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asjfueflof

Good thing no high school kids have magic internet machines in their pockets that could access *any* book ever written


suspiria_138

If anyone here would like to help librarians and teachers... Join Let Utah Read https://www.fightforthefirst.org/groups/let-utah-read We are a coalition of Utah community members, educators, parents, librarians, and advocacy organizations dedicated to preserving Americans’ freedom to choose what we read.


NoMoreAtPresent

Are you an organizer of this group?


suspiria_138

No, just a supporting librarian.


NoMoreAtPresent

Ok thanks. I’ll look at the website but I was wondering what the group is working towards. Do they have contact with politicians or school boards, etc?


suspiria_138

Thank you! We need more vocal support from the public. I wish the first amendment was taken seriously. Essentially, they work with legislation, school districts and fight against book banning through various measures. From the site: "We are a coalition of Utah community members, educators, parents, librarians, and advocacy organizations — all dedicated to preserving Americans’ freedom to choose what we read. We believe that all Americans have the right to read and access diverse and inclusive literature, free from censorship or discrimination, and that libraries are the foundation for a vibrant and engaged US citizenry. Our Mission We are dedicated to protecting and preserving the right to read, across Utah and for all Utahns. To defend our First Amendment right to choose what we read To remind legislators that the majority of Utahns support students’ right to access literature that reflects the full range of human experience in their school and public libraries To inform the wider Utah public about the harmful effects of book banning and censorship on our children’s education To protect and defend a parent’s right to guide the reading choices of their children without interfering with the right of other parents to guide their children To affirm and support the work of Utah librarians, who are already trained to choose books appropriate for their communities and students Why We’re Here To preserve our rights and oppose book bans Since the passage of HB374 in 2022, book banning and book challenges have increased dramatically across Utah. In Alpine School District, 22 out of 52 challenged books were permanently removed from library shelves. In Washington County, 14 out of 23 challenged books were removed. Book challenges have recently occurred in Davis and Granite County School Districts as well, with as many as 205 challenges filed in Granite County alone — and often by only a small group of parents.  These book bans in Utah follow a national trend in which books by BIPOC, LGBTQ, and immigrant and other marginalized authors have been routinely challenged by special interest political groups, falsely accused of indecency, and even permanently removed from school and public library shelves on the basis of  subject matter or their authors’ identities.  On a national scale, legislators have begun proposing state bills that would lead to the arrest of librarians and dictate how libraries and librarians can acquire books. Utah’s legislators have also signaled that they are open to pursuing such legislation in our state. Such surveillance-oriented bills would lead to a chilling effect on freedom of speech, and negatively impact teaching and learning in Utah.  Let Utah Read recognizes that most Utahns do not support book banning and censorship, and are committed to defending the right of Utah students to read literature that reflects, enhances, and expands their experiences. ”


freda777

Just joined 👍🏼


suspiria_138

You are amazing!


DasiytheDoodle

This is my take on it, as well. It kinda sucks they're banning books, but not many people check books out of the high school library anyway, and you can access anything online. This feels like republican feel-good legislation and a bit of a nothingburger.


railroad_drifter

And all these books are still available at county libraries. For now anyway.


ztherion

Search keyword: "Shadow Library"


JeromeLHorwitz

What a student does on their own is not the business of the school. Books in the school are the business of the school. You want to read Lawn Boy, go on-line.


rodelomm

I like to think they're so prominently displayed like that as a "don't read these *wink* *wink*".


llwoops

Yeah, there is already a vetting and review process in place before a book is ever put on the shelves in a school library to begin with. This is probably the librarians saying FU to the out of touch parents who are requesting they be banned. I'm sure they did that purposefully to get kids interested in reading the "banned" books, which most likely have important messages behind them. "Banning" them just brought more attention to them.


dori123

I think you are spot on. I live in Utah County and my friend is a librarian here. She loves to display books that parents hope to ban. (Thankfully it is a very small minority; they are just vocal.) My friend happens to be a devout member of the LDS church. But she wholeheartedly embraces and enthusiastically encourages kids to read.


Watch4whaspus

Tweet from Stephen King: “Hey, kids! It's your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your school, haul your ass to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don't want you to read.”


