Last month, a Texas school district made the news when it scrambled to remove books from its library shelves ahead of the autumn semester, after they were challenged by parents and community members.
Among the books removed are a graphic novel adaptation of Anne Frank's diary, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, all versions of the Bible, and a number of works with LGBTQ+ themes and characters.
It's not clear why more than 40 books were challenged. The move came after the board of the Keller independent school district, in Dallas-Fort Worth's Tarrant county, set a new policy that called for reviewing books.
District superintendent Rick Westfall said the review process was continuing. "We anticipate that books like the Bible, Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, and other titles will be on shelves very soon. Please note that more than 50 copies of The Diary ofAnne Frankhave remained in circulation; only the graphic novel edition was previously challenged, and is, thus, under review again," he said.
He underscored that this was not an outright ban and said that if the books passed the new standards, "the books will be promptly returned to shelves."
A full list of the titles under challenge, and the reason for that challenge, is available via the school district's website (www.kellerisd.net/Page/7364). The list has been regularly updated as the review process continues, and indicates that some of the challenged books have already been returned to circulation.
The initial removal of Anne Frank's diary caused concern among local Jewish groups,accordingto The Washington Post. In a joint statement, the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth & Tarrant County and the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas and its Jewish Community Relations Council asked the school district "to put the book back on the shelf."
"It is imperative that we teach our children about the Holocaust in age-appropriate ways, as outlined in Texas' state standards for Holocaust education," the statement said. "At a time of rising anti-semitism, we must be particularly vigilant so that nothing like the Holocaust can ever happen again."
Such trends in the United States are often led by conservative lawmakers and politicians. A formal assessment from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, conducted by Pen America, the US non-profit organization supporting freedom of expression, showed 86 school districts in 26 states had banned books, many of which contained themes of sexuality and race.
The assessment found Texas leading the trend. The American Libraries Association maintains a list of the top 10 books challenged each year, a diverting half hour for any educator.
With books like The Handmaid's Tale, Of Mice and Men and To Kill A Mockingbird continuing to make the list, the website reiterates the need to challenge censorship and ensure the free circulation of information.
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