similarly dismantle their own state library agencies.
Forfeiting federal resources threatens core library services and could ripple across the nation. (https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...)
Under the Governor’s proposal, 12.5 State Library staff positions will be terminated, leaving only the Braille and Talking Book Library minimally intact. This drastic reduction of personnel would severely limit the State Library’s capacity to support K–12 schools, public libraries, and academic libraries statewide. While the proposed $1.3 million in state budget cuts would automatically trigger an additional loss of $1.39 million in federal grants from IMLS, HB 1041 would compel the state to reject federal IMLS funds outright. This is an unprecedented and ill-advised step that leaves millions of dollars on the table, money that directly supports library services, technology, and resources for all South Dakotans.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/...
HB 1041 would repeal the State Library’s statutory responsibilities, including research support for state employees and legislators, training for library staff, collection of library statistics, archiving government documents, and oversight by the State Library Board. The erosion of these essential services would undermine local libraries’ ability to serve their communities effectively.
The State Library’s consortium purchasing power through Minitex—vital for databases like Ancestry, World Book, and the popular Libby e-book platform—would disappear. As a result, local libraries, particularly in rural areas, would face skyrocketing costs if they attempt to maintain critical online resources on their own. This loss disproportionately impacts students, job-seekers, and families who rely on these services for homework support, research, and lifelong learning.
The proposed cuts would jeopardize interlibrary loan and courier systems, crippling resource-sharing across the state and isolating libraries from each other. This is especially damaging to smaller libraries that cannot individually provide every book or learning material their patrons need. South Dakota is a large state, and cuts like this would supercharge existing inequalities.
"These proposed budget cuts are not occurring in isolation," says John Chrastka, Executive Director of EveryLibrary. "Libraries across the country are experiencing coordinated efforts that undermine their missions—often under the guise of protecting children or improving education. Instead of strengthening public institutions that provide quality information, the proposals in South Dakota would funnel resources away from a public library ecosystem and toward politically motivated initiatives. EveryLibrary stands against playing politics with libraries." (https://www.everylibrary.org/r?u=jzZC...)
"We have reached out to the South Dakota Library Association (https://www.everylibrary.org/r?u=VIJu...) in the hope that we can offer assistance and support for their approach to this fight. (https://www.everylibrary.org/r?u=uxz8...)
It is important to prevail in South Dakota, but this is also a matter of national concern for the rest of the ecosystem. We encourage library organizations across the country to recognize the national implications of this fight. If allowed to happen in South Dakota, other states could follow suit, jeopardizing federal funding nationwide and dismantling the cornerstone of library support at the state level.
Abandoning state library services and rejecting federal funding will be a net loss for South Dakota taxpayers. Local communities will be forced to shoulder higher expenses for fewer services while forfeiting federal dollars that have long been leveraged for the public good. We urge South Dakota lawmakers to reject HB 1041 and restore full funding to the State Library. Protecting the State Library is a fiscally responsible measure that ensures efficient, collaborative library services throughout the state—and prevents a dangerous precedent for defunding libraries elsewhere.
We know this agenda will come to many more states if they’re successful in South Dakota. Take action today!
Email your legislators to ask them to support libraries before it's too late!
EveryLibrary
https://www.everylibrary.org/
https://action.everylibrary.org/email...
From EveryLibrary:One of Trump's first actions was to rescind Biden's Executive Order 14084, titled "Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services."
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidenti....
Biden's E.O. broadly aimed to support the nation's creative and cultural economy in part by advancing "equity, accessibility, and opportunities for all Americans ... to realize their full potential through the arts, the humanities, and access to museum and library services."
This action will dismantle the Committee on the Arts and Humanities and deliver a devasting blow to America's commitment to preserving the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services.
No other American President has ever attacked your access to libraries so immediately.
We know this won't end here.
Trump's previous administration proposed eliminating all federal funding for libraries.
This action is the first step in dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
We know his supporters are enacting state legislation to arrest librarians, ban books, and defund libraries.
We'll have actions for you to take in the coming weeks, but we made it easy for you to write to your legislators today to ask them to support libraries.
Without your support, Americans will be denied their freedom to read and denied access to their local libraries.
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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Book banning bill proposed in NH!
NH poised for school bills battle in 2025: Freedom accounts, parental rights, bullying
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/...
The current education landscape in New Hampshire is fraught: multiple lawsuits are raging over topics from education funding to transgender athletes, special education funding costs are skyrocketing, and Gov. Chris Sununu just pulled the state librarian nominee over her opposition to book censorship.
The environment is unlikely to get calmer in 2025 with more than 100 legislative service requests having to do with education already filed in the New Hampshire legislature.
...
Rep. Glenn Cordelli, R-Tuftonboro, the chairman of the Education Policy and Administration Committee, said the main topics he sees the committee addressing include the Education Freedom Accounts program, special education, parental rights, bullying, and cell phone policies in schools.
With a Republican trifecta in state government bolstered by wider Republican majorities in both houses, Republicans have ample ability to pass many of their education priorities.
Legislating on topics that spark high passions, Cordelli is hopeful for more civility this term. But groups like teachers’ unions are already set to testify against many of the filed bills in Concord.
Megan Tuttle, president of the National Education Association in New Hampshire, said teachers are facing a “major challenge” to the future of public education.
While she acknowledged the bill requests don’t yet have language attached to them, the NEA-NH is most concerned about bills that could significantly expand the school voucher program known as Education Freedom Accounts.
...
Cordelli, who is a co-sponsor of both LSR 61 and 91, said the program is important to make sure kids are getting the education that meets their needs. Despite fiscal tensions — last year, an attempt to raise the income eligibility cap failed in part because of Senate concerns over financial viability — he said the cost of the program is an “investment in our future.” Gov-elect Kelly Ayotte has also voiced her support for universal education freedom accounts.
Tuttle said while it is true not all kids learn the same, the problem is public schools are not fully or fairly funded.
“We know what’s going to build success for students in schools: it’s smaller class sizes, more one-on-one attention for students, increased salaries to address the teacher and staff shortages in New Hampshire,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to do those things if the voucher program is expanded and they keep taking taxpayer funds from the public schools and giving it to those private institutions. It’s really a program that is going to benefit a few at the expense of the majority, and with budgets as tight as they are, and we know the state budget is going to be a tight budget this year, why would we be spending more money on vouchers?”
Tuttle is also worried about legislation she calls “culture war bills.” One of these is LSR 411, Cordelli’s bill that Tuttle and other opponents call a book ban and Cordelli said aims to allow parents to have a say in children’s education by creating a process to allow them to object to materials they find inappropriate.
“Materials should be age-appropriate in the schools in terms of access to the materials, but also not harmful. We've seen examples of really quite disturbing materials in some schools,” he said. “It's really quite shocking that in current law, our obscenity laws don't apply to education.”
Cordelli introduced the same bill last year, but it failed. Another returning bill that has previously been defeated but Tuttle is still concerned about is LSR 42, which would establish a parental bill of rights.
...
Tuttle said if elected leaders “really wanted to have students thrive,” they would focus on nonpartisan actions like fully funding public schools, ending the educator shortage, hiring enough staff to care for students’ physical and mental health, and ending gun violence in schools.