Compare that with, say, Alaska or South Carolina, which have banned one book each. The lists are based on information from media stories and voluntary reports sent to OIF from communities . And probably the bold stories featuring sexual abuse and prostitution too. On October 25, Texas Republican State Representative Matt Krause sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking if any of the schools in the state have the books listed on a 16 page spreadsheet, as well as how much in funds schools had spent on these books. Its a bizarre assortment of titles, formatted in a way that suggests its copy-and-pasted from library listings. Kobabes Gender Queer, which explores the authors journey to the realization that their identity is beyond the gender binary, is one of just a handful of books to appear nine times on the list. Through cartoons, Art Spiegelman detailed the horrors of the Nazi invasion and Holocaust in a brazen way that wouldnt be possible in another format. It is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. Even titles that seem downright clinical in their examination of the history of gay folks in America make the listJaime A. Sebas Gay Issues and Politics: Marriage, the Military, & Work Place Discrimination, a 64-page explanation of its eponymous topic, has been banned twice. Texas has banned books about boys and books about girls, and books . Whether its on the news or your Facebook feed, youve probably noticed comments about the rise in book banning in libraries and schools. Books at a New Jersey high school library that were targeted for bans. Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning . Texas has banned a huge number of books, indeed! Though frequently included in high school curriculums, this book has been banned in the past for obvious reasons: senseless and, according to some, gratuitous violence. This year, I won't have to leave Texas for the fight. The report released on Monday found that school administrators in Texas have banned 801 books across 22 school districts, and 174 titles were banned at least twice between July 2021 through June 2022. A viral Feb. 1 tweet that garnered at least . There are Leslea Newman books, but not Heather Has Two Mommies. Despite (and perhaps because of) these heartbreaking scenes, the book is worth a readespecially if youre starting a book club. "Maus" by Art Spiegelman depicts the author askinghis father, aHolocaust survivor, abouthis experiences. Queer and trans books save lives. Shortly after Texas state Rep. Matt Krause called for the state's school libraries to review a list of 850 books for possible removal . As communities and school districts push for book bans, some Texas librarians are nearing their breaking point. One Amazon reviewer called this heartfelt memoir a handbook for nonbinary kids that would help them feel not so alone. We cant think of a better way to describe it. Tracing the story of a 17-year-old girl who's beginning to question her sexual orientation, this is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. This illustrated memoir by a nonbinary author, which includes sexually explicit cartoon images, triggered attempted bans and even threats of criminal charges in several Texas school districts. according to the American Library Association, a popular culture librarian at Texas Tech University, heightened scrutiny around what is being taught in schools, When Gov. PEN America reported in the first edition of Banned in the USA (April 2022) that book bans had occurred in 86 school districts in 26 states in the first nine months of the 2021-22 school year. AUSTIN, Texas Outraged at the parents and politicians who are trying to rid school libraries of books they denounce as inappropriate or even pornographic, a band of Texas school librarians is fighting back. It looks like maybe two of them mention pregnancy? Primarily for its whimsical melding of science and the supernatural, which some religious adherents take issue with. Of course, sometimes book banning backfires. Another strange consequence of this keyword approach is that a lot of books are listed that are ridiculous to think any library would currently have in stock. Whats more, denying kids this information puts them in danger. So speak out against this kind of censorship and bullying behavior from school and government officials. However, Texas parents already have the right to remove their child temporarily from a class or activity that conflicts with their religious beliefs. The story follows Melissa, who her teacher and classmates call George. Even if this list made any sense, that wouldnt make it better. Readers seem to either love or hate the story of three awkward teens as they navigate an impossible situation. Even dad-friendly political thrillers can land on the list if abortion comes upbestselling author and occasional Fox News contributor Richard North Pattersons Protect and Defend received an administrators challenge as well. In some instances, it has been removed from shelves for its portrayals of teen drinking, profanity and even a claim that its biased against male students. For decades, Judy Blumes Then Again, Maybe I Wont, a puberty story from a boys perspective originally published in the seventies, has been a classic of the coming-of-age genre. "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, set in a totalitarian theocratic society where women cannot hold property or jobs. Mike didnt get much in the way of education. Rob Weiner, a popular culture librarian at Texas Tech University, said there is a long history in the U.S. of challenging and banning books. What justification does Matt Krause have for libraries not being able to stock these books? Join the fight. As you might expect, looking into 850 books took a while, so these are based on a glance at the cover and description. Some disclaimers first: these are rough numbers. This novel, about a lesbian romance set in 1954 between a Chinese American teen and a white classmate, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. Starrs careful balancing act crumbles when a police officer kills her unarmed friend. But while it may not be a history text, its certainly a must-read book about racism. For example, The Reproductive System by Alvin Silverstein from 1971 or The Seventeen Guide To Sex and Your Body from 1996. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. A report published Thursday by the free expression group PEN America details an "alarming" and unprecedented surge in book banning across the United States, with 86 school districts in 26 states prohibiting more than 1,100 titles in classrooms and libraries over just the past eight months. In the story, Junior leaves behind his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white public high school with a Native American mascot. Out of the five banned books on the list, Jonathan Evison's "Lawn Boy," especially when considering the student population of Texas schools, is one of the most necessary to keep in the curriculum. A Texas School District Banned My Book. ", More:Texas officials to target obscene content in school libraries at governor's request. This novel, which includes LGBTQ storylines and explicit language, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller. This novel, which includes descriptions of sexual abuse, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. Theres only one book each from Jennifer Dugan, Sophie Labelle, and Anna Marie McLemore, though they each write lots of LGBTQ books. "The Lawn Boy," by Jonathan . The most egregious example for me is that The You Ive Never Known by Ellen Hopkins is on this list, which is a book about teen pregnancy, but its the only book by the author included. A parent in the Houston suburb of Katy wrote that this book, which chronicles the relationship between a teen boy and a girl with leukemia, includes "obscene language" and could lead students to "become over sexualized and objectified. Rosens queer rom-com Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) has been banned in eight districts, while The Breakaways, Cathy G. Johnsons lightweight graphic novel about a kids soccer team, is banned in six because it includes a transgender boy among the players. Jonathan Evisons 2018 novel follows Mike Muoz, a 22-year-old Mexican man who cant seem to get ahead. Toni Morrisons 1970 bestseller is also one of the best short books in our collection. This novel, which focuses on the unexplained disappearance of a Black teen, includes explicit language about sex, which was the basis for a Birdville parent's request to have it removed from school libraries. If youre wondering which author has the most books included on this list, its Julie Anne Peters, who broke barriers by publishing lesbian YA books in the early 2000s and has continued to write LGBTQ YA books since. That night, Maxs dreams take him to a dark land where he becomes king of the Wild Things and leads a loud, hair-raising Wild Rumpus. It was tough enough for author Maurice Sendak to get his borderline dark book published, but when it finally hit shelves in 1963, it (like Max) got in even more trouble. Below is a list of 25 LGBTQ+ books that have been banned or are currently facing bans across the U.S. Over the past year, schools and libraries around the country have been banning a whole lot of books. Which, add lovable quirks and color along the way. A ban is the removal of a book from a collective space, whereas a challenge brings the book into questionbased on the objections of a person or group, according to the American Library Association. Understanding how those roots affect the U.S. today might be a challenge tooVegas Tenolds Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America, which traces the history of racist violence from the early days of the Ku Klux Klan to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, is also on the list in two districts. Dark magic, evil villains, sorcerers, oh my! A Teens Guide to Becoming a Dad (which seems like a useful book for kids in that situation!). A librarian who is a member of#FReadom, a collective of librarians who highlight the work of libraries and books in reaction to Krause's letter, saidthey weren't aware of any of thebooks mentioned in the tweet being recentlychallenged in Texas, other than "The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel." The librarian alsonoted adistrict in another state removed the title "Maus" from its curriculum, not library. We recommend our users to update the browser. "1984" by George Orwell, about a dystopian totalitarian government that censors information, brainwashes citizens,and persecutes them for individualist, critical thinking. As the plot unfolds, fissures form in their nations foundation, and the boys explore betrayal, redemption and the power of familial love. Santa Spectacular was banned in Texas prisons because it contained stickers. This collection of poetry and short stories about violence, abuse, love, loss and femininity is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. ", According to a Houston parent, reading this novel about a Black boy killed by police might cause white children who attend the Spring Branch Independent School District to feel ashamed based on color of their skin.. Back in the halcyon days of, er, March 2021, some of Texass political leaders fervently opposed the idea of book bans, when the topic was the decision of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, publisher of the work of Theodore Geisel under his famous pen name, to no longer publish new copies of a handful of the authors titles that included racist stereotypes. The trouble with making an 850 book list of titles to challenge is that it looks comprehensive. The Wheres Waldo? Some go so far as to call the book anti-white. But as many point out, when a Black authors true story is deemed offensive simply for being told, readers would do well to ask themselves who provoked the abusive events in the first place. Mara Mndez, Austin American-Statesman, ", Email from Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association in an email via Elizabeth Christian Public Relations, Feb. 8, 2022, American Library Association, "Banned & Challenged Classics", Maria Mndez, Austin American-Statesman, "Abbott push to probe pornography in schools prompts question: When is a book pornographic? A parent asked the Eanes Independent School District in Austin to remove this picture book about racial justice, arguing that no books that promote the Black Lives Matter movement should be available to children. Like many other banned stories, Gender Queer is perfect for members of the LGBTQ+ community and anyone who wants to be a better ally to their fellow humans. Theyre subjects that kids and teens are curious about, and they may not be things they feel comfortably speaking to their parents about. Tweet The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Queer and trans kids