Florida | Hundreds of books removed from school libraries

(Tallahassee) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Forever by Judi Blume. Abattoir 5 by Kurt Vonnegut. All of these books have been removed from the shelves of some Florida schools, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education of books removed by local school districts.

Recent changes to state law allowed parents and residents to challenge school library books and required districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing books that have been restricted in their schools.

Florida continues to lead the nation in removing books from school libraries, according to analyzes by the American Library Association and advocacy group PEN America.

“A restriction on access is a restriction on the freedom to read,” argued Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students are losing the ability to access books that reflect 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, such as Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, as well as books that have become prime targets of censorship across the country because that they feature LGBTQ+ characters, discussions of gender and sexuality, and depictions of sexual relationships, such as Blue doesn’t suit every boy by George Johnson and Genre queer by Maia Kobabe. Conservative advocates have called the content “pornographic.”

The list of books removed from libraries also includes accounts of the Holocaust, such as The Diary of Anne Frank: the graphic adaptation et Sophie’s choice. The same goes for a graphic novel adaptation of 1984George Orwell’s seminal work on censorship and surveillance.

Stephana Farrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book protests in the state, noted: “From Toni Morrison to Alice Walker to Abattoir 5 and George Orwell, if you take the time to look at this list, you will recognize that there is a problem with… this movement. »

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

“Once again, far-left activists are pushing Floridians to ban books. The right question is why these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit materials,” said spokesperson Sydney Booker.

The list shows that book removals vary widely across the state, with some districts reporting no restrictions and others counting hundreds of titles removed from shelves. M^me Farrell, of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said that based on the group’s analysis of public records, the department’s report is an understatement because it does not include books removed after an internal staff audit , but only those removed following a complaint from a parent or resident.

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

Schools have limited access to dozens of books by Stephen King, a master of the horror genre known for bestselling books like That et Simetierre. Mr. King, who spends part of the year in Florida, spoke of efforts to get his books out of students’ hands, urging readers to run to the nearest library or bookstore. “What the fuck?” » reacted the author in August on social networks.

Several Florida school districts are facing lawsuits for restricting students’ access to books, including Escambia County, which is being sued by PEN America and Penguin Random House, the nation’s largest publisher.

Kate Payne is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.