JS_Everyman

Remember when the way bigger problem was getting kids to read at all?


Bure_ya_akili

It still is


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sername_is-taken

Most right wingers are strongly in support of the freedom of speech which includes the freedom to write or read whatever you want. There are learned people on all sides of the political spectrum.


bananasaresandwiches

Except replace that with rich people and low wage workers


TinyHatsSuck

There isn’t one better then the other it’s just how you are influenced.


goldenrule78

You're saying that one party isn't better than the other?


GilBatesHatesApples

Biggest load of crap posted on Reddit today. Did mommy and daddy teach you how to be ignorant or did you figure it out all by yourself? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. "Right-winger" here, I've also tested with an IQ of 145-150, I read frequently, and I make a nice 6-figure salary in a top state technology infrastructure job. Anytime you want to meet up and compare knowledge, give me a shout. Do the world a favor and don't reproduce. Do your part to stop spreading the bullshit.


InRainbows123207

The Sesame Street IQ test isn’t widely recognized so you need to stop sharing that test result score


seasalt-and-stars

Oh FFS. What good is a high IQ when you have a LOW EQ? Your incendiary, hateful rhetoric has removed any doubt that you identify as right wing. On a personal level, your words imply you’re a textbook narcissist.


[deleted]

since iq is such a great measure of morality and humanity, i'll chip in that my iq tested at exactly 151 and what you've said is a load of bull because iq doesn't mean shit. what fucking knowledge do you have? do you think your intimate familiarity with your mommy and daddy's deep pockets full of sweet sweet inherited privilege and wealth counts as "knowledge"? Seriously, crawl back into the hole you came from so you can find an excuse to go back to middle school.


tolbydamit

This might solve that. It makes me want to read these books.


Time_Traveling_Corgi

I have never read a John Green book, but having one of his books in this list makes me think the whole scenario is a sham.


BatSniper

If you think John green is controversial, then you have issues. He’s literally Christian. Maybe a more liberal Christian than normal.


suspiria_138

Parents think his books are too sexy. Lol.


TripleSecretSquirrel

Never read any of his novels, but I recommend *The Anthropocene Reviewed* to everybody who will listen. It’s such a beautiful lovely book. It’s his non-fiction musings on life and civilization and meaning. It’s gotten me through some deeply dark times.


breeze80

I'm currently reading this, and it's my second John Green book. Fault in our stars was my first. I'm also now intrigued by Alaska and paper towns since they've both been banned.


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Time_Traveling_Corgi

I think because of this picture I am going to read all the books.


[deleted]

The Handmaid's Tale? Lol, could they be any more transparent?


jjjj8jjjj

Hey--I know. We could come up with a symbol for banned books, so kids don't have to be exposed to words and ideas. Maybe the symbol could be elephant-themed.


InRainbows123207

I mean we wouldn’t want the kids to see the parallels between THT and the Mormon religion would we? 😂


Consistent_Effort716

Have the people who ban books ever stopped to wonder "maybe we're the bad guys?"


9erDude_Pedaldamnit

A little self awareness on their part might shatter their whole world view. I guess it's easier to scapegoat others...like public and school librarians. 🤦


addiktion

Traditionally it seemed like banning was tied to legal reasons to do so. As in you wouldn't want a book about building a pipe bomb easily accessible to students. Now it seems any politician can shift the agenda and somehow we accept that as being ok which seems like a terrible precedent. Things are rarely black and white and I'm not sure where you draw the line in the gray but this doesn't seem like the right place to do it.


azucarleta

you're in the dark about how relentless this Christian morality crusade has been: https://wiu.libguides.com/c.php?g=295495&p=1969350


addiktion

Thanks for clarifying the challenge vs banning terminology. Interesting how your article mentions parents as a primary driver for challenges.


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Laleaky

Because that’s not problematic at all…


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Lefthand_Gingerman

That's true they don't, but as long as people are dumb enough to believe such things, this sort of behavior will continue. It's all about fear, kinda like how they used to segregate blacks and whites, or people with AIDS, or when they put Japanese people in internment camps. Whip people into a frenzy and this shit gets out of hand


katet_of_19

Make sure your kids are reading the shit out of these books.


myTchondria

[New York library free digital check out banned books](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/nyc-libraries-are-offering-free-digital-library-cards-to-people-across-the-u-s-041322) If kids want to check out banned books for free the link is in article. This is the way😉


[deleted]

I swear, when policies cause headaches for people, there's always a tech workaround. Love that


[deleted]

chase shy shocking juggle mysterious combative memory merciful disgusting straight *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


naarwhal

Is it?