face much higher risks of depression and suicide when they are in an unaccepting environment, and schools play a big role in that. Summer Lopez, the chief program officer of free expression at PEN America, said whats notable about these book bans is that most are on books that families and children can elect to read, not any required reading. The depiction of teenagers locked in a destructive cycle of drug abuse, for one. Updated: 10:17 PM CST January 27, 2022. August 18, 20225:02 PM ET. Adventure ensues. But it's nothing new. Updated at 13:58 p.m. Maia Kobabes autobiographical graphic novel, which explores coming out to the family as nonbinary, has been criticized by religious conservatives since it was published in 2019. The 2022 book ban list includes titles that have been restricted in previous years. For nonfiction, books that discuss sex or its consequences openly tend to make the listtitles include Margaret O. Hydes Safe Sex 101: An Overview for Teens, Donna Langes Taking Responsibility: A Teens Guide to Contraception and Pregnancy, and Chloe Shantz-Hilkes My Girlfriends Pregnant! 0:00. But we do know that book banning has affected titles in a range of book genres and categorieseverything from the best childrens books to classic books and plenty of books about race relations in America. I tracked three data points for each book: fiction or nonfiction, age category, and presumed reason for the book being challenged. George M. Johnsons memoir-manifesto about his coming out, All Boys Arent Blue, appears seven times; Susan Kuklins 2014 nonfiction collection of interviews, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, appears five times, as does Mike Curatos comic book memoir Flamer. "Mein Kampf," Adolf Hitler's antisemitic political manifesto. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. According to a list compiled by the literature and human rights nonprofit PEN America, between July 1 of last year and June 30, Texas has seen 801 bannings. Texas has banned 801 books, spanning 22 school . This hotly debated work of young adult fiction is written in diary form and reads as if written by a 15-year-old teen runaway on a journey to find herselfif she doesnt destroy herself first. More recently, Wheres Waldo? Despite their widespread popularity, the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling have been challenged by Christian religious leaders and groups, with some even calling them satanic. Thats because the book series centers on a young wizard and his crew of friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. ", A parent in Prosper, a Dallas suburb, said this illustrated children's book, which touches on the racism that Olympian Wilma Rudolph experienced growing up in Tennessee in the 1940s, should be removed from school libraries because "it opines prejudice based on race. Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic . The Texas Tribune Festival is almost here! Its hardly the only book about gender identity and same-sex romance to find itself banned in a Texas school or library, however. An Eanes parent asked administrators to get rid of this novel, about a 12-year-old girl who gets involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, because it might cause a white child to feel "confusion or distress. Separately, some school boards in Texas have moved to remove books from libraries, as books have been challenged and banned in other states as well. ", A Katy mom asked to ban this graphic novel about a Black seventh grader at a mostly white school. There is one book each from Michael Crichton (a 1993 medical thriller), James Patterson (Cradle and All), and Richard North Patterson (Protect and Defend (Kerry Kilcannon #2)). 2022, 6:33 PM UTC . A Texas school district has pulled the Bible, an illustrated version of Anne Frank's diary and about 40 other books from its libraries after the tomes sparked complaints from parents and community . Dreadnought (H.I.V.E. Alex Ginos novel has been on the American Library Associations Top 10 Most Challenged Books list more than once since its 2017 debut. As with Alex Ginos George, the motivation behind banning this book is painfully apparent. $12 at Amazon. A vast majority of the books named in the state letter are about or referencesexuality, LGBTQ+ identity, and race. The more things change, the the more they stay the same, I suppose. So what makes the cast of characters and plot so shudder inducing? Considered by many (including Readers Digest) to be one of the best books of all time, The Things They Carried is Tim OBriens heartbreaking account of the Vietnam War. 3. Published in 2012, this irreverent book about dying is still one of the most banned books in 2022. Lots of these books have queer side characters, not main characters. Almost one in five of the books listed, I have no idea why theyre included. North East Independent School District in San Antonio identified 414 books in its libraries, which are included in a list of about 850 titles compiled by Texas Rep. Matt Krause. Maya Angelous 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings unpacks the poets childhood and early years as a writer. Book banning is back. Banned Books 2022 By Itinerant Literate Books. Additionally, "1984," "Maus" and "The Handmaid's Tale" are not named in a state effort to scrutinize certain books, though"The Handmaid's Tale:The Graphic Novel" by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault is included on the list. ", A parent in Leander, an Austin suburb, asked for this book, which features a subplot about a teenager whos starting to notice his attraction to other boys, to be removed because the parent didn't believe "books should discuss sensitive/controversial topics such as gender,sexuality.". appeared on a list of around 850 books produced by Republican Texas Rep. Matt Krause. The mistakes and strange choices on this document show how little care was put into it, and how little Krause must think of school officials, that they should comb their collections according to this hastily slapped together list. And yet it was among the top 10 most challenged books of 2020, primarily for the authors bold public words and the claims that the book includes selective snippets of history. Because of heightened scrutiny around what is being taught in schools and Krause's list, there is a wave oflocal attempts to remove specific books from school and public libraries. 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