Florida a leader in withdrawing books from school libraries

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. “Forever” by Judi Blume. “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.

All of them have been pulled from the shelves of some Florida schools, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education, which counts books removed by local school districts.

Recent changes to state law gave parents and residents the authority to object to books in the school library and required districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing which books are restricted at their schools. Florida continues to lead the nation in withdrawing books from school libraries, according to analysis by the American Librarians Association and the advocacy group PEN America.

“Restricting access is restricting one’s freedom to read,” said Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students are losing the ability to access books that reflect their lived experiences, books that help them learn and empathize with people who have different life experiences.”

The list announced for the 2023-2024 academic year includes works by American literary icons such as Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, as well as books that have become the main targets of censorship nationwide because they contain LGBTQ+ characters and discussions. Descriptions of gender and sexuality and the sexual encounter, such as George Johnson’s “Not All Men Are Blue” and Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer.” Conservative advocates have labeled such content “pornographic.”

The list of books removed from libraries also includes Holocaust stories such as “The Diary of Anne Frank: A Graphic Adaptation” and “Sophie’s Choice.” So is the comic book adaptation of “1984,” George Orwell’s seminal work on censorship and surveillance.

“Everywhere from Toni Morrison to Alice Walker, from ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ to George Orwell,” said Stephana Farrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book challenges in the state. “If you take the time to look at that list, you will notice that there is a problem with this movement.”

In a statement to The Associated Press, a Florida Department of Education spokesperson maintained that no books are banned in Florida and defended the state’s push to remove “sexually explicit material” from schools.

“Once again, far-left activists are pushing the book ban scam on Floridians. The better question is why these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit material,” said spokesperson Sydney Booker.

The list shows that book removals vary widely across the state, with some counties reporting no restrictions and others counting hundreds of books taken from shelves. Farrell, of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said based on the group’s analysis of public records, the department’s report was deemed incomplete because it did not include books removed following an internal staff review, only books pulled following a complaint from a parent or resident. .

Farrell believes most Florida parents want their children to have broad access to literature.

“We live in a country where parental rights need to be recognized, heard and responded to,” Farrell said. “We want accountability and an accurate record of how these laws impact our children and what is available to them.”

Schools have restricted access to dozens of books by Stephen King, the master of the horror genre known for bestsellers such as “It” and “Pet Sematary.” Officials in Clay County also determined his book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” was unsuitable for students.

King, who spends part of the year in Florida, talked about his efforts to get his books out of students’ hands and urged readers to run to the nearest library or bookstore.

“What is (expletive)?” King made a post on social media in August reacting to the decision of some Florida schools to pull his books from the shelves.

Many school districts in Florida have faced legal challenges over restricting student access to books, including Escambia County, which was sued by PEN America and Penguin Random House, the nation’s largest publisher.

In September, the Nassau County school district settled a lawsuit filed by the authors of “And Tango Makes Three,” a picture book based on the true story of two male penguins who raise a chick together at New York’s Central Park Zoo. Under the terms of the agreement, the district had to return three dozen books to the shelves.