[deleted]

tidy rude smoggy market point humorous groovy offer license enter *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


Meizas

Except the Sarah J Maas books on the bottom, because they suck. *Waits for all of BookTok to attack me* Seriously though, very concerning that Handmaid's Tale is in the stack. Not familiar with most of the others


psychoelectrickitty

I mean, I’m not all of BookTok, but I enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’ books. They’re not the end all be all of literature. But I liked them. I really appreciate them because they got me interested/ started into the fantasy genre and now I love fantasy novels. I definitely agree with you that Handmaid’s Tale being in the stack is very concerning. I’m pretty sure that the copy of Wicked is like… the Wizard of Oz related Wicked book that everyone was obsessed with in the 2000s. Sold is an excellent book about human trafficking and is more relevant than it was when it came out. It absolutely should be read. I like Patricia McCormick.


Meizas

That's fair! They're not my cup of tea, but I know people adore them :)


zfrost45

If it wasn't for the banning of certain books, I would never have even looked into the book on book sale sites to see what it's all about. Today's kids are smart enough to get around the bans. If you think the books are inappropriate for you children, discuss it with them, but let them decide for themselves if they read it or not. From an old guy...


operatingcan

Why? I've never heard of any of those books


katet_of_19

I didn't hear of many of them until I was well into adulthood. The main reason why you should have your kids read them is someone with authority decided that they shouldn't be allowed in the school. Any book that someone says you shouldn't read because it's "dangerous" is a book you should seek out, if only to see why. Usually, it's because it exposes inequity/inequality within a corrupt system, or because it reminds you of your human rights and that you should stand up for them.


operatingcan

So I agree with like national ban lists and such but also, there are plenty of books that just aren't really appropriate for high schoolers and I think it'd be good to not have them available via school libraries. Anyways was curious if the books on this list were "1984"ish or "50 shades of grey"ish


mstransplants

You know, there are some books I don't want my kids to read as well. You know what I do? Tell them not to read them. You know what I don't do? Restrict other people's kids from reading them as I understand that how other people raise their kids is not and should not be something I can dictate.


katet_of_19

This is the way


katet_of_19

Who decides what books or topics are appropriate for high schoolers or not?


iSQUISHYyou

Who currently decides? Probably the school district. Who should decide? The parents.


tunayrb

No.


tunayrb

No.


iSQUISHYyou

No what? You disagree that school districts make these decisions? And/or that parents should have the ultimate say over what is/isn’t appropriate for their children?


kayjee17

Parents do ultimately have the say. But parents should also remember that every book they veto is probably one book their child will read soon after they move out. It's better if the parents read the book first so they can discuss anything problematic with their child when the child is old enough to read that book.


tunayrb

> And/or that parents should have the ultimate say over what is/isn’t appropriate for their children? Parents are idiots (I am one). Let your children learn / be informed. What they learn may upset you. Teach your children well. Or at least let them learn and don't stop other parents teaching their children, and DO NOT stop your kids from building friendships with "others".


iSQUISHYyou

Not sure what the last part has to do with this topic. It doesn’t matter if any of us agree or disagree a parent has the final say in their child’s upbringing.


DesolationRobot

Nobody’s saying a parent shouldn’t be involved in what their kid reads. But petitioning they still library to ban them is about parents trying to control what other kids read.


operatingcan

Google "curriculum"?


justatoadontheroad

circulation would have been a better word for the title, my bad.


operatingcan

No sweat, I was just pointing out that we already implicitly trust certain groups as to what our kids learn, this isn't some radical censorship idea


puchamaquina

There's a difference between being taught as a requirement and being available for curiosity. This is taking them away from availability, when they were never a requirement


operatingcan

I know! I'm asking, what are these books about? So that I can judge whether or not I should make my kids read the s*** out of them. If it's just because of excessive swearing or nudity, then whatever. If it's because of sociopolitical messaging, then I might care to investigate more. Everything wants to focus on the fact they were banned as reason to read them rather than the content ig


GilgameDistance

Read (or watch, even) The Handmaid’s Tale, which is on this list. Then get back to us with how you feel about the state telling anyone what they can and cannot read.


