wichita, kansas: goddard school district has withdrawn more than two dozen books from circulation in district school libraries, citing national attention and challenges to books elsewhere .
The book list includes several well-known novels, such as “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas, and “The Perks of Being a outcast”. ” by stephen chbosky.
You are reading: Goddard school district books
Also includes “Fences,” a play by August Wilson that won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and “They Called Themselves the K.K.K.”, a historical look at how the white supremacist group took root in America.
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julie cannizzo, assistant superintendent of academic affairs at goddard, emailed principals and librarians last week with the list of 29 books.
“At this time, the district is not in a position to know whether or not the books included on this list meet our educational goals,” Cannizzo wrote in the email. “In addition, we need to gain a better understanding of the processes used to select books for our school libraries.
“For these reasons, please do not allow any of these books to be checked out while we are in the process of gathering more information. If a book on this list is currently on loan, please (do not) allow it to be loaned again once it has been returned.”
Cannizzo said in the email that the district is forming a committee to “rate the content of the books on the list” and review the selection process. she did not say how long the process is expected to take.
Cannizzo said Tuesday that a parent objected to language he found offensive in “The Hate You Give,” a novel about the aftermath of a police officer’s murder of a black teenager. The parent then sent in a list of books that he questioned, and district officials agreed to stop the checkouts and complete a review.
“We’re not going to ban these books or anything like that as a district,” he said. “We have just been informed that this list of books may contain content that is unsuitable for children.”
cannizzo said he plans to meet with school librarians this week. she did not say when or if the books would be circulated again.
“We haven’t even evaluated these books,” he said. “I couldn’t even tell you what’s in these books or why someone might or might not find them offensive.”
Library catalogs for all 12 goddard schools are available on the district website.
A goddard district policy adopted in 2016 details procedures for questioning textbooks, library books, or instructional materials. Anyone who has a complaint about a book should first meet with the school principal and submit a “request for review” form.
If a challenge is not resolved at the school level, it goes to the superintendent and then to the school board. board members may submit a complaint to a review committee comprised of the building principal, media specialist, two subject matter specialists, and two community members.
In accordance with district policy, “disputed materials will not be withdrawn from use during the review period.”
The news comes just days after a texas state legislator launched an investigation into texas school districts about the type of books they have, especially if they refer to race or sexuality or “make students feel uncomfortable.”
goddard’s list includes several books written by people of color or featuring characters from diverse backgrounds. some feature lgbtq protagonists or youth struggling with issues of gender or sexuality.
jaime prothro, director of libraries for wichita, said there are increasing challenges for library purchases across the country.
“What we’re seeing in the publishing world is a lot more marginalized voices: lgbtq, black experiences,” prothro said. “These are books that people have longed to read and are published more frequently.
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“and when more diverse books are published, that will really impact the composition of any library’s collection. . . . that’s definitely something that makes a number of people who are more comfortable with more conventional lifestyles nervous.”
“the hate you give” is a young adult novel about the aftermath of the murder of a black teenager by a police officer. “black girl unlimited” explores themes of poverty, sexual violence, depression, and racism. “Blended” is about an 11-year-old biracial girl facing divorce from her parents.
prothro said he can’t speak specifically about the issues at stake in goddard or other districts. But he worries that current debates about the books may limit access to diverse stories and experiences.
“Just because one family chooses not to read something doesn’t determine whether or not it’s appropriate for another family,” he said.
“We really celebrate freedom of choice. And in a library situation, if that book isn’t for you, just put it back.”
here is the list of books ordered to be withdrawn from circulation in goddard school libraries:
“#murdertrending” by gretchen mcneil
“not all boys are blue” by george m. johnson
“anger is a gift” by mark oshiro
“black girl unlimited” by echo brown
“mixed” by sharon m. draper
ellen hopkins “crank”
“fences” by august wilson
“funny house: a tragicomic family” by alison bechdel
“gender queer” by maia kobabe
“heavy” by kiese laymon
“the lawn boy” by jonathan evison
“lily and dunkin” by donna gephart
“living dead girl” by elizabeth scott
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“monday doesn’t come” by tiffany d.
“out of the dark” by ashley hope perez
“satanism” by tamara l. roleff
“the 57 bus: the true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives” by dashka slater
“the absolutely true diary of a part time indian” by alexie sherman
“the bluest eye” by toni morrison
“the girl who fell from the sky” by heidi w. hard
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
“The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel” adapted by Renee Nault
“the hate you give” by angie thomas
“the perks of being an outcast” by stephen chbosky
“the testaments” of margaret atwood
“they called themselves the k.k.k.: the birth of an american terrorist group” by susan campbell bertoletti
“this book is gay” by james dawson
“this one summer” (graphic novel) by mariko tamaki and jillian tamaki
“transmission: my quest for a beard” by alex bertie
suzanne perez reports on education for kmuw in wichita and the kansas news service. you can follow her on twitter @suzperezict.
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