(NEW YORK)– PEN America has found that the Collier County School District in Florida has attached a warning to the description label on over 100 books listed on the district’s online library catalog and physical labels were affixed to hard copies of the same books. The books receiving these warnings disproportionately include stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters and plot lines and titles about communities of color.
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response: “This alarming development is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks against students’ freedom to read in Florida. Even if access to these books is not technically restricted, the labeling of these books risks attaching a stigma to the topics they cover and the books themselves. Under the guise of ‘parental rights,’ interest groups have been empowered by opportunistic elected officials and are now hijacking public schools. Every child deserves the right to learn from a diverse set of voices and perspectives, and to freely access the books they wish to read.”
Children’s books such as Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers and Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love were among titles labeled with a warning. In addition, authors targeted include Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, George Johnson, Ibram Kendi, Ellen Hopkins, Ashley Hope Pérez, Jodi Picoult, Jason Reynolds, Arundhati Roy, and John Updike–among many others.
PEN America found that a warning to parents was inserted alongside a total of at least 110 titles in the school’s online catalog, saying, “this book has been identified by some community members as unsuitable for students.”
Among the books that have this warning in the catalog:
- 46 titles (42%) are stories that have LGBTQ+ characters or themes
- 16 titles (15%) are stories that have transgender characters or themes
- 34 titles (31%) are stories that have protagonists or secondary characters of color
- 47 titles (46%) are stories that have sexual content, including educational books about sexual health
- 10 titles (9%) are children’s picture books
Here is the full list of titles:
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Lexicon by Max Berry
Forever… by Judy Blume
Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
A Phoenix First Must Burn by Patrice Caldwell
Once & Future by A. R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Lush by Natasha Friend
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines
Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression by Iris Gottlieb
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Sex: A Book for Teens: An Uncensored Guide to Your Body, Sex, and Safety by Nikol Hasler
Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
I am Jazz by Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel
The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann
Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Another Day by David Levithan
Every Day by David Levithan
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by e. lockhart
Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren’t Complicated, I Wouldn’t Be
Ruby Oliver by e. lockhart
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Unravel Me (Shatter Me Book 2) by Tahereh Mafi
The Truth About Alice: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers
Kiki: Doin’ It by Ayshia Monroe
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Exit Here by Jason Myers
Dead End by Jason Myers
l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
ttfn by Lauren Myracle
Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Beautiful by Amy Reed
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Being Transgender by Robert Rodi and Laura Ross
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Birthday by Meredith Russo
Jesus Land: A Memoir by Julia Scheeres
The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow
Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka
Slater
Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens
Odd One Out by Nic Stone
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Drama: A Graphic Novel by Raina Telgemeier
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
Rabbit Is Rich by John Updike
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
Doing It!: Let’s Talk About Sex by Hannah Witton
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contacts: Nick DeSantis, West End Strategy Team, [email protected], 202-288-9534 or Suzanne Trimel at PEN America, [email protected], 201-247-5057