Children and parents begin uphill fightback against book bans in Florida
1 year, 2 months ago

Children and parents begin uphill fightback against book bans in Florida

CNN  

Central Florida CNN — Now that books are being banned and disappearing from school libraries, students and parents are showing up to school board meetings in Florida to argue for access to books that take on difficult subjects. “‘Wait,’ Josie said, trying to roll away beneath him, but he clamped his hand over her mouth and drove harder and harder until Josie felt him come.” They chose to bring the theater here and for the circus to happen here Michael Marsh, parent, referring to Moms for Liberty “Point of order,” a school board member said. It’s their parents’ decision.” In Indian River County, at the first school board meeting after a session of many sex scene readings, Michael Marsh was angry. Well, you know what, I’m wide awake – or ‘woke,’ which is the bad word of the day.” Of school board members who were aligned with Moms for Liberty, he said, “We’ve got to vote them out. “It’s us versus them, and the school board members that they have successfully gotten elected, and the legislators who have written these draconian but also vague laws that that are so one-sided, and unbeatable.” “There’s a lot of hopelessness,” Miller said.

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History of this topic

New Jersey becomes latest state to prohibit bans on books in school, public libraries
2 weeks ago

New Jersey becomes latest state to prohibit bans on books in school, public libraries

Associated Press  

PRINCETON, N.J. — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law Monday to prohibit public and school libraries from banning books in the state and to enshrine protections against civil and criminal charges for librarians who comply with the law. Murphy signed the bill at Princeton’s public library, a short walk from Princeton University’s ivy-draped campus and cast the …

Trump’s promises to conservatives raise fears of more book bans in U.S.
1 month ago

Trump’s promises to conservatives raise fears of more book bans in U.S.

LA Times  

• Book bans are on the rise as conservative parental rights groups fight what they believe is ‘wokeness’ in classrooms. We’re just getting back to commonsense America.” Trump’s threat to deny federal funding to schools that acknowledge transgender identities could affect curricula and the kinds of books school libraries stock. During his rally at Madison Square Garden in October, Trump …

Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries

Hindustan Times  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries All have been pulled from the shelves of some Florida schools, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education tallying books removed by local school districts. “Students lose the ability to access books that mirror their …

Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries
1 month, 1 week ago

Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. “Students lose the ability to access books that mirror their own lived experiences, to access books that help them learn and empathize with people who … have different life experiences.” The list released for the 2023-2024 school year includes titles by American literary icons like Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard …

Banned Books: 'Nineteen Seconds' Tops PEN America List
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Banned Books: 'Nineteen Seconds' Tops PEN America List

Associated Press  

Jodi Picoult's novel 'Nineteen Minutes' tops PEN America's list of books banned in schools. The book, which was previously recommended for young adults, was removed from school curriculums in Iowa and Florida due to objections centered on a single page referring to a date rape. Picoult's book has been a controversial topic, with some critics arguing that it promotes violence …

Banned Books Week starts with mixed messages as reports show challenges both up and down
3 months ago

Banned Books Week starts with mixed messages as reports show challenges both up and down

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Two reports released Monday provide a mixed but compelling outlook on the wave of book removals and challenges as the annual Banned Books Week begins for schools, stores and libraries nationwide. “And we expect that to continue through the end of the year.” The library association defines a “challenge” as a “formal, written complaint filed with a …

The right wing doesn’t need to ban books anymore. Now, schools are censoring themselves.
3 months ago

The right wing doesn’t need to ban books anymore. Now, schools are censoring themselves.

Slate  

Mary, a high school English teacher of 20 years, has dealt with her share of parental objections toward books. The book “will be gone forever” from her classroom library, thanks, as she sees it, to “a lot of power in the hands of a few board members.” Mary teaches in an American high school, but like the other educators in …

More than a dozen books are removed from schools statewide in Utah
4 months, 1 week ago

More than a dozen books are removed from schools statewide in Utah

NPR  

More than a dozen books are removed from schools statewide in Utah Public school libraries all across Utah will look a little different once classes start this year because the state has required the schools to remove 13 book titles from their shelves permanently. LIMBONG: The law works like this - if a book is found to contain, quote, "objective …

A San Francisco store is shipping LGBTQ+ books to places where they are banned
5 months, 3 weeks ago