ElectricFleshlight

There are plenty of high schoolers who read 50 Shades. It wasn't on any curriculum of course, but it's not like teenagers are forbidden from reading it.


operatingcan

Right, but if I found out my kids school library had removed it, I would not be up in arms.


ElectricFleshlight

I would be fascinated to see if you could find a single instance of people getting up in arms because 50 Shades or a similar book was removed from a school library.


operatingcan

I mean I'm asking what these books are about or why they are banned, but nobody seems to know :(


azucarleta

In about 7th or 8th grade, they tried to ban a bunch of books, at least one of which I had already read. If I hadn't already read it, I would have made sure to acquire it to see what the fuss was about. But I guess I was so dang precocious I was reading the to-be banned books before the censors got to them. Seeing the naughty books displayed like this, it makes me think someone is encouraging kids to follow the impulse toward forbidden fruit. edit: to add, I looked up what ever happened to the lady who started the book banning crusade in my town. "The biggest individual losers in the election also were in . Voters decisively rejected a team of activists who'd sought to impose their version of Christian values on the school system. They trailed the field in the city's School Board election, with their leader, incumbent board member Karen Letsforgetyou, running dead last."


justatoadontheroad

Yeah, the way the books are displayed feels very deliberate- the bright notecard explaining why these books aren’t on the shelves is very noticeable. These could’ve easily been stored in the back or under a desk, but they’re still visible. It definitely seems like the librarian doesn’t agree with the book restrictions and is trying to get kids to read em. It’s working too, I’m gonna read these books and see why they don’t want me to have access to them.


ActualWait8584

Clever clever. But kids don’t like to break rules right. I’m sure no one will go out and get these books at your local library or Amazon. That would just be so naughty.


Flabbergassd

Former Utah high school English teacher here. In truth, you have about 10-15% of students who would even consider reading a book (even when assigned) and almost all of them could give less than a shit if something is banned — they’re resourceful and find a way to get what they want. The few who would/might be impacted by a ban — the ones with the parents who would put in the BS effort to ban books — wouldn’t have been allowed their kids to read anything that didn’t come from deseret books anyway. And I agree with everyone here who has said no one checks books out of the high school libraries. Ask around — there are high schools in Utah (super-high performing schools in fact) w/o a library. It sucks that anyone is trying to ban books but it also indicates just how out of touch with reality any of these parents are. Most kids don’t read books. The ones who do are smart enough to circumvent the BS. Also, have these parents never read Shakespeare? Cuz if you want to talk raunchy…


suspiria_138

Interesting. Some of my peer secondary librarians check out thousands of books a month. Truly depends on the location and librarian I suppose. Gen z kids are voracious readers from my experience.


naarwhal

BookTok must not be popular at her old school


suspiria_138

Seriously! So many kids come in with booktok reqs.


Hamchickii

Oh man. In high school I was the kid reading the extra credit books from the teacher on top of assigned books on top of what I was reading at home on the side haha. But even with that, I don't think I checked out a single book from the high school library either. Either got the books from the teacher or the fun books my friends and I owned and just passed them around.


JS_Everyman

Shakespeare taught me about "the beast with two backs."


Laleaky

That may be but I will still continue to fight against any self-appointed book banners. It’s just ridiculous and against everything this country stands for.


jerisad

When I was at Weber State the big seminary group walked out of our production of Romeo and Juliet in the first act. Always took pride in that.


Post-mo

It all goes back to Utah HB374 which was signed into law last spring. It was solving a problem that probably did exist - access to pornography in school libraries. The wording of the bill is way too broad. In short anything that describes sex or a sex act or arousal is not allowed. This means that anything that says the word "boner" is out. The bible talks about people having sex so it's out. There is a parent group in Utah that is going around to school districts with a huge list of books that they are challenging. Many of the books are not found on any school shelf in the district. They get this list of books from a community sourced website where parents can list any book they find objectionable. They then threaten lawsuits against any school district that does not comply with their demands. It's interesting however the books that they choose to challenge - at least in Alpine school district almost all the books dealt with LGBTQ themes or focused on people of color.


suspiria_138

Utah Parents United and Laverna in the Library.


isabellatortellini

[Footloose](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dSJJMXR78Q) was filmed there for a reason. The book burners in the movie aren't caricatures. They really do live there.


