Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m trying to celebrate the little wins during the day, and today I’m celebrating the fact that after nearly a year and a half, my husband and I have FINALLY put up our small photo gallery wall in the living room! We’ve literally had a bunch of empty frames hanging above our couch for over a year, but we picked our photos, placed our Shutterfly order, and the photos arrived today! I can finally cross that off of my eternal to-do list.
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Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
A look at how the Uvalde Library (TX) has helped a community heal.
Book Adaptations in the News
A look at the adaptation of The Burning Girls, based on the C.J. Tudor novel.
Hasan Minaj joins the It Ends With Us adaptation.
Netflix cancels its adaptation of The Selection.
Censorship News
When do we move from advocacy to preparation?
The publishing community should more actively oppose book bans.
Texas legislators have sent a new bill to Greg Abbott’s desk, which would remove “sexually explicit books” from school libraries, and would require vendors to rate titles with sexual content before selling them to school districts, among other provisions.
Ron DeSantis and the cost of anti-trans and anti-Black book bans.
“The [Florida] state Board of Education is slated next week to consider a new rule that would lead to Florida’s education commissioner publishing an annual list of library books and instructional materials that people have objected to, carrying out part of a controversial 2022 law.” This will only lead to more banned books.
The Upside of Unrequited will remain on Flagler school shelves (FL). From the article: “The committee had trouble matching listed objections with actual passages of explicit content or depictions glorifying drinking or drugs, strongly suggesting that those filing the challenges had not read the book.”
Brevard (FL) school board revisits its book review policy, specifically whether or not anonymous challenges should be accepted.
The Florida mother behind the ban on Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem has ties to the Proud Boys.
Moms for Liberty have a list of 65 books that they are “in utter shock” about finding in Santa Rosa Schools (FL).
Florida’s State Education Department has rejected two new Holocaust-focused textbooks, and forced another textbook to alter a passage about the Hebrew Bible in order to meet state approval. All thanks to our old nemesis, CRT. /s
Broward County (FL) libraries are issuing “I Read Banned Books” library cards, and a Republican lawmaker is threatening the county with financial retaliation from the state.
An Orange County (FL) parent is trying to get Assassination Classroom removed from the schools because another parent in a different county brought the book to her attention.
Osceola County Schools (FL) will be keeping Assassination Classroom, but they have also quietly removed multiple books from school libraries without explanation.
Columbia County Library (GA) has queer books, making local bigots mad. (Paywalled)
Louisiana legislators have advanced a bill that would restrict children and teen access to “sexually explicit” books in the public library.
Why are schools in Maine keeping Gender Queer on shelves, despite so many challenges?
A Lake Luzerne Public Library (NY) trustee took exception to a proposed resolution against book bans: “I know that book bans, generally, historically have talked about things like, ‘1984,’ they talked about things, like American classics. We’re not having that conversation anymore,” he said. “If you go over to the young adult section, there are books that promote Critical Race Theory. There are books that promote a homosexual lifestyle. They promote it.” Once again, NO ONE who supports book bans has come out on the correct side of history. This is not something to be proud of.
York County Public Library (NY) adopts a good book challenge policy, which requires complainants to have read the book in its entirety, limits the number of challenges one person can submit at once, and prohibits copying text from other complaints. Look, if you’re going to be a bigot, you have to do the work.
The Roxbury school board (NJ) voted not to temporarily pull a group of challenged books from the shelf while they await review.
The state of book challenges in Connecticut.
Attleboro (MA) parents are trying to get multiple books removed from the middle and high school libraries.
The ACLU has pushed back against a proposed policy at the Ludlow School District (MA), which would impose a wide range of restrictions on education materials and would likely restrict access to LGBTQ books.
Four new books have been challenged at Central Bucks School (PA), bringing the total up to 65.
A Council Rock (PA) school board member said “We aren’t banning books,” but then said that he could convene a policy committee meeting to discuss the possibility of banning books if a majority of the board wanted to.
Three families have sued Montgomery County Public Schools (MD) for having LGBTQ books in the official school curriculum.
