Banned Books

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Banned Books News Stories from this Year:

  • When The Hate U Give was removed from all school libraries in the Katy Independent School District (Texas), a 15-year-old student gathered 3,700 signatures on an online petition; spoke out at a school board meeting; and started a book club about the YA novel. Author Angie Thomas called her “the real Starr Carter.” The book was returned to high school libraries and can only be checked-out with parental consent. Learn more on the Intellectual Freedom Blog.
  • When a proposed bill in Arkansas would have banned books written by Howard Zinn, the Zinn Education Project sent 700 free copies of A People’s History of the United States to librarians and teachers across the state. Learn more on the Intellectual Freedom Blog.
  • After a mother told a superintendent that her son was uncomfortable with the N-word in To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel was removed from the eighth-grade curriculum at Biloxi Public Schools (Mississippi) in the middle of teaching it, without following policy. After national outcry, the book is available to be taught as an optional assignment with parental permission. Learn more on the Intellectual Freedom Blog.
  • More than 150 people attended the West Chicago Public Library (Illinois) board meeting to debate the inclusion of This Day in June by Gayle Pitman in the youth collection. With support from the conservative Illinois Family Institute, a formal request for reconsideration was submitted to remove or relocate the book to the adult section so children won’t be exposed to LGBT imagery. The board voted 6-1 to retain the picture book in the youth collection. Learn more on the Intellectual Freedom Blog.

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