Not only is this list badly put together, with strange gaps, puzzling inclusions, and broadly applied keywords, but its goal is oppressive and dangerous. . Its a bizarre assortment of titles, formatted in a way that suggests its copy-and-pasted from library listings. Also, while the Texas State Teacher Association said that a district asking if they had to teach two sides to the Holocaust was an overreaction, there is a Holocaust history book on this list: Life, Death and Sacrifice: Women and Family in the Holocaust. All rights reserved. The characters are portrayed as animals separated by species rather than ethnicity, a bold, jarring move. This young adult novel, a National Book Award finalist, mentions abortion and includes multiple descriptions of sex. Keller ISD has policies in place to allow parents, employees, or community members to challenge the content of books that are available to students. These books have clearly been found using some sort of keyword search, and this list includes both LGBTQ books from the 1980s and 90s that are very unlikely to be shelved in school libraries anymore as well as books that just mention LGBTQ people. Conservatives in some school districts have used the book bans and rancor over social studies teachings to help bring rally support and attracted unprecedented money to win school board seats campaigning under the promise to clear out critical race theory and pornographic materials from schools. Aug. 10, 2022. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. Here are the 10 most challenged books of 2021, according to the ALA: "Gender Queer," by Maia Kobabe. A Teens Guide to Becoming a Dad (which seems like a useful book for kids in that situation!). Despite its somewhat grown-up themes, Lowrys Newbery Medalwinning classic is a worthy read (or listen; its available as an audiobook on Audible) for all kids. ", Nov. 29, 2021. They include The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison . Possibly the portrayals of orgies, drugs and rampant consumerism in exchange for personal freedom. But even before that, the authors of Stamped had begun leaving a deep imprint on libraries nonfiction collections. 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. novel by Kurt Vonnegut is a frequent top 100 contender on the ALA's list of banned books . The American Library Association has designated Sept. 25-Oct. 2 as Banned Books Week, to highlight "the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms The more things change, the the more they stay the same, I suppose. PEN America defines a ban as any action taken against a book based on its content after challenges from parents or lawmakers. Based on Bill 3979 and Krauses letter, you might expect this list to be mainly books about racism (which might cause white student discomfort never mind the discomfort students of color face dealing with racism), and theyre certainly on there. 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. I'm done arguing with the people over whether this is fascism.". This censorious movement is turning our public schools into political battlegrounds, driving wedges within communities, forcing teachers and librarians from their jobs, and casting a chill over the spirit of open inquiry and intellectual freedom that underpin a flourishing democracy, Suzanne Nossel, PEN Americas chief executive officer, said in a statement. The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. "Maus" by Art Spiegelman depicts the author askinghis father, aHolocaust survivor, abouthis experiences. Most of the targeted books have to do with race, gender, and sexuality.Unlike most book challenges in the past, whereby parents or other stakeholders in the community would engage teachers and school administrators in a debate over a title, local groups have received support from . The depiction of teenagers locked in a destructive cycle of drug abuse, for one. Far-right politicians, media, and religious leaders intent on stopping children from learning about race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and different cultures within the country have escalated their attacks on freedom of speech by increasing the call for banning of books. 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. Thats a huge number! One day before students returned to classrooms in North Texas, a school district ordered principals and librarians to remove books including the Bible and a graphic novel adaptation of Anne Frank . They have the right to review all instructional materials, and state law guarantees them access to their students records and to a school principal or administrator. But while it may not be a history text, its certainly a must-read book about racism. The story of a pampered pet turned survivor includes strong themes of individualism and social Darwinism. by Brian Lopez She has nine titles on the list. In 1999, one small Wisconsin town officially made it one of its banned books after claiming that a scene in which a spider licks her lips could be taken in two ways, including sexual. Cant say that would have been our first thought. " Lawn Boy " by Jonathan Evison. Nov. 2021: Parents push for audit of Texas school's explicit books Jan. 31, 2022 01:21. An April analysis from PEN America, a literary and free expression advocacy organization, found 1,586 books were banned in 86 school districts across 26 states from July 31, 2021, to March 31 . below is a list of 50 books that . Krause doesnt give any reason or justification for challenging LGBTQ books, despite them being the majority of the books listed. Whats more, denying kids this information puts them in danger. Book bans tend to be specific to schools, towns or sometimes states. Jonathan Evisons 2018 novel follows Mike Muoz, a 22-year-old Mexican man who cant seem to get ahead. Scrutiny of books in schools intensified in Texas last year, as state Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, chairman of the House Committee on General Investigating, requested