桃子视频

Book bans are nothing new. Throughout history, certain books have come under fire for content deemed inappropriate or controversial 鈥� often, that content is by and about people of color, the LGBTQ community, and other marginalized groups. As a spate of classroom censorship bills aim to erase discussions about race and gender in schools across the country, books about the same issues are being banned and challenged across public schools and libraries at an alarming rate. In 2021, the American Library Association recorded , compared to 156 challenges received the year prior.

Read about some of the books that have most recently been banned or challenged for removal across public schools and libraries in our 鈥樚易邮悠礏anned Book Club Reading List鈥� below.

NOTE: The following list includes books that have been formally removed or were recently challenged for removal from public schools or libraries.

Published in 1970, 鈥淭he Bluest Eye鈥� was Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison鈥檚 first novel. Its 11-year-old protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, copes with racism and sexual abuse as she comes of age in 1940s Ohio. Despite its status as a seminal work by one of the foremost authors in American history, the book has been a frequent target of bans for described as 鈥渟exually explicit material,鈥� 鈥渄isturbing language,鈥� and an 鈥渦nderlying socialist-communist agenda.鈥�

鈥淭he Bluest Eye鈥� is one of the books at the center of a filed by the in February against Wentzville R-IV School District. The school district its decision to ban the book shortly after the lawsuit filing, but litigation continues. Other recent challenges to the book have occurred in Mississippi, where Mayor Gene McGee of Ridgeland attempted to over $100,000 in public funds from the Madison County Library System unless it purged it and other specific books, and in Virginia, where a school board in Virginia Beach the book from circulation, only to return it to shelves shortly after due to public outcry.

The children鈥檚 book 鈥淗eather Has Two Mommies鈥� tells the story of a young girl whose family does not look like those of her classmates. As the daughter of LGBTQ parents, Heather realizes she stands out when she draws a picture of her family for a classroom assignment. For over 30 years, the book has been an important example of LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion for young readers.

Recently, a superintendent at Pennridge School District in Pennsylvania requested its from elementary school library shelves for 鈥�,鈥� along with other books addressing LGBTQ+ issues.

In 鈥淎ll Boys Aren鈥檛 Blue,鈥� LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson writes about growing up Black and queer, including about his experiences being bullied, his first sexual relationships, and other stories throughout his childhood and adolescence in New Jersey and Virginia. The book is currently being targeted for removal by because of its LGBTQ+ themes.

The book is among those involved in the against Wentzville R-IV School District, filed in February. Other recent challenges occurred in Mississippi, where a mayor attempted to over $100,000 in public funds from Madison County Library System unless it purged books with LGBTQ+ themes, and in Florida, where a member of Flagler County school board with the sheriff鈥檚 office in November 2021, claiming that having the book in school libraries is a crime.

Nonbinary and asexual author Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, details eir journey through adolescence and coming into eir self-identity in 鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� an autobiographical graphic novel about what it鈥檚 like to not fit into traditional norms of gender and sexuality.

Recent challenges have occurred in Texas, where Keller Independent School District the book without proper review for what it described as 鈥渋nappropriate images鈥�; in Florida, where Brevard Public Schools the book from library shelves in October 2021; in Virginia, where it was among books for removal by Virginia Beach City Public School board; and in Illinois, where a group of parents in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove are the school district ban Gender Queer from high school libraries.

The protagonist of the children鈥檚 novel 鈥淢elissa鈥� is a fourth-grader coming into her own identity as a trans girl in a world that knows her only as 鈥淢elissa.鈥� The author, who goes by they/them/their pronouns and identifies as genderqueer, wrote the book due to a longstanding void of voices like theirs in literature. 鈥淚 wrote it because it was the book I wanted to read,鈥� Gino . 鈥淚 wanted trans voices telling trans stories.鈥�

Since its publication in 2015, 鈥淢elissa鈥� has been one of the books for conflicting with 鈥渢raditional family structure.鈥� A recent challenge occurred in Florida, where it was pulled from libraries in along with other books 鈥� many highlighting themes of race and LGBTQ+ issues.

Author and historian Ibram X. Kendi partnered with children鈥檚 book author Jason Reynolds to write 鈥�Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You鈥� 鈥� a National Book Award-winning work on the history of racism in America. But it鈥檚 not the standard type of history book, as its authors state in its opening pages.

This is NOT a history book.

This is a book about the here and now.

A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.

A book about race.

Rather, 鈥淪tamped鈥� is a new form of telling history that melds past with present to engage young readers. The book also contains information on how readers can stamp out racism in their daily lives, and why there is hope for an anti-racist future.

According to the American Library Association, 鈥淪tamped鈥� was one of the challenged books of 2020 in schools. More recently, a middle school in Texas tried to remove the book from a reading list (though not library shelves). However, after a group of Black parents protested that removal, the book was returned to the list.

The young adult novel, 鈥淎ll American Boys鈥� portrays themes of racism and police brutality as seen through the perspectives of its two teenage protagonists: Rashad Butler, who is Black, and Quinn Collins, who is white. In the story, Rashad is assaulted by a police officer who suspects him of stealing from a convenience store, and Quinn witnesses the encounter.

During the wave of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the book received an increase in attention and scrutiny. Complaints about the book often profanity and messages perceived as anti-police, divisive, or 鈥渢oo sensitive.鈥�

鈥淟awn Boy鈥� is a semi-autobiographical story about Mike Mu帽oz, a young Mexican American navigating poverty, sexuality, and self-identity as he comes of age in Washington state. The book has been a target of bans for containing content described as

The book is among those involved in the against Wentzville R-IV School District, filed in February.

The protagonist of 鈥淭he Hate U Give鈥� is 16-year-old Starr Carter, a student at an affluent prep school who comes from a low-income community. The delicate balance between the two worlds she navigates reaches a tipping point when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend, Khalil, at the hands of police, and the ensuing public debate as the news spreads throughout the community.

Despite its popularity, the book has been a target of bans for containing profanity and 鈥渁nti-police鈥� messages. It has been challenged in schools across the country, including in , where Katy Independent School District banned it in 2017; in , where it has been banned by ROWVA school district since 2018; and in , where Dubois Area School District announced in November 2021 that students would need parental consent to read it.

National Book Award-winning 鈥淏etween the World and Me鈥� is a semi-autobiographical work about racism in America. The story is told through a letter from the author to his 15-year-old son. Its frank discussions about race have made it controversial in schools and incarceration facilities seeking to ban it.

In October 2021, 鈥淏etween the World and Me鈥� was included in a list of school library books targeted for by Texas Rep. Matt Krause during the state鈥檚 ongoing debate about banning 鈥渃ritical race theory鈥� from classrooms.

The 桃子视频is actively pursuing litigation to block government action that bans books from library shelves because of disagreement with the viewpoints they express, or disapproval of the life experiences they describe, including many of the books listed above. Recently, the 桃子视频of Missouri a lawsuit suing the Wentzville R-IV School District for banning eight books 鈥� including 鈥淭he Bluest Eye,鈥� 鈥淟awn Boy,鈥� and 鈥淎ll Boys Aren鈥檛 Blue鈥� 鈥� from school library shelves. After the lawsuit was filed, the school board the ban of 鈥淭he Bluest Eye.鈥�

Students have the right to receive an inclusive education free from censorship or discrimination, and book bans infringe on that right. As we continue to fight these unconstitutional laws and policies in court, you can also join the fight by to support students鈥� right to learn and read these books, and help us protect free speech by our work.