Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. For nonfiction, books that discuss sex or its consequences openly tend to make the listtitles include Margaret O. Hydes Safe Sex 101: An Overview for Teens, Donna Langes Taking Responsibility: A Teens Guide to Contraception and Pregnancy, and Chloe Shantz-Hilkes My Girlfriends Pregnant! Alex Ginos novel has been on the American Library Associations Top 10 Most Challenged Books list more than once since its 2017 debut. Withholding information from students about their rights is incredibly unethical. Another 40% of these books contains protagonists or prominent secondary characters of color. Nate Expectations, the third book in a series about a gay kids, but not the first two. This novel, about a young slave boy who becomes swept up in a struggle for his own liberation, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. The 2022 book ban list includes titles that have been restricted in previous years. By Meghan Mangrum. Keeping these books out of school libraries means students are less educated and are more likely to practice risky behavior because they dont have all the facts. When it comes to straight, cisgender folks, though, things have to get a bit more specific. The book has been banned several times, mostly for its profanity and references to sex. confused school districts about how to follow it, We the Students: Supreme Court Cases for and About Students, Whose Life? And while this is a nationwide phenomenon, no states schools have embraced the practice of declaring certain stories and perspectives forbidden to their young people the way that Texass have. Drawing from those records, below is a list of 50 books that Texas parents tried to ban in 2021. ", Nov. 29, 2021. "Certainly, there is a political impetus behind it. Banned Books 2022. Other countries soon followed suit. Run for your local school board and library board. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. Texas has removed more books from school libraries than in any other state this year, according to a new report released at the start of Banned . The graphic novel version of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is also included, which is an incredibly common story to teach in schools I taught it twice in my brief stint as a high school English teacher! According to PEN America, in that period, there were 1,586 books banned. The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. Bestselling author Jason Reynolds, the "Banned Books Week 2021 Honorary Chair," has two books on the most recent list: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-written with Ibram X. Kendi and All . "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.". That may as well have been a lifetime ago, however, as the length and breadth of the list indicates. George M. Johnsons memoir-manifesto about his coming out, All Boys Arent Blue, appears seven times; Susan Kuklins 2014 nonfiction collection of interviews, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, appears five times, as does Mike Curatos comic book memoir Flamer. Separately, some school boardsin Texas have moved to remove books fromlibraries, as books have been challenged and banned in other states as well. I went through all 850 books to find out, and I found some interesting and unsettling things. Join us for Texas biggest politics and policy event when you buy your tickets today. Mike Hixenbaugh is a senior investigativereporter for NBC News, based in Houston. "Maus" by Art Spiegelman depicts the author askinghis father, aHolocaust survivor, abouthis experiences. Texas school district pulls over 40 books, including the Bible, from shelves amid review. Kobabe's book tops the American Library Association's list for most banned books in 2021. In the United States, a book might be banned from the library or a store, but that doesnt mean its illegal to read it.) Through Scouts eyes, readers bear witness to the deep injustice of the situation along with the bittersweet lessons of growing up. 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. Not only is every book on human sexuality disallowed, from The Baby Tree to teen books about STIs, but also anything that mentions teen pregnancy, including YA novels. Texas state Rep. Matt Krause, from Fort Worth, who chairs the Texas House's General Investigating Committee, made a 16-page list of roughly 850 book titles he said might make students feel "discomfort." Driving the news: Granbury ISD pulled at least 125 books from school libraries as part of a review and some students were furious. Margaret Atwoods bestselling book (which inspired the Hulu TV show) is as dystopian as they come. Keep an eye on your inbox. (In both instances, its Maia Kobabes award-winning comic book memoir Gender Queer, which has also been banned in nine districts in Texas. This list has been updated on 09/24/2022. and Ten that NEED to Be Banned! The story of a pampered pet turned survivor includes strong themes of individualism and social Darwinism. 2:29 PM on Sep 19, 2022 CDT. (Teenagers are, of course, famously respectful of such rules, and rarely seek out such materials on their own.). City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. This is the list of the most banned books in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the PEN America . Book Challenges. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Who considers it dangerous for kids to know their rights? The fervor around critical race theory, which describes an academic framework not taught in public schools, means that it doesnt matter how well regarded a book about race issuch titles are all over the list of banned books. This novel, which includes LGBTQ storylines and explicit language, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller. In 1994, the book was banned in Alaska and Pennsylvania schools for graphic descriptions and offensive language. Then Things Got Really Ugly. series on your book ban list is sinister, and challenging 100 Questions Youd Never Ask Your Parents with the expectation that students will learn sex ed in their homes is pretty on the nose, I have to give the irony award to the inclusion of the title The Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden. "Gender Queer: A Memoir," by Maia Kobabe. Wynne Davis. 