that superintendents catalog nearly 850 titlesrelated to race and sex or that couldproduce"discomfort" among students. "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison. More recently, however, the book has been challenged because of sexual harassment allegations against the author himself. (Psst! A Texas School District Banned My Book. Austin American-Statesman. Though many teachers have praised George for its straightforward portrayal of a transgender child, it has frequently been pulled from shelves for LGBTQIA+ content and a plot that conflicts with certain communities religious beliefs. This year, I won't have to leave Texas for the fight. Drawing from those records, below is a list of 50 books that Texas parents tried to ban in 2021. It's one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. "Certainly, there is a political impetus behind it. What does it say about an elected official that he would want books about students legal rights taken out of school libraries? The American Library Association noted online, "Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.". Though sometimes billed as a novel, this 2009 book is more of a collection of short vignettes and essays, all somewhat autobiographical portrayals of the authors time in Vietnam. 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 trouble with making an 850 book list of titles to challenge is that it looks comprehensive. ", This young adult adaptation of "Stamped From the Beginning," Kendi's National Book Award-winning historical examination of racism, was flagged for removal by a parent in Katy, who wrote that the children's book "is littered with completely fabricated and conspiracy theory views on history" that make it seem as if "all historical events of the past were a result of racism. As of 2010, the book was already weighed down by 39 challenges or bans. While most of these books arent likely to be in school libraries, I dont want to erase how irresponsible it is to try to take sex ed books out of school. And its not just trans kids books, its also Pugdog, which is about a kid realizing its okay for his girl dog to be slobbery and messy and not particularly girly. Anything that mentions gender, race, culture, or sexuality is up for grabs. 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. She noted Texas public schools have clear, transparent processes approved by school boardsfor addressing book challenges. Request your local libraries and school libraries carry anti-racist, sex ed, trans, and LGBTQ books. "Mein Kampf," Adolf Hitler's antisemitic political manifesto. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Poetry isnt exempt, eitherAnd Still I Rise, the third collection of poems by the great Maya Angelou, is on the list, as well. 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. An Octoberanalysis by The Dallas Morning News found that 97 of the first 100 titles listed were written by women, people of color, or LGBTQ+ authors. Proponents for book banningare painting this issue "with a broad brush" forpolitical support while taking the decision-making process away from children andparents, Robinson said. Jack Londons 1903 classic follows Buck, a giant, lovable cross between a Saint Bernard and Scotch collie. Probably the one that has me the most stumped is Inventions and Inventors by Roger Smith from 2002. Classic books and contemporary . Parents in Keller and Spring Branch complained that this graphic novel, which features a transgender character, should be off-limits for young students because it includes images of children kissing in bed. The series is called Y: The Last Man, but all other series here are listed by individual volume. He lacks successful role models or mentors. We recommend our users to update the browser. The letter also doesn't include the titles mentioned in the tweet, though it does include 'The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel'by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault. Slate (@Slate) February 3, 2022. "Many of these challenges began with the titles on Rep. Krauses list, including 'The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel'by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault," said Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association,in a Feb. 8 email to PolitiFact Texas. One of the most telling titles on this list is 100 Questions Youd Never Ask Your Parents: Straight Answers To Teens Questions About Sex, Sexuality, and Health. This novel, which includes descriptions of sexual abuse, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. The most frequent . May 3, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Texas State Representative Matt Krause recently put more than 800 books on a watch list, many of them dealing with race and . 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. The process is similar in public libraries with selections made based on guidelines approved by the library's governing authority. The collection of personal essays chronicles their experience as a queer Black person in the United States. Join us for Texas biggest politics and policy event when you buy your tickets today. Teenagers should be able to explore questions about sexuality, power, oppression, and more. 21 min read. Conservatives have enacted about 1,600 book bans in school districts over the last 9 months, with Texas leading the way, report says. ", A Katy mom asked to ban this graphic novel about a Black seventh grader at a mostly white school. ET on February 3, 2022. The majority of requests Texas school librarians received were to ban materials covering issues of racism, sexuality and gender. Simon . 0:00. Withholding information makes them less safe, not more. And a potpourri of other random titles, including a five-book set of The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine and Eyes on Target: Inside Stories from the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs. : A Balanced, Comprehensive View of Abortion from its Historical Context to the Current Debate from 1991 (current debate, indeed!) Its not just antiracist books, its also titles like Quinceaera by Ilan Stavans, which is just a nonfiction book about a cultural celebration. 