After discussing a proposed book review policy change, which would immediately remove any books under review for being “vulgar” or “obscene,” Hanover County Schools (VA) received a list of approximately 100 books that an unnamed organization wants removed from shelves, along with a note saying this is “just a beginning.” Proof that these types of policies only embolden the bigots.
Wake County Schools (NC) have officially banned “pervasively vulgar” books, and no one still knows what that actually means.
Seventeen plaintiffs plan to challenge Arkansas’ library obscenity law.
Free speech advocates in Arkansas have raised enough money to put up two new billboards in response to the recent billboard stating that the public library is distributing pornography.
Missouri libraries are now required to adopt a new obscene material policy in order to receive state funding.
A Kalamazoo County school (MI) has banned Gender Queer. (Paywalled.)
Caro Area District Library (MI) is facing challenges to several age appropriate sex-ed books. Several people in the community have joined a Facebook group called Watchdogs: Eyes on Caro Library and are petitioning to have the books moved to the adult section.
The Peter White Public Library (MI) elects to keep This Book is Gay.
Hudsonville Public Schools (MI) removes Jughead from the high school library. The complaining parent objected to its “lack of educational suitability and pervasive vulgarity,” and said that the school’s ILS doesn’t provide enough information for parents to quickly determine if a book is considered “mature” or not. Also worth mentioning that the review committee voted 7-0 to retain the book, but the school board voted 4-3 to remove it. What’s the point of forming a review committee if you’re not going to listen to them?
The Brandywine School Board (MI) talked about the “porn addiction pandemic” at a recent board meeting. Specifically, this information comes from a YouTube video made by the right wing group, Family Watch International, and should not be considered credible or actionable information.
More information from the middle school teacher in Illinois who resigned after a parent complained about This Book is Gay being made available to her students.
Iowa governor Kim Reynolds signs a broad education law, which orders schools to remove books that contain “sex acts”, and restricts teaching about LGBTQ topics.
Papillon La Vista School District (NE) is reviewing multiple challenges to school library books. All of the complaints have come from community members who don’t have children in the schools.
Minot Public Library (ND) elects to retain Calvin and Two Boys Kissing.
The decision to keep The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian in the Greeley-Evans School District (CO) has been appealed.
Among other changes, Park County School District (WY) will implement a 1-5 rating scale for books in the school library, but only if the books have been challenged. I’m also not sure how exactly the scale is supposed to operate.
Boundary County Library (ID) has its first reconsideration meeting regarding several books by Ellen Hopkins.
A Temecula (CA) mother is upset that her high school daughter had to read a “sexually explicit” play (Angels in America) in drama class.
The Liberty Lake (WA) mayor vetoed an ordinance that would have given the City Council sole authority over public library policies.
“The fear I speak of is being used to try and systematically erase a community just trying to live,” he said. “This has nothing to do with books. It’s just one of the main tools in their playbook, and I encourage you all to denounce this call to action and send a strong statement to those behind it.” (Wenatchee, WA)
Brandon School Division (Manitoba) will not be removing LGBTQ books.
Books & Authors in the News
A new Winnie the Pooh book teaches Texas students to “run, hide, fight” in a shooting. This is one of the most ghastly things I’ve ever heard.
A children’s book by Langston Hughes resurfaces after decades in obscurity.
Award News
The data behind literary prizes.
Subscribe to First Edition for interviews, lists, rankings, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books.
Pop Cultured
The bookish influences in Succession.
Recommended reading for the characters of Yellowjackets.
On the Riot
Pizza Hut’s Camp Book It! and 2023-2024 Book It! programs are now open and enrolling.
Why this reader isn’t leaving Goodreads reviews in 2023.
Plus, 16 of the most under-rated books on Goodreads.
How this reader healed their relationship with self-help books.
10 of the best bookish conversation starters.
Here’s what you need to solve every NYT crossword puzzle.
Dini may look like he’s being extra cuddly here, but when I see this photo, I just see an overly-dramatic cat looking for a fainting couch. He has such a hard life.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week, folks. I’ll check in again on Tuesday. Solidarity and positive thoughts to everyone who has summer reading programs starting this weekend!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.