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. This book, lauded for its portrayal of a transgender child, is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. Teenagers should be able to explore questions about sexuality, power, oppression, and more. The characters are portrayed as animals separated by species rather than ethnicity, a bold, jarring move. Hard to say for sure, but in addition to banning books because they acknowledge that teens think about sex, or out of a desire to disappear queer folks and discussions of race from the conversation, some stuff makes the list just because of, like, vibes. Incidentally, Chaz Stevens, an atheist activist in Florida, recently made this exact argument to ban the Bible in school as part of an effort to call out right-wing hypocrisy . A stack of books that have been challenged or banned in Texas, April 2022. The books the user refers to are: Is this post right about these books being banned in Texas and "Mein Kampf" not banned? Lois Lowrys 1993 dystopian book for children has made waves for nearly three decades now. North East Independent School District in San Antonio identified 414 books in its libraries, which are included in a list of about 850 titles compiled by Texas Rep. Matt Krause. Its difficult to say which book is the most banned in the United States. But for the throngs of readers who have never been forced to see war head-on, the book offers a sampling of memories. 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. https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2022/08/ban-my . This illustrated memoir by a nonbinary author, which includes sexually explicit cartoon images, triggered attempted bans and even threats of criminal charges in several Texas school districts. "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. Nope, this one isnt a joke. Texas-based NBC reporter Mike Hixenbaugh spoke . May 3, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. As with Alex Ginos George, the motivation behind banning this book is painfully apparent. Bring on the Shiplap? But even before that, the authors of Stamped had begun leaving a deep imprint on libraries nonfiction collections. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Published in 2012, this irreverent book about dying is still one of the most banned books in 2022. This recent series of book bans has unfolded against the backdrop of a national debate over critical race theory, a college-level academic discipline that examines how racism is embedded in the countrys legal and structural systems. Texas banned more books from school libraries this past year than any other state in the nation, targeting titles centering on race, racism, abortion and LGBTQ representation and issues, according to a new analysis by PEN America, a nonprofit organization advocating for free speech. Nudity (of animals) and profanity. 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 . Granbury Independent School District, a small public school district south of Fort Worth, Texas, became a scrimmage line in the state's ongoing controversy over book censorship in January 2022 . You might be wondering why a classic American coming-of-age story has been banned. Because students deserve better than this. 28. With some titles restricted in multiple places, the total count of book bans is more than 2,500. Also, I used trans as an umbrella term for any books dealing with gender-nonconforming people for the sake of clear statistics. But while it may not be a history text, its certainly a must-read book about racism. Theyre subjects that kids and teens are curious about, and they may not be things they feel comfortably speaking to their parents about. It's one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. September 20, 2022 1. . Poetry isnt exempt, eitherAnd Still I Rise, the third collection of poems by the great Maya Angelou, is on the list, as well. She noted Texas public schools have clear, transparent processes approved by school boardsfor addressing book challenges. This young adult novel, a National Book Award finalist, mentions abortion and includes multiple descriptions of sex. Parents complained about a number of books at a school board meeting in Osceola County on April 19. If you like this one, check out more books by Latinx authorstheyre great reads whether youre part of the community or just looking to experience stories from a culture outside your own. Do they have to comply? A Birdville mom wanted this book, a graphic novel featuring LGBTQ characters, removed from libraries because, she said, it "has a recurring theme of oral sex. (The format of Title : subtitle is common in library records, but not in most other places.) --->Banning Increases Sales<--- Here's a List of Truly Great Books. Aug. 10, 2022. The parent claimed the book encourages "admiring people with low morals and values, and hate of other people. Dark magic, evil villains, sorcerers, oh my! The collection of personal essays chronicles their experience as a queer Black person in the United States. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. The most egregious example for me is that The You Ive Never Known by Ellen Hopkins is on this list, which is a book about teen pregnancy, but its the only book by the author included. Even Bibles were written in languages that the "everyman" didn't necessarily read, which meant the church remained the ultimate source of information and authority. Which, add lovable quirks and color along the way. I also wanted to highlight a few titles to show just how broad these topics are. Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic . This collection of poetry and short stories about violence, abuse, love, loss and femininity is one of dozens of library books that have been flagged for removal in Keller. The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare, for instance, but none of her other books set in the same world with the same characters. Schools have deemed some of the 14-year-olds plain descriptions of her anatomy pornographic. Even worse: One Alabama textbook committee asked for it to be added to the banned books list because it was a real downer. And yes, its certainly a sad book because of Anne Franks fate, but its also moving, hopeful and funnyand definitely worth a read. And yet it was among the top 10 most challenged books of 2020, primarily for the authors bold public words and the claims that the book includes selective snippets of history. The books tragic ending begs the reader to answer: Would you rather be happy or free? Four books by different authors with the title Gender Identity have all been banned in at least one district. 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)). Over the past year, schools and libraries around the country have been banning a whole lot of books. appeared on a list of around 850 books produced by Republican Texas Rep. Matt Krause. And some feel compelled to buy the restricted work as a vote for free speechlike the teens whove created banned book clubs in protest. 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