Interestingly, fully half of those bans occurred in the same district: Vanguard Academy Charter School. They banned all five books that were challenged. Clear Creek ISD had the second highest number of challenges: One of the three books challenged was removed from elementary library shelves and reassigned to intermediate schools. Another book was restricted by an intermediate school. And the third challenged book was retained with no restrictions.
Special mention for an outstanding job: Aransas County ISD and Carroll ISD - Thank you for sticking to your guns in the interests of free speech.
Special mention for spineless pandering: Levelland ISD, The Ehrhart School and Vanguard Academy Charter School - way to model intellectual rigor and stand for liberal arts education, y'all!
Special mention for causing me a face-palm: Conroe ISD - for removing The Princess Diaries.
Very very special mention for being totally clueless - The parent who objected to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens because they didn't want their kid reading about ghosts. Someone wanna explain the concept of metaphor? Anyone?
BANNED BOOKS (books removed from library shelves or class reading lists):
Aransas County ISD
Book: Stuck in the Middle by Ariel Schrag
School: Rockport-Fulton Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Book: It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
School: Rockport-Fulton Middle School
Reason Cited: Inappropriate for grade level
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Austin ISD
Book: Demons, Possessions, and Exorcisms by Susan Gregson
School: Oak Hill Elementary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror, offensive to religious tendencies, speaks of depression as an outcome of demon possession
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: Book retained but must have parental approval for younger students
Book: The Color of Water by Kim Gong Hwa
School: Gus Garcia Middle School
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Decision pending (process not completed)
Carroll ISD
Book: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz
School: Eubanks Intermediate (5th/6th grade)
Reason Cited: Politically, socially, or racial offensive
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Note: Parent felt book promoted illegal immigration and was not age appropriate
Chapel Hill ISD
Book: Drama by Raina Telgemeier
School: Chapel Hill Elementary
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Banned
Clear Creek ISD
Book: Beastly by Alex Flinn
School: Seabrook Intermediate
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Use restricted
Book: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
School: League City Intermediate
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Book: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
School: North Pointe Elementary
Reason Cited: Mature content throughout book
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: Book was moved to intermediate school
Conroe ISD
Book: The Taste of the Night by R. L. Stine
School: Newman Middle School
Reason Cited: Too mature for campus level audience
Action Taken: Banned
Denton ISD
Book: Lovingly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
School: Ginnings Elementary
Reason Cited: Sexual content or nudity
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: Book was moved to secondary campus
The Ehrhart School
Book: Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel
School: The Ehrhart School
Reason Cited: Promotes homosexual/lesbian couples
Action Taken: Banned
Florence ISD
Book: Stupid Fast by George Herbach
School: Florence Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, sexual content
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Fort Worth ISD
Book: Amulet (series) by Kaza Kibuishi
School: J. T. Stevens Elementary School
Reason Cited: Too graphic, inappropriate language
Action Taken: Use restricted
Book: Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
School: J. T. Stevens Elementary School
Reason Cited: Too graphic, inappropriate language
Action Taken: Use restricted
Book: Ghostopolis (series) by Doug TenNapel
School: J. T. Stevens Elementary School
Reason Cited: Too graphic, inappropriate language
Action Taken: Use restricted
Grand Prairie ISD
Book: How to Steal a Car by Pete Hautman
School: Truman Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, sexual content, drugs or alcohol, reinforces the belief that anything is permissible as long as you can get away with it
Action Taken: Decision pending (has not gone before committee)
Highland ISD
Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry
School: The Highland School
Reason Cited: Offensive to religious sensitivities
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Levelland ISD
Book: Ttfn by Lauren Myracle
School: Levelland Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, vulgarity
Action Taken: Banned
Book: L8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
School: Levelland Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, vulgarity
Action Taken: Banned
Nederland ISD
Book: Leprechauns Don’t Play Basketball by Marcia Jones
School: Langham Elementary
Reason Cited: Book contained references to magic or wizardry
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Northside ISD
Book: American Government Roots and Reform by Karen O’Connor, Larry J. Sabato, and Alixandra B. Yanus
School: Warren High School
Reason Cited: Text did not include a copy of the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence
Action Taken: Retained (no restriction)
Note: Students were provided with online access to these documents as well as paper copies
Overton ISD
Book: Lush by Natasha Friend
School: Overton Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, sexual content, offensive to religious sensitivities, drugs or alcohol
Action Taken: Use restricted
Red Oak ISD
Book: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
School: iScholars Magnet Academy of Red Oak ISD
Reason Cited: Parent did not want the student reading about ghosts
Action Taken: Alternate assignment was provided for the student
Smithville ISD
Book: In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
School: Smithville High School
Reason Cited: Sexual content or nudity, politically, racially, or socially offensive
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Book: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
School: Smithville High School
Reason Cited: Politically, racially, or socially offensive
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Vanguard Academy Charter School
BANNED BOOKS (books removed from library shelves or class reading lists):
- The Taste of the Night, R. L. Stine
- Bad Kitty Christmas, Nick Bruel
- Ttfn, Lauren Myracle
- L8r, g8r, Lauren Myracle
- Enter 3 Witches: A Story of Macbeth, Caroline B. Cooney
- A Wizard of Mars, Diane Duane
- The Salem Witch Trial: A Reference, David K. Goss
- The Reformed Vampire Support, Catherine Jinks