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. 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. Despite its widespread critical acclaim, Maus was recently pulled from Texas library shelves. The librarian alsonoted adistrict in another state removed the title "Maus" from its curriculum, not library. Originally published in 1999, its about a towns controversy over the high schools sex ed program, and a school board member tries to get all the sex ed material, including textbooks, removed from the school. But theres no doubt hes talented when it comes to landscaping. by Lupe Mendez. And abortion, in any context, can get a book banned: Melody Roses Abortion: A Documentary and Reference Guide and Johannah Haneys The Abortion Debate: Understanding the Issues, relatively straightforward histories, are on the list, as are books on the history of Roe v. Wade. Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. Of course, the crude humor and lack of empathy regarding death have gotten Jesse Andrewss debut novel banned more than a few times. 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. That's why there's Banned Books Week," Weiner said. ", A Katy mom said this graphic novel, the second in a series, should be removed from schools because it will make white children feel guilty and "kids will be brainwashed that one race is superior than the other. I tracked three data points for each book: fiction or nonfiction, age category, and presumed reason for the book being challenged. 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. . Here are 50 books Texas parents have asked school districts to ban, nearly all of which deal with racism, sexuality . And heres a quick guide to the ones schools dont want kids to read. In 1931, the governor of Chinas Hunan province thought so. As you might expect, looking into 850 books took a while, so these are based on a glance at the cover and description. When Melissa is shut down for wanting to play a female role in the class play, she decides its time to change things. "As there is no central organization in Texas tracking every book that is challenged, it is almost impossible to say whether one particular title has been banned in Texas public schools or libraries in the past. ", 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. Other books are listed in both English and Spanish versions, while Qu me est pasando?, Lucas y yo, and En el bosque are listed only in Spanish presumably the English versions are okay to stock. Some of them have already been making the rounds of book challenges, including LGBTQ books Lawn Boy and Gender Queer, as well as books addressing racism, like Out of Darkness and This Book is Anti-Racist. A Leander parent suggested replacing children's books that mention gender identity or sexuality, including this one, with "classics," such as "White Fang," "The Indian in the Cupboard,""The Swiss Family Robinson" and Shakespeare. Most have been banned by administrators, while others are the result of a formal challenge from a parent or other community member. Updated at 13:58 p.m. 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. (The format of Title : subtitle is common in library records, but not in most other places.) (Most of the formal library challenges submitted to the Keller Independent School District were filled out on behalf of parents by a school administrator and don't specify why the parents sought to have the books removed.). NBC News sent public records requests to nearly 100 school districts in the Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin regions a small sampling of the states 1,250 public school systems and found 86 formal requests to remove books from libraries last year, the vast majority coming during the final four months of the year. PEN America counted school book bans in the 2021-2022 school year and found an alarming 1,648 titles banned somewhere in the United States the most comprehensive count of book bans to date. Mixed into bizarre listings like a collection of political essays from 2010 or a bioethics adult book from 2005 are titles that will be familiar to you. Some are banned in school libraries, others in classrooms. Some titles, such as Gender Queer, appear multiple times, having been banned from Canutillo (fifteen miles northwest of downtown El Paso) to Clear Creek, 785 miles to its east. In the five years since its publication, Thomas's debut novel has become a downright phenomenon. IE 11 is not supported. Sept. 19, 20225 AM Central. Greg and Earl are snarky and self-absorbed. ", A parent in the Spring Branch ISD said this graphic novel about a Jewish teen living in France after Nazis seized power should be banned because it's "biased" and could lead to the "skewing of a young child's mind.". Are all the other books in the series allowed? "However, from there, the issue has continued to snowball on a case-by-case basis with individuals taking it upon themselves to carefully and subjectively curate a selection of books to challenge based on specific themes and genres.". Tue 23 Aug 2022 02.00 EDT Last modified on Tue 23 Aug 2022 09.19 EDT. Dark magic, evil villains, sorcerers, oh my! Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. Youll also find lots of award-winning books, like the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron and Harvey Awards Book of the Year The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen. About racism challenge from a parent or other community member the trouble with making an 850 book list titles! Time to change things with race and have clear, transparent processes approved by school boardsfor book. And LGBTQ books: subtitle is common in library records, below is a list of books. 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