It isnt Florida’s list. It is one county, Ft. Walton, regarding books in its school libraries.
See above comment regarding need for nuanced inspection of media reports
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Mine didn’t either. I told them it fit right in with my not liking many books assigned by my English teachers 
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Yes, but choices are good or at least it/they used to be here in the US.
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I just want to know how many schools in the county had 50 Shades actually on the shelf and how many times it was checked out!
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I’m sure Shades is passe now - much more interesting real life stuff on TikTok!!! 
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Banned books are really big in some districts here in PA now (not math books, library books). I found this newspaper report a bit frightening. What bugs me isn’t that the “in question” books are there, but that so few books are checked out at all. Seems to me the parents should be concerned that kids aren’t reading much.
During his report, Superintendent Dr. Chris Bigger quoted some statistics and addressed some of Ressler’s concerns:
“I have been the superintendent since 2015 I will take responsibility for textbooks and library books in the LASD. I would ask that no one attack our teaching staff. Since 2016, 677 total books have been checked out of the high school library, three of the books Mrs. Ressler is reporting on have never been checked out, four of the books checked out less than 10 times each since purchased in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013, and three of the books checked out 20-30 times since purchased in 2002, and 2005.”
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Here’s a link to the 100 most banned books of last decade. Seems like appearing on these lists ought to be considered a point of pride by the authors, and they are a great reference young people looking to read something worthwhile.
To give an idea of the mindset behind such efforts, here’s an article on why school board members in Idaho wanted to restrict Of Mice and Men . . .
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I noticed a huge decline in reading among my kids classmates when smartphones became ubiquitous. Glad I got my kids reading well before then; I am told literacy standards have skydived in the last decade.
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Interesting that the Bible made the most frequently banned list. Some of the books listed are outstanding literature, but some are not. Never liked Captain Underpants, but to each their own.
I see that in my own experience. Too much time scrolling the internet.
I used to read while I ate lunch. Now I scroll
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My only complaint about the books my kids were assigned in school was that they were so dumbed down. God forbid they should be assigned a book that had a lot of pages! All the books they were assigned (always in honors levels or AP) were short books with simple language, never lengthy novels. There was never anything with content that I felt was inappropriate, just way too short and easy.
I remember as a white child, being startled just by the appearance of Franklin in Peanuts, or by the fact of a black, inner city child’s world being the subject of The Snowy Day. Just surprised, because there were NO representations of black children in Dick and Jane, or in any of the picture books, other than Little Black Sambo, so the appearance of black children in picture books or cartoons made me, as a child, realize how absent they had been, beforehand. Southern papers threatened Charles Schulz that they would drop Peanuts, if he introduced a black character! This history tells you how dangerous it is, that Florida is trying to erase the existence of any possible reference to families with two moms or two dads. The children of same sex couples need to see reflections of themselves in children’s literature, just as do children of all races. What’s next? Ban depictions of single mothers in children’s literature? Working mothers? Women and girls at all?
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This thread is coming very close to getting shut down. Remember to stay polite and off politics.
I don’t read, so I’ve never heard of most of these titles. But 50 Shades of Gray? There is no way I would ever let my kids read that. Ban it.
And maybe that is how division is created. People create a list where there is at least one thing people will either strongly favor or disfavor, and then it is no longer about the books, but about the process of cancelling people. “You can’t support free speech and banishment of books at the same time!” In this case, yes.
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Perhaps because it mentions some things that some prefer not to be mentioned?
Who knows? I thought the Harry Potter series used to be challenged, but dont see it on the list…
In reading some of the articles quoting parents about why they want books ban, I have to question how isolated they were as children and how much they isolate their kids.
Long before the internet, I knew just about every bad word by 7-years-old, thanks to the boys in the neighborhood and used them. My kids lived a pretty nice little childhood, but they knew all the words as well. They definitely knew people who were gay and were exposed to different people and cultures through TV, internet, phone, real life, there is no way to avoid it. If I was concerned with my kids being exposed to sex, language and LBGTQ+, the school library would be the least of my worries. Are they just naive or is the school an easy target?
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They’re naive. Banning books just doesn’t make sense. Seriously, what are you afraid of?
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I never questioned any books my kids were assigned or anything they brought home from the library. I don’t know of any other parents who complained and I know a number of religious families.
I think it’s a slippery slope when public schools and libraries start censoring books or curriculum. If a parent wants a narrow content they can attend a private school of their choice.
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