A San Francisco store is shipping LGBTQ+ books to places where they are banned

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — In an increasingly divisive political sphere, Becka Robbins focuses on what she knows best — books. Among those topping banned lists have been Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” An LGBTQ+ related book is seen on display at Fabulosa Books, in the Castro District of …

Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects Education Department’s attempt to ban books
6 months, 1 week ago

Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects Education Department’s attempt to ban books

Raw Story  

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. The state’s high court in a unanimous decision said Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and the state Department of Education overstepped their authority in trying to force Edmond schools to ban two novels. Jeff Bardach, a spokesman for Edmond Public Schools, said the …

Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects state education board’s authority over public school libraries
6 months, 1 week ago

Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects state education board’s authority over public school libraries

Associated Press  

EDMOND, Okla. — Local school boards in Oklahoma will retain the right to determine what books are available in public school libraries after the state Supreme Court shut down efforts to shift that discretion to the state Board of Education. “State statutes give a local school board power and a type of statutory discretion to supply books for a school …

Florida school board bans book about book bannings
6 months, 1 week ago

Florida school board bans book about book bannings

Raw Story  

A book about book bannings has itself been banned by a school board in Florida at the behest of right-wing Moms for Liberty activists. The Guardian reports that "Ban This Book" by author Alan Gratz has been removed from libraries in Florida's Indian River county school district after the school board opted to ban it in a 3-to-2 vote last …

Book bans in the US are at an all-time high. Will we see a similar spike in Australia?
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Book bans in the US are at an all-time high. Will we see a similar spike in Australia?

ABC  

On January 20, 2021, the young black poet Amanda Gorman stood upon the dais at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration to read her poem The Hill We Climb. Listen to ABC RN's Banned Books Photo shows Banned Books_02_0201 The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange looks at what is driving book bans worldwide, from China's crackdown on homoerotic danmei fiction to the controversy …

How best to stop books being banned? Ban such bans.
6 months, 3 weeks ago

How best to stop books being banned? Ban such bans.

Live Mint  

While far-right groups—in mostly Republican-led states—wage a crusade to ban thousands of books in schools and public libraries across the country, Minnesota is pushing back. Where previous attempts typically involved a parent or small group of parents challenging a single book title, now groups with clear political agendas are filing coordinated challenges against scores of books, all under the guise …

Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship. They’re banning the book ban
8 months ago

Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship. They’re banning the book ban

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A movement to ban book bans is gaining steam in Minnesota and several other states, in contrast to the trend playing out in more conservative states where book challenges have soared to their highest levels in decades. The move to quash book bans is welcome to people like Shae Ross, a queer and out Minnesota high …

Ron DeSantis finally admits that Florida book bans went too far
8 months ago

Ron DeSantis finally admits that Florida book bans went too far

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ron DeSantis conceded this week that Florida may have gone …

DeSantis tweaks Florida book challenge law, blames liberal activist who wanted Bible out of schools
8 months, 1 week ago

DeSantis tweaks Florida book challenge law, blames liberal activist who wanted Bible out of schools

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two years ago, Democrats repeatedly and forcefully warned Republicans and Gov. That’s political.” Coincidentally, PEN America, a group that fights book bans, issued a report Tuesday saying Florida is responsible for 72% of the books that have been pulled from the nation’s schools in the first half of the current school year. The dispute between them erupted …

Report: Last year ended with a surge in book bans
8 months, 1 week ago

Report: Last year ended with a surge in book bans

NPR  

Report: Last year ended with a surge in book bans Enlarge this image toggle caption PEN America PEN America PEN America says there was an "unprecedented" surge in book bans during the latter half of 2023, according to a new report. The free expression group says that from July-December of last year, it recorded 4,349 instances of book bans across …

Censorship efforts at libraries continued to soar in 2023, according to a new report
9 months, 1 week ago

Censorship efforts at libraries continued to soar in 2023, according to a new report

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Bannings and attempted bannings of books soared again in the U.S. last year, continuing to set record highs, according to a new report from the American Library Association. On Thursday, the ALA announced that 4,240 works in school and public libraries had been targeted in 2023, a substantial hike from the then-record 2,571 books in 2022 and …

DeSantis allies start to back off book bans amid national outrage: 'May have gone too far'
11 months ago

DeSantis allies start to back off book bans amid national outrage: 'May have gone too far'