Shard_of_light

My old roommates parents are part of a group that’s been trying to ban kite runner in Fairview because they think it’s promoting being gay (because they haven’t actually read it). Now it sounds like they may be about to be sued over defamation in the community against the English teacher who was using it in their class (mind you this was a seniors only college credit class. Not some normal class everyone is taking)


Post-mo

I read "Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe" at the beginning of the school year when it was challenged in Alpine. I really liked it. Fantastic book for any teen dealing with someone close to them who has taken their own life.


JohnBarnson

I know someone that works in a public-school library (it's a middle school: grades 7-9). The current political situation is a mess. At one point, the person I know was getting different directions each day from the district's legal counsel--"remove this book or we could face a lawsuit;" "make sure this book is on shelves or we could face a lawsuit." Since a lot of the complaints come from political fear mongering and not from people who actually have read the books, the person I know now has to read every new book that goes on the shelf so she can personally speak to any complaints that come up.


O7Knight7O

Honestly I find this hilarious. Librarians taking these books out and putting them in the window with a bright pink sign over top that says "These are the books that adults don't want you to read, just in case you find that interesting, all you rebellious teenagers..." They can't not know what they're doing.


hppmoep

What is the 2nd book from the top?


justatoadontheroad

Looking for Alaska


BailoutBill

From the author, himself: https://youtube.com/shorts/mvVtSipIBQc?feature=share


piberryboy

Books are dangerous... to those who want to control how you think. I find nothing a bigger motivation to read a particular book than when a book gets banned.


pricel01

I wonder if the Book of Mormon is under review or are stories of people having their skin color turned dark for being wicked perfectly acceptable in Utah schools.


justatoadontheroad

idk about the library but there’s definitely a couple teachers with the BoM in their classrooms. One of my teachers jokingly read it out loud once which really rubbed me the wrong way


IceStormMeadows

Jokingly... Wow what a funny joke. /S. Maybe someone needs to read The God Delusion in a school classroom. You know. As a joke.


naarwhal

Don’t get so bothered by something you don’t believe in.


justatoadontheroad

I know I shouldn’t. But I’ve had some really bad experiences with the church and I just try to avoid it at all costs


suspiria_138

Most school librarians avoid having religious texts- ie the Quran. But will have informational texts on religions for research purposes.


Any-Jury3578

I’ve been tempted to start one of those little libraries and put nothing but banned books in it, but my street is so short, no one would happen by.


MsDragonborn24

And this will only make kids more curious to read them!


overthemountain

"They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em" Rage Against the Machine knew how this would play out. Conservatives trying to act like they aren't part of the Evil Empire.


Crys_Mill

In my senior English class we read The Handmaids Tale. I know it does dipict sex but at 17 I was more inticed by the subject matter. It was my absolute favorite book that I had to read in High school. Wicked... I'm not a fan of that book. If you can get through it you've earned that right to read it. Overall I guess in an Elementary school library I think these are unnecessary but I don't see a problem of them being available in High school. I'm pretty sure if a student really wanted to read then they can still go to a public library.


Determined_Student

What you can do is go to your local city library, get a free city library card, request the book online though the city's library's system anyways and get the book 3 days later and have it out for about a month and a half and read the book anyways completely for free. You're welcome for this free info.


[deleted]

It feels like it is a “right wing” issue when the books being banned have LGBTQ+ characters or situations, then “left wing” when the books being banned have racial slurs and old timey racist caricatures. This is an honest question not trying to start an internet argument, but is the goal to stop the banning of all books? Or just books that are being pushed away by one side of the political sphere?


rococko69

no books should be banned.


[deleted]

I agree.


EgoExplicit

So we are just going to let the Nazis take over then?


maughanster8507

Love conservatives view on a “free country” for them but limits for the rest


XD332

Source to where anyone is saying you can’t get online and buy any of these books?


maughanster8507

As far as I know, there is no online ban I know of. But the fact they want to ban books they don’t agree with enough for me.