- Cliques, Jen Jones
- Drama, Raina Telgemeier
- Lush, Natasha Friend
- Princess Forever, Meg Cabot
- Beastly, Alex Flinn
- Love, Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
- Demons, Possessions, and Exorcisms, Susan Gregson
- Lovingly Alice, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- Amulet (series), Kaza Kibuishi
- Bone (series), Jeff Smith
- Ghostopolis (series), Doug TenNapel
Aransas County ISD
Book: Stuck in the Middle by Ariel Schrag
School: Rockport-Fulton Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Book: It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
School: Rockport-Fulton Middle School
Reason Cited: Inappropriate for grade level
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Austin ISD
Book: Demons, Possessions, and Exorcisms by Susan Gregson
School: Oak Hill Elementary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror, offensive to religious tendencies, speaks of depression as an outcome of demon possession
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: Book retained but must have parental approval for younger students
Book: The Color of Water by Kim Gong Hwa
School: Gus Garcia Middle School
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Decision pending (process not completed)
Carroll ISD
Book: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz
School: Eubanks Intermediate (5th/6th grade)
Reason Cited: Politically, socially, or racial offensive
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Note: Parent felt book promoted illegal immigration and was not age appropriate
Chapel Hill ISD
Book: Drama by Raina Telgemeier
School: Chapel Hill Elementary
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Banned
Clear Creek ISD
Book: Beastly by Alex Flinn
School: Seabrook Intermediate
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Use restricted
Book: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
School: League City Intermediate
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Book: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
School: North Pointe Elementary
Reason Cited: Mature content throughout book
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: Book was moved to intermediate school
Conroe ISD
Book: Princess Forever by Meg Cabot
School: Austin Elementary
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: The book was offered to junior high and high school for inclusion in their collections
Cotulla ISD
School: Austin Elementary
Reason Cited: Sexual content
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: The book was offered to junior high and high school for inclusion in their collections
Cotulla ISD
Book: The Taste of the Night by R. L. Stine
School: Newman Middle School
Reason Cited: Too mature for campus level audience
Action Taken: Banned
Denton ISD
Book: Lovingly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
School: Ginnings Elementary
Reason Cited: Sexual content or nudity
Action Taken: Use restricted
Note: Book was moved to secondary campus
The Ehrhart School
Book: Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel
School: The Ehrhart School
Reason Cited: Promotes homosexual/lesbian couples
Action Taken: Banned
Florence ISD
Book: Stupid Fast by George Herbach
School: Florence Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, sexual content
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Fort Worth ISD
Book: Amulet (series) by Kaza Kibuishi
School: J. T. Stevens Elementary School
Reason Cited: Too graphic, inappropriate language
Action Taken: Use restricted
Book: Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
School: J. T. Stevens Elementary School
Reason Cited: Too graphic, inappropriate language
Action Taken: Use restricted
Book: Ghostopolis (series) by Doug TenNapel
School: J. T. Stevens Elementary School
Reason Cited: Too graphic, inappropriate language
Action Taken: Use restricted
Grand Prairie ISD
Book: How to Steal a Car by Pete Hautman
School: Truman Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, sexual content, drugs or alcohol, reinforces the belief that anything is permissible as long as you can get away with it
Action Taken: Decision pending (has not gone before committee)
Highland ISD
Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry
School: The Highland School
Reason Cited: Offensive to religious sensitivities
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Levelland ISD
Book: Ttfn by Lauren Myracle
School: Levelland Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, vulgarity
Action Taken: Banned
Book: L8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
School: Levelland Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, vulgarity
Action Taken: Banned
Nederland ISD
Book: Leprechauns Don’t Play Basketball by Marcia Jones
School: Langham Elementary
Reason Cited: Book contained references to magic or wizardry
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Northside ISD
Book: American Government Roots and Reform by Karen O’Connor, Larry J. Sabato, and Alixandra B. Yanus
School: Warren High School
Reason Cited: Text did not include a copy of the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence
Action Taken: Retained (no restriction)
Note: Students were provided with online access to these documents as well as paper copies
Overton ISD
Book: Lush by Natasha Friend
School: Overton Middle School
Reason Cited: Profanity, sexual content, offensive to religious sensitivities, drugs or alcohol
Action Taken: Use restricted
Red Oak ISD
Book: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
School: iScholars Magnet Academy of Red Oak ISD
Reason Cited: Parent did not want the student reading about ghosts
Action Taken: Alternate assignment was provided for the student
Smithville ISD
Book: In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
School: Smithville High School
Reason Cited: Sexual content or nudity, politically, racially, or socially offensive
Action Taken: Alternate book allowed (curriculum only)
Book: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
School: Smithville High School
Reason Cited: Politically, racially, or socially offensive
Action Taken: Retained (no restrictions)
Vanguard Academy Charter School
Book: Enter 3 Witches: A Story of Macbeth by Caroline B. Cooney
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: The Salem Witch Trial: A Reference by David K. Goss
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: The Reformed Vampire Support by Catherine Jinks
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: Cliques by Jen Jones
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: The Salem Witch Trial: A Reference by David K. Goss
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: The Reformed Vampire Support by Catherine Jinks
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
Book: Cliques by Jen Jones
School: Secondary School
Reason Cited: Violence or horror
Action Taken: Banned
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