Raw Story  

Florida Republicans might be backing off support for Gov. Florida has become infamous as the epicenter of book censorship activism in schools, even as DeSantis has insisted the whole thing is a liberal "hoax" to make his state look bad. But the state's Republican legislature is starting to worry the action has gone too far, reported Politico, with lawmakers considering …

From Iowa to Florida, national lawsuits against local book bans begin to gain traction
11 months, 1 week ago

From Iowa to Florida, national lawsuits against local book bans begin to gain traction

LA Times  

Lawsuits challenging book bans in Florida and Iowa are proving to play a key role in the growing fight for student’s access to literature. In May, Dan Novack, Penguin Random House vice president and associate general counsel, told The Times the publishing house was suing to stop “one of the most unsubtle attempts at viewpoint discrimination” they’d ever seen. Today’s …

A new report shows how corrosive book banning is. Novelist Lauren Groff is fighting back
1 year ago

A new report shows how corrosive book banning is. Novelist Lauren Groff is fighting back

LA Times  

PEN America’s latest report on book bans is glaring, but “Matrix” author Lauren Groff is on the front lines and opening a banned-book shop in Florida. As a new report from PEN America aggregates two years of data on book bans to show how they stigmatize specific authors, Lauren Groff — author of “Florida” and the recent novel “The Vaster …

To fight so-called book bans, some states are threatening to withhold funding
1 year ago

To fight so-called book bans, some states are threatening to withhold funding

NPR  

To fight so-called book bans, some states are threatening to withhold funding Enlarge this image toggle caption Ted Shaffrey/AP Ted Shaffrey/AP On Jan. 1, Illinois' new law meant to slow the rapid rise of books being challenged or pulled from library shelves goes into effect. The Illinois law states that in order to be eligible for state grants, a library …

A book delivery initiative will help people in Florida receive banned books
1 year, 2 months ago

A book delivery initiative will help people in Florida receive banned books

NPR  

A book delivery initiative will help people in Florida receive banned books The banning of books across U.S. schools continuing at an alarming rate. Banned Books USA will send banned books to libraries, educational institutions or anyone living in the state of Florida. The initiative ships banned books to libraries, schools or just anyone living in the state of Florida …

‘Teachers will be punished’: Fox News host busts Ron DeSantis for denying Florida book bans
1 year, 2 months ago

‘Teachers will be punished’: Fox News host busts Ron DeSantis for denying Florida book bans

Raw Story  

Fox News host Shannon Bream pushed back on Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis after he claimed that his state had not banned books in schools. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Bream told the Florida governor she had recently spoken to a group of women about the targeting of LGBT students by his policies. "And the message that they've …

Column: Not satisfied with schools, book banners are now targeting adults’ right to read
1 year, 2 months ago

Column: Not satisfied with schools, book banners are now targeting adults’ right to read

LA Times  

Students and other citizens at a recent school board meeting in Orlando, Fla., protest efforts by the board and state authorities to remove books from school library shelves and suppress education on race and LGBTQ+ issues. “This year, to date, it’s 49%.” We’re seeing groups go to school or library board meetings to demand the removal of multiple titles all …

Carl Hiaasen, Banned Books, And Censorship In Schools : 1A
1 year, 2 months ago

Carl Hiaasen, Banned Books, And Censorship In Schools : 1A

NPR  

Carl Hiaasen, Banned Books, And Censorship In Schools Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Since she was little, Iris Mogul has always loved reading. When The 16-year-old junior at the Academy Academy for Advanced Academics in South Florida learned that her English teacher was considering not teaching a Toni Morrison book because of the state's …

Newsom bars school book bans: LGBTQ+ textbook bill signed into law amid growing culture wars
1 year, 2 months ago

Newsom bars school book bans: LGBTQ+ textbook bill signed into law amid growing culture wars

LA Times  

Gia Rueda speaks out against opposition to LGBTQ+ education materials at a school board meeting on July 18 in Temecula. It comes as school boards in California’s Republican-leaning districts have approved policies reflective of national GOP culture wars regarding “parental rights” over issues such as gender identity and racial history. “We have school districts large and small banning books, banning …

How school book bans exploded — with front lines in Southern California too
1 year, 3 months ago

