- A report from Pen America described a dramatic escalation in school book bans.
- Book bans have recently affected 1,145 unique titles in classrooms and libraries.
- The top three banned titles focus on lgbtq+ people or touch on same-sex relationships.
Book bans in classrooms and school libraries have hit 1,145 unique titles in the last nine months, according to a new report, as controversial literature on race, gender and sexuality has become a focal point of America’s Culture Wars.
the report by pen america, a literary and free expression organization, described a dramatic escalation in schoolbook bans (defined actions that lead to removing, restricting, or diminishing access to books, based on objections to their content ) after previously seeing only a handful of such cases each year.
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The top three banned titles focus on LGBTQ+ people or address same-sex relationships. Here’s a closer look at the titles most recently banned by school districts:
gender queer: memories of maia kobabe
simon and schuster describe this autobiographical comic as “a helpful and moving guide to gender identity.” the school library magazine called it “a great resource for those who identify as non-binary or asexual, as well as those who know someone who identifies that way and want to understand them better.”
but the republican governors of south carolina and texas have designated the book as “pornographic”.
the author, in an op-ed published in washington in 2021, wrote: “removing or restricting queer books in libraries and schools is like cutting a lifeline for queer youth, who may not even know what terms ask google to find out”. more about their own identities, bodies, and health.”
Amazon recommends it for readers 18 and older, while Common Sense Media, which reviews books and movies for families, says the book is appropriate for ages 16 and up.
the common sense reviewer describes “explicit but non-erotic illustrations of sexual activity” including “masturbation, oral sex, sex toys, kissing in an implied sexual position, erections, and a fantasy image of a man holding a man’s penis.” another”.
The book has been banned in 30 school districts.
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not all boys are blue by george m. johnson
The young adult memoir “weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by black gay boys,” with Johnson describing memories of being kicked out by bullies at age 5 and first having sex, says the amazon description, which recommends a reading age of 14-18 years.
The superintendent of Wicomico County, Maryland, withdrew the book in March after a school board meeting’s public comment period was dominated by complaints about the book, the Pen America report says.
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The book has been banned in 21 school districts.
the lawn boy by jonathan evison
This coming-of-age novel about a gay protagonist who is trying to discover himself includes a sexual experience the protagonist had in a youth group that he met at the age of 10 with another 10-year-old boy .
The author says the book includes graphic language and was intended for an adult audience, although it had some success after winning an award from the Young Adult Library Association.
“In addition to the aforementioned sexual passages, Lawn Boy was found to contain ’44 fucks and 42 shits,’ and I’d say none of them were wasted,” evison wrote for nw book lovers, replying to criticism of him and the book. “Frankly, I would have put that number much higher.”
The book was banned in 16 school districts.
out of the dark by ashley esperanza perez
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this is a love story about a black teenager and a mexican-american girl facing racism in texas at the time of the new london school explosion in 1937, the worst school disaster in the history of the states United. Amazon recommends the book for readers in grades 8-12.
pen america identified 247 titles, 22% of those banned, that addressed issues related to race and racism, primarily in the united states.
The book has been banned in 16 school districts.
the bluest eye of toni morrison
The story involves an 11-year-old black girl who wants her eyes to turn blue, thinking it would change her life.
common sense media describes the book as a “poetic and complex investigation of racial, personal, and sexual feelings” that is suitable for readers ages 15 and up. the book describes sexual acts between adults, incest and domestic violence, and more than one man behaving “inappropriately” with girls, says the review.
“Teenage readers may need adult guidance to understand the novel’s world, in which many characters seem driven by emotional and sexual feelings beyond their control,” the review says.
The book has been banned in 12 school districts.
beyond magenta: transgender teens speak for susan kuklin
The book includes interviews with six transgender or gender-neutral young adults before, during, and after they came out as gender biased. Amazon recommends the book for grades 9-12.
The book has been banned in 11 school districts.
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