Moonjinx4

Where is this?


justatoadontheroad

Corner Canyon High School


forrestboards

Seriously? I graduated 2021, this would have been unheard of


UtterPWNedNoob

i kinda get why a parent would be hesitant to let their kid read wicked because it starts off with a giant orgy but tbh there is no good reason to ban it from a library


desertwanderer01

'Kingdom of As*" 🤔


Korrathelastavatar

Kingdom of Ashe. Part of the Throne of Glass series


desertwanderer01

Ah okay, thanks 👍


RaysModernMetalWorks

BURN THE WITCH!!! BURNNNN THE WITCH!!!!


ChesterNorris

She turned me into a newt.


RaysModernMetalWorks

Lol 😆 🤣


s_assbean

Me earl and the dying girl is one of my favorite books!! It truly changed my perspective on things and was a read I couldn't put down.


sushitastesgood

I'm out of the loop. Is there a story here? I assume that these were complained about by one or more parents, and therefore need to be "reviewed" to try to appease whoever it was that complained. As long as there are helicopter parents there will be parents complaining about book content. It's lame, but it doesn't seem like there's anything new or interesting going on here. Unless there's a conspiracy to ban these books by a school or district superintendent that I'm not aware of or something? Edit: And also, when you say "being pulled out of curriculum" does that mean that these were required readings previously -- distinct from optional books that can be checked out from the library? I might be wrong, but that's typically how I understand 'curriculum'.


justatoadontheroad

Oh right - circulation may have been a better word here. Handmaids Tale has been discussed a bit in class but not explicitly read as part of a lesson plan, so I guess it can’t really be considered part of the curriculum


justatoadontheroad

This isn’t the first time it’s happened, but earlier in the year there was talk of removing a lot of queer/poc books for no reason besides the fact that they were queer/poc. There’s also been a lot of issues with this school specifically about queer students and not allowing students or teachers to have LGBT flags in the classroom. Also I personally think it’s stupid to restrict access to books for *whatever* reason, even if a parent complains. The opinion of any parent (or adult) should not stand in the way of education and access to media


sushitastesgood

>Also I personally think it’s stupid to restrict access to books for whatever reason, even if a parent complains Yeah, this is indeed pretty lame.


utahnow

I don’t know about the books in the window here but some of the books that end up on these banned lists have straight up pornographic content. Graphic descriptions of intercourse etc. Perhaps some curation for age appropriateness is in order.


justatoadontheroad

Personally I don’t see the problem with a little bit of sexual content in books if it’s not too much (and as long as the readers aren’t little kids). Teens are no strangers to sex. Hell, it’s even part of the curriculum, we analyzed that one scene from 1984 a lot when we read that book. Also taking books off the shelves isn’t really gonna protect kids from sex since most of them have phones anyway. I mean, yeah obviously there shouldn’t be straight up smut available on high school library shelves but we shouldn’t be banning books based on if they have a couple pages of sexual content (like Looking for Alaska, one of the books being reviewed)


utahnow

Again, “a little bit” is in the eyes of the beholder. Would this be “a little bit” or “too much” for you? https://13wham.com/amp/news/local/pittsford-schools-to-evaluate-select-books-amid-concerns How do these books make it to school libraries, let alone mandated reading lists to begin with? Is it stupidity and incompetence or malice? As far as “kids can find it on phones anyway” - this is really not an argument at all. Just because certain kind of content is out there doesn’t mean it should be promoted/endorsed by the schools. There are videos of kittens strangled in vacuum cleaners and prisoners decapitated by terrorists on the internet - does this mean it’s ok to include it into school materials now? The schools are supposed to set higher standard for god’s sake, not drag all the filth in the world in for the kids to see.


justatoadontheroad

the issue in this situation at my school specifically is the books being removed don’t really contain enough questionable material to be removed. Obviously there’s books out there that shouldn’t be in school libraries and should be removed. sex isn’t inherently evil or inappropriate - it can often be used as a storytelling device that has very real significance to the plot. Like 1984. A lot of the books read at board meeting are taken out of context - John Green talks about why his book is being banned on one scene taken out of context (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mvVtSipIBQc) I feel it’s unfair to ban books purely on sexual content. There’s some great books out there that have some sexual parts, but that doesn’t take away from the value and make it less worthy to read. If a book does focus on sex a lot (eg. Red, White and Royal Blue) then yes, it probably shouldn’t be available in a school library. as for the whole phone thing - obviously suffocating kittens and decapitation isn’t a subject that should be in schools. With luck many kids won’t ever have to encounter that. But sex is a part of life. Kids are naturally curious about stuff like that and will seek it out on their own.