How school book bans exploded — with front lines in Southern California too

LA Times  

Good morning, and welcome to the L.A. Times Book Club newsletter. “As a librarian, having worked in the city for 32 years and since I’ve retired, I have never, not once, had anyone come up to me and say, ‘You know what, my child’s life was ruined because of a book they checked out of the library.’ It didn’t start …

Challenges to library books continue at record pace in 2023, American Library Association reports
1 year, 3 months ago

Challenges to library books continue at record pace in 2023, American Library Association reports

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Book bans and attempted bans continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association. Through the first eight months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and services, compared to 681 during the same time period last year, and a 20% jump in the number of “unique titles” involved to 1,915. “The …

Georgia Made It Easier For Parents To Challenge School Library Books. Almost No One Has Done So
1 year, 4 months ago

Georgia Made It Easier For Parents To Challenge School Library Books. Almost No One Has Done So

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING CUMMING, Ga. — When Allison Strickland urged a suburban Atlanta school board in June to remove four books from school libraries, she was following a path cleared by Georgia’s Republican lawmakers. That’s happened in Forsyth County, where documents obtained by AP show a librarian “weeded” two books Strickland was protesting from another high school’s library, just before …

Georgia made it easier for parents to challenge school library books. Almost no one has done so
1 year, 4 months ago

Georgia made it easier for parents to challenge school library books. Almost no one has done so

Associated Press  

CUMMING, Ga. — When Allison Strickland urged a suburban Atlanta school board in June to remove four books from school libraries, she was following a path cleared by Georgia’s Republican lawmakers. That’s happened in Forsyth County, where documents obtained by AP show a librarian “weeded” two books Strickland was protesting from another high school’s library, just before they were challenged …

Books banned in other states fuel Vermont lieutenant governor’s reading tour
1 year, 4 months ago

Books banned in other states fuel Vermont lieutenant governor’s reading tour

Associated Press  

WATERBURY, Vt. — On a recent Sunday afternoon, Vermont’s lieutenant governor was at a local library, reading a book about two male penguins to a crowd of nearly two dozen. “Students, teachers, and curious minds should be able to access materials that spark critical thinking, cover difficult topics, and appeal to diverse interests without fear of government interference.” While Vermont …

LGBTQ+ book bans are hitting California schools. How teachers can fight back
1 year, 4 months ago

LGBTQ+ book bans are hitting California schools. How teachers can fight back

LA Times  

These three books with LGBTQ+ themes have been banned in some Florida counties. If you’re an educator who encounters LGBTQ+ book bans or attempts to ban at your school, here’s what you need to know. Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America, said that book bans and attempts to ban overwhelmingly affect LGBTQ+ identities, characters, stories and …

Florida schools remove books by John Milton and Toni Morrison and restrict Shakespeare under DeSantis rules
1 year, 5 months ago

Florida schools remove books by John Milton and Toni Morrison and restrict Shakespeare under DeSantis rules

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Over …

The Moms Who Started The School Board Wars Are Now Presidential Kingmakers
1 year, 5 months ago

The Moms Who Started The School Board Wars Are Now Presidential Kingmakers

Huff Post  

The Moms for Liberty convention drew hundreds of protesters this week who object to the group's efforts to ban books. Nikki Haley stated in an apparent reference to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s designation of the right-wing mom group: “When they mentioned this was a terrorist organization, I said, ‘Well then count me a mom for liberty!’” Moms for Liberty …

California doubles down on inclusive education as red states ban books in classrooms
1 year, 6 months ago

California doubles down on inclusive education as red states ban books in classrooms

LA Times  

of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, foreground, and Gov. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and legislators, meeting for the first time Wednesday as part of a new task force, called on textbook publishers to commit to producing materials that are “free from discrimination and inclusive of the diverse narratives that reflect the student body of California.” Members of the task force, …

Commentary: Are book bans unconstitutional? They are certainly political
1 year, 6 months ago

Commentary: Are book bans unconstitutional? They are certainly political

LA Times  

A student holds a sign that reads “Stop Book Banning” at a rally at a Florida school district meeting. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond early this month jointly issued a five-page warning to California’s school superintendents reminding them that the U.S. Constitution restricts the removal of books from libraries and curriculum. They also noted that the state education code requires …

Illinois becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban book bans
1 year, 6 months ago

