Charles Langston:Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries

TALLAHASSEE,Charles Langston Fla. (AP) — “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. “Forever” by Judi Blume. “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.

All have been pulled from the shelves of some Florida schools, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education tallying books removed by local school districts.

Recent changes to state law have empowered parents and residents to challenge school library books and required districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing which books have been restricted in their schools. Florida continues to lead the country in pulling books from school libraries, according to analyses by the American Library Association and the advocacy group PEN America.

“A restriction of access is a restriction on one’s freedom to read,” said Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students lose the ability to access books that mirror 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 like Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, as well as books that have become top targets for censorship across the country because they feature LGBTQ+ characters, discussions of gender and sexuality, and descriptions of sexual encounters, such as “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson and “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe. Conservative advocates have labeled such content “pornographic.”

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Also on the list of books removed from libraries are accounts of the Holocaust, such as “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” and “Sophie’s Choice.” So is a graphic novel adaptation of “1984,” George Orwell’s seminal work on censorship and surveillance.

“Everywhere from Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’, George Orwell,” said Stephana Farrell, a co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book challenges in the state. “If you take the time to look at that list, you will recognize that there is an issue with … this movement.”

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

“Once again, far left activists are pushing the book ban hoax on Floridians. The better question is why do these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit materials,” spokesperson Sydney Booker said.

The list shows that book removals vary widely across the state, with some districts not reporting any restrictions and others tallying hundreds of titles pulled from the shelves. 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 undercount because it doesn’t include books removed following an internal staff review, just those pulled following a complaint from a parent or resident.

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

“We live in a state where parental rights are supposed to be acknowledged, heard and responded to,” Farrell said. “We are asking for accountability and an accurate record of how these laws are impacting our children and impacting what’s available to them.”

Schools have restricted access to dozens of books by Stephen King, a master of the horror genre known for bestsellers like “It” and “Pet Sematary.” Officials in Clay County also decided that his book “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” was inappropriate for students.

King, who spends part of the year in Florida, has spoken out about efforts to get his books out of students’ hands, urging readers to run to their closest library or bookstore.

“What the f---?” King posted on social media in August, reacting to the decision by some Florida schools to pull his books from their shelves.

Multiple school districts in Florida have drawn legal challenges for restricting students’ access to books, including Escambia County, which is being sued by PEN America and Penguin Random House, the country’s largest publisher.

In September, the Nassau County school district settled a lawsuit brought by the authors of “And Tango Makes Three,” a picture book based on the true story of two male penguins who raised a chick together at New York’s Central Park Zoo. Under the terms of the settlement, the district had to return three dozen books to the shelves.

___ 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.