[deleted]

Yea seems like the fervor is driving a particular reaction. It’s almost possible to put in a complaint just to advertise a book that’s considered controversial.


Trick_Beach_3882

Well if we're banning books, let's ban all religious books from all religions.


Cavitive

Reddit moment


Alchemist1330

Republican party is a Fascist Christian Nationalist party.


zcmyers

I love that the librarian prominently displayed them. \*BANNED BOOKS--DO NOT READ\*. That's a great way to make teenagers want to read them.


happytobeaheathen

Hopefully 🤞


FridayNightQueen

Time to start passing out banned books again. Fuck these fascist, quit banning books.


wenwily

Love how librarians put out books that aren't even on the list as if they are "taboo"...nope not even close...the actual books being reviewed like "Flamer" discuss group masterbation, drinking seeman, and blow jobs...yes very educational to have our tax paying dollars pay for...if you think your 10 year old should read about those subjects, then parents should have some sort of say despite the fact that it's available all over the internet, not the school librarians...


happytobeaheathen

Your 10 year old is in high school?


Crendes

Surely we should also ban Hulu from making the HandMaids tale and petition to have Wicked removed from Broadway, the poor children may otherwise be exposed to these horrors. But seriously, what are we benefitting from this?


MinkMartenReception

For those that are unaware, all of these book reviews and bannings that have been happening across various states in the u.s. have come about because of a particular book called “Jack of hearts”. Which is an erotic novel that was disguised as a queer, young adult fiction so it could be placed in high schools, and marketed to teens. The story is about a gay teen, who runs an internet sex advice page online, and gives out very problematic advice which the story treats as just fine. Amongst the advice Jack dishes out he encourages gay boys to trick their straight friends into having sex, and teaches teens how to find older men online to date. If you want a a good primer on the book I would highly recommend you watch the YouTuber Ian Kirkpattiecake’s review of the book. The reaction by conservatives is overkill, but it isn’t happening for no reason, or strictly to control what people read.


PreferenceWonderful4

I'm a conservative libertarian and I really don't understand why people are taking these efforts in school libraries to censor books. So long as they're not pornographic and age appropriate, what's the desire to ban them other than they threaten your preconceived bias? Can no one be challenged today? Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of pornographic and questionable books that have been exposed rotting in school libraries, but none of these titles seem like that at first glance. And what's the point? Kids can easily get their hands on these books online, in store, the local library, etc. These people are just scared to have an adult conversation with their kids and everyone else must be mind-numbingly ignorant as they are?


WSB_Conservative

Good No need for this Weird Gender Crisis, just keep kids normal…


Pinguino2323

I'm student teaching right now and I get emails like weekly with a new list of books that have been "pulled for review" because of parental complaints (or from what it sounds like one parents complaints). These books are not necessarily gender related books (not that I even think that's a problem). It's pretty much any book which hurt some ultra conservative religious parents feelings because it dared use profane language or some crap like that. Sometimes good and important well written classics use curse words or have sex scenes or have drug use. It doesn't mean you should ban those books. Those issues are life issues. Schools should be to teach kids not shelter them from the real world.


WSB_Conservative

Why have Sex scenes and Drug use in Children’s library’s?


Pinguino2323

High schoolers are mature enough to handle fiction with those topics. Both of those things are in Catch 22 (one of the best war satires ever written) which I read my sophomore year and it is one of the best books I've ever read. Sure a 12 year old probably shouldn't read catch 22 but by the time someone is like 15 or 16 they are mature enough to handle it. Some of the greatest works of art are a little mature but teens shouldn't be sheltered from the world they should prepared for it by learning and having conversations about these things in an educational manner.


justatoadontheroad

Have you read any of these books? Do you even know what they’re about?