Illinois becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban book bans

NPR  

Illinois becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban book bans In Illinois, there's now a ban on banning books. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: The battle over what books should be in public schools and libraries may be over, at least in the state of Illinois because the state is the first to ban banning books. ALEX DEGMAN, BYLINE: Illinois …

Majority of book ban requests were made by only 11 people: analysis
1 year, 7 months ago

Majority of book ban requests were made by only 11 people: analysis

Raw Story  

Right-wing activists have been working in recent years to remove what they say are objectionable books from local libraries -- but it turns out that a tiny number of them are responsible for most of the book ban requests. Analysis conducted by the Washington Post found that only 11 people were responsible for more than half of more than 1,000 …

Amanda Gorman on her inauguration poem being banned at Miami school: ‘I am gutted’
1 year, 7 months ago

Amanda Gorman on her inauguration poem being banned at Miami school: ‘I am gutted’

LA Times  

Amanda Gorman responds to the restriction of her poem for President Biden’s inauguration, “The Hill We Climb,” at a Miami Lakes school library: “So they ban my book from young readers, confuse me with Oprah...” Bob Graham Education Center, a K-8 school in Miami-Dade County, restricted access to Amanda Gorman’s acclaimed poem “The Hill We Climb,” which she read at …

Georgia school’s book bans may break civil rights law, federal officials warn
1 year, 7 months ago

Georgia school’s book bans may break civil rights law, federal officials warn

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Education has found that a suburban Atlanta school district’s decision to remove some books from its libraries may have created a hostile environment that violated federal laws against race and sex discrimination. The Forsyth County school district settled the complaint, agreeing to explain the book removal process to students and offer “supportive measures” to …

'Acts of harassment': Education Dept warns book bans are violating kids' civil rights
1 year, 7 months ago

'Acts of harassment': Education Dept warns book bans are violating kids' civil rights

Raw Story  

The Department of Education is warning that a Georgia school district's ban of books related to race and sexual orientation creates a "hostile environment" for students that could constitute a violation of federal civil rights law, reportedThe Washington Post on Monday. "The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights released its findings in a letter Friday wrapping up its investigation into …

Penguin Random House, human rights group, authors and parents sue Florida school district over book bans
1 year, 7 months ago

Penguin Random House, human rights group, authors and parents sue Florida school district over book bans

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A school district and school board in Florida’s Escambia County …

Major publisher sues over DeSantis-sanctioned book bans
1 year, 7 months ago

Major publisher sues over DeSantis-sanctioned book bans

Raw Story  

A writers group and major publisher have sued a Florida school district over its Ron DeSantis-sanctioned removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities. PEN America and Penguin Random House filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the Escambia County School District and its school board alleging a violation of their First Amendment rights for removing 10 books from library shelves, …

PEN America, Penguin Random House sue Florida school district over book bans
1 year, 7 months ago

PEN America, Penguin Random House sue Florida school district over book bans

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Writers’ group PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House sued a Florida school district Wednesday over its removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities, the latest opposition to a policy central to Gov. Censorship, in the form of book bans like those enacted by Escambia County, are a direct threat to democracy and our Constitutional rights,” …

‘Censorship’: US publisher sues over Florida book restrictions
1 year, 7 months ago

‘Censorship’: US publisher sues over Florida book restrictions

Al Jazeera  

The lawsuit alleges a county in the Republican-led state is cracking down on access to books on race and LGBTQ identity. The group PEN America and the publisher Penguin Random House announced the lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that the Escambia County School District and its school board violated the First Amendment of the US Constitution by removing 10 books on …

Penguin Random House, advocates and authors sue Florida school district over book bans
1 year, 7 months ago

Penguin Random House, advocates and authors sue Florida school district over book bans

CNN  

CNN — Book publisher Penguin Random House, along with several parents, authors and the literary and free speech advocacy group PEN America, are suing a Florida school district to challenge the removal of several books on race and LGBTQ issues from school libraries. Cody Strother, a spokesperson for Escambia County Public Schools, told CNN the district is “unable to comment …

The 15 most banned books in America this school year
1 year, 7 months ago

The 15 most banned books in America this school year

LA Times  

The recent surge in book bans in U.S. school districts and libraries is the latest front in a long-running battle that has swept up even literary masterpieces of John Steinbeck, J.D. Also removed were nine books from James Patterson’s “Maximum Ride” series and two books by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, among other titles. Nevertheless, the book was challenged as …

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