#Florida officials report hundreds of books removed from schools

#Beloved by #ToniMorrison, #NormalPeople by #SallyRooney and #SlaughterhouseFive by #KurtVonnegut, among books pulled

by Coral Murphy Marcos
Tue 12 Nov 2024 23.10 EST

"Florida’s department of education has released a list of more than 700 books that were 'removed or discontinued' from schools across the state after changes to a state law last year that allows parents and residents to challenge the content of #LibraryBooks.

"This year’s list, which has doubled in size from last year, includes titles such as Beloved by Toni Morrison, Normal People by Sally Rooney, and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

"The list comes after #HouseBill1069 went into effect last July, requiring school districts to set up a mechanism for parents to object to anything they consider pornographic or inappropriate.

"Since then hundreds of titles have been removed from elementary, middle and high school libraries. In Florida, 33 out of about 70 school districts #BannedBooks.

"American classics such as #BraveNewWorld by #AldousHuxley, #ForWhomTheBellTolls by #ErnestHemingway and The Adventures of #TomSawyer by #MarkTwain are among those that have been pulled. Contemporary novels by bestselling authors such as #MargaretAtwood and #StephenKing have also been removed.

"Members of the #FloridaFreedomToReadProject, a group comprised of public school parents, said the measure has led to an unprecedented rise in #censorship, mostly driven by conservative interest groups, and has limited students’ access to diverse #literature.

“'We believe in a fair, thorough, and public objection process that ensures decisions reflect the needs of each school community - not the broad, district-wide censorship we see today that’s inspired by the vague language in #HB1069 and ‘bad book’ lists like this one,' the group said in a statement.

“'Censorship is happening right here in Florida. Lists like this that include award-winning, #ClassicLiterature and books about #BanningBooks cannot be spun or shoved into a narrative about extremely targeted removals,' they added.

"#PENAmerica found that Florida and #Iowa recorded the highest number of book bans during the 2023-2024 school year, leading in the country with over 4,500 book bans in Florida and over 3,600 in Iowa. These bans have cost districts about $34,000 to $135,000 a year.

"A study on educational censorship in Florida found a 'climate of compliance, fear and stress' that threatens students’ academic performance and the well-being of both teachers and students'."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/13/florida-book-bans-removals-education-department-list?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us