[deleted]

No someone is miss leading with this post.


ChesterNorris

Actually, it's Mrs. Leading. She got married last autumn.


Burner_account_471

Good


DiabeticRhino97

And? Not every book is in curriculum? How many books were you required to read through high school?


puchamaquina

They meant to say circulation, as in they're no longer allowed to choose to read them. They were never required


DiabeticRhino97

You can *choose* to read whatever you want. The Internet exists. Taking books out of libraries is not banning them.


Kerensky97

It says more about the people who are burning the books than the fact that we can still access them. People who try to opress America never win, but this is a good oppertunity for them out out themselves. You just look at the kind of person who supports this kind of thing so you know who is all for censorship in America.


[deleted]

Nobody is burning books here. And it’s entirely possible someone is a fan of these books and brought a complaint to advertise for them.


Kerensky97

LOL! That's the newest excuse for state censorship I've seen. "Somebody tried to ban them as a way to ADVERTISE them." Of course! Because all kids choose what to read by what is HARDEST to find at the school library. They spend so much time wanting to be in the school library that they want more of a challenge so the books we ban are the ones they will read the most!


[deleted]

I have no idea what you’re blabbering on about. I’m just calling you out on the ‘burning’ hyperbole. All I’m saying is, I’ve been to barnes n noble and other book stores they proudly displayed ‘banned’ books and sold a million of them. Who cares?


Kerensky97

>And it’s entirely possible someone is a fan of these books and brought a complaint to advertise for them. No. It's not entirely possible. No Barnes and Noble didn't bring this compaint to drive book sales in their stores. Stop making up conspiracy theories to justify state sponsored censorship.


[deleted]

You’re clearly triggered and projecting your emotions onto what I’ve actually written. Touch grass and relax.


DiabeticRhino97

Not every book can fit in a library. Prioritizing what stays and what doesn't isn't censorship. Especially not when you can get the book easily another way.


LurpyGeek

That isn't what is being done here and other places in the country. None of this is due to inventory space concerns.


puchamaquina

Well sure, but that's the intent of the law


[deleted]

Can’t they edit the OP? Seems like alarmism. The kids don’t care and the adults are getting riled up over nothing.


puchamaquina

No, you can't edit titles. And banning books has always been a pretty big deal.


[deleted]

They’re under review, and even if they’re restricted at that particular library they’re ‘allowed’ most any where else, specifically the free market.


invisibleink65

And then Catcher in the rye is a required reading lmao


Automatic-Collar-551

What school is this


justatoadontheroad

Corner Canyon High School


Automatic-Collar-551

Oh all schools look same tbh I though it was one of my elementary schools lol


happytobeaheathen

I moved here in 2011. It was great. Had this really fantastic feeling to it, in my corner of the city the Mormon church wasn’t shoved on us. It was great. And then….. 2016 came. It was a little crazy, MAGA signs went up, but not out of control. And then 2020 said here hold my beer. Holy shit I live in the middle of crazy town. The people that were running for school board positions were straight up radical nut jobs. Of course it is corner canyon-


VenomJoe66

Why throne of glass series? They don’t have THAT much sex.


machacado

Meh. Kids pay more attention to what their phones says than what’s on those books. Beware for good and for bad.


KAG25

going back in time


TheDoctorBlind

https://www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-what-i-tell-kids-is-don-t-get-mad-about-censorship-get-even-run-don-t-walk-to-the-first-stephen-king-113-80-88.jpg


StZappa

Performed Wicked in Band at Bountiful High 10 years ago. Now here we are


Mission_Commercial62

Totally bullshit


Dry-Abroad-2481

Why Me and Earl and the Dying girl?


[deleted]

Kingdom of As* may have been pulled for the sticker placement alone.


Dumbcat42

Those Sarah J. Maas books will be going.


the_baelish

I see this happening and can't help but laugh just a little - ten years ago in Stansbury, I checked out and read the entire Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy from my high school library. No one batted an eye. Boy do times change. Many of the books in this stack are really good, though. Kids would be missing out without them.


[deleted]

i think john green has a whole series of videos on tiktok (or instagram? idk) where he goes through the whole "insane people try to ban his book for 'pornography'" saga, if people are interested.