Four books by different authors with the title Gender Identity have all been banned in at least one district. Nudity (of animals) and profanity. More:A state lawmaker asked schools to catalog books on race and sex. This list has so many excellent, beloved queer YA books, like Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (both the English and Spanish versions). Ive already shared some of the mistakes, omissions, and strange inclusions (like sex ed books from the 70s) on this list, but thats only scratching the surface. Its hardly the only book about gender identity and same-sex romance to find itself banned in a Texas school or library, however. Its no wonder Go Ask Alice has been banned time and time again for its explicit themes. Considering how few trans books are published, this is a huge number. Probably the one that has me the most stumped is Inventions and Inventors by Roger Smith from 2002. In any event, the guiding principle remains the same: to ensure that students are not exposed to ideas that their elders do not want them to consider, by making it increasingly difficult to access the volumes in which those ideas are contained. Also, school boards must establish a way to consider complaints from parents. In the book, a man born and raised outside the dystopian society becomes a tourist spectacle for his lack of addiction and adherence to independence. A parent in Prosper said this novel, which tells the story of 9/11 and its aftermath from the dueling perspectives of an American boy and an Afghan girl, should be removed from schools because it "depicts American soldiers as callous, evil and terrorists" and because the author mentions the racial or ethnic identities of every character. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. The books tragic ending begs the reader to answer: Would you rather be happy or free? After all, stories about kids killing each other doesnt cause students discomfort, but a book that mentions a characters gay uncle is apparently scarring. 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. 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. Its banned classics, and new books, and books in-between; its banned best-sellers, award winners, and books rarely seen. Where the Wild Things Are is one of those rare childrens books that frightens some adults for its edgy portrayal of kids imaginations and subconscious desires. January 14, 2022, 8 . 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. 28. Removing thoughtful materials because they offend is nothing new, but this particular ban has rekindled debates over censorship and convenient whitewashing of tragic historic events. People complained, and the book landed among the top 100 most banned books in America between 1990 and 2000. The parents challenging these books say that sex ed should be taught in the home, by parents, but that ignores that many households wont do this, and also that most teens dont feel comfortable talking to their parents about sex. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? Add to that a few sexually explicit scenes, and youve got a few jittery school boards purging the shelves of this YA book. Book bans tend to be specific to schools, towns or sometimes states. By Claire Moses. In August 2022, Anne Frank's "The Diary of a Young Girl" and the Bible were banned by the Keller Independent School District in Texas. 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. Readers seem to either love or hate the story of three awkward teens as they navigate an impossible situation. Lots of books on this list are from a series. Ever since I saw this list, Ive been itching to dig into it. 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)). Request your local libraries and school libraries carry anti-racist, sex ed, trans, and LGBTQ books. Teenagers should be able to explore questions about sexuality, power, oppression, and more. Thank you for signing up! This illustrated children's book about a transgender child based on the real-life experiences of one of the authors is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. Greg Abbott has capitalized on a highly public effort to pull "pornographic or obscene" books from school libraries, following the efforts of state Rep. Matt Krause (R), who's circulated a list of more than 800 books that purportedly cross the line. 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. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Drawing from those records, below is a list of 50 books that Texas parents tried to ban in 2021. I'm done arguing with people over whether this is fascism.". May 3, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Of course, the debate over Steinbecks prized work is similar to the ones around the likes of To Kill a Mockingbird. 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. It is important to note that in 2013, a pair of civil rights organizations sued the Virginia Department of Corrections after the groups' inmate legal guide to challenging prison . "Book challenges in American schools are . ", 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. Not only is this list badly put together, with strange gaps, puzzling inclusions, and broadly applied keywords, but its goal is oppressive and dangerous. 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. The series is called Y: The Last Man, but all other series here are listed by individual volume. 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. Archived Book Challenges. But is its psychedelic-like prose worth banning? How many have you read from the 2022 banned books list? Nate Expectations, the third book in a series about a gay kids, but not the first two. Of course, The Hunger Games isnt listed, and neither is Battle Royale. Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic . Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. Below is a list of 25 LGBTQ+ books that have been banned or are currently facing bans across the U.S. Perhaps the most disturbing trend I saw in this list is the challenging of books that teach students their rights. 2022, 6:33 PM UTC . Others, such as Brent Sherrards Final Takedowna slim, out-of-print volume from a small Canadian publisher about a kid who faces time in juvenile detentionappear but once (in San Antonios North East Independent School District, the most avid banner of books in the state). Angie Thomass 2017 New York Times bestseller frequently appears on lists of banned stories. Books on race and sexuality are disappearing from Texas schools in record numbers. July 31, 2022. 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. This keyword approach means that books like Thinking Out Loud: On the Personal, the Political, the Public and the Private, an adult book of political essays from 1994 is on this list, presumably because it mentions writing about gays in the description. (Psst! Who considers it dangerous for kids to know their rights? below is a list of 50 books that . The Texas Tribune Festival is almost here! Almost one in five of the books listed, I have no idea why theyre included. On Krause's 850-strong list of titles he wants banned from Texas libraries, 62% concern LGBTQ+ issues. 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. This childrens book about diversity provides readers with context for the racial tensions of today and offers hope for a more antiracist world in the future. No matter how you feel about human-size bugs, Roald Dahls James and the Giant Peach seems innocent enough at first glance. The book, published in 1947, is a clear-eyed glimpse into the thoughts of a young teenager hiding in an attic to avoid being rounded up by the Nazis during World War II. Along with books written for teens to understand their bodies and sexuality, this list also includes any books about abortion or pregnancy, including history books about Roe vs. Wade or debates about abortion. Between 2021 and 2022, there were a considerable number of books banned or challenged in the United States. It's one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. 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. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. A Texas School District Banned My Book. The reflections on race and identity are at once funny, poignant and heart-wrenching. When shes not on deadline, you can find her curled up with a new library book or road-tripping through Europe or the American West. But even before that, the authors of Stamped had begun leaving a deep imprint on libraries nonfiction collections. 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. When it comes to straight, cisgender folks, though, things have to get a bit more specific. 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. Discussions of race or sex, or just the wrong vibes, seem to be all it takes to number a book among the 801 bannings in Texas this year. A Katy parent asked to have this children's biography of the former first lady banned at every grade level because, the parent said, it unfairly depicts former President Donald Trump as a bully and because Obama's reflections on race gave the impression that "if you sound like a white girl you should be ashamed of yourself. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. ", A dad in Grapevine, a Dallas suburb, asked his child's school district to ban this book, a collection of poems by women of color on topics relating to social justice, activism and discrimination, because, he said, it promotes "terrorism.". Poetry isnt exempt, eitherAnd Still I Rise, the third collection of poems by the great Maya Angelou, is on the list, as well. Some schools have challenged the fantastical story for language, plus tobacco and alcohol references. ", 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.. . This content contains affiliate links. The depiction of teenagers locked in a destructive cycle of drug abuse, for one. We recommend our users to update the browser. Texas school district pulls over 40 books, including the Bible, from shelves amid review. A mom in Birdville asked school leaders to remove this book an illustrated guide to puberty, sex and sexual health after her child checked it out, writing that it wasn't appropriate for middle schoolers. Greg Abbott has put a promise to increase parental rights at the center of his reelection platform. These books are theoretically related to House Bill 3979, a so-called anti-CRT bill that bans teaching any materials that could mean an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individuals race or sex. Of course, the bill which is an overreach that has confused school districts about how to follow it doesnt actually mention books in school libraries. Banned Books in the Texas Prison System (2011) The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) also allegedly maintained a list of books partially named on this site. Banned Books 2022 By Itinerant Literate Books. As of 2010, the book was already weighed down by 39 challenges or bans. Posted by Reggie Jackson | Apr 25, 2022 "In total, for the nine-month period represented (July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022), the Index lists 1,586 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,145 unique book titles. ", A viral Feb. 1 tweetsaid, "Books banned in Texas include 1984,Maus,and The Handmaid's Tale, but not Mein Kampf. Its unfortunately been pulled from many shelves for LGBTQIA+ content. 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. Across the country, more books have been challenged and removed as religious and conservative groups target LGBTQ and race issues. Thats a huge number! For example, The Reproductive System by Alvin Silverstein from 1971 or The Seventeen Guide To Sex and Your Body from 1996. I went through all 850 books to find out, and I found some interesting and unsettling things. 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