A Texas school district has pulled more than 40 books from its libraries, including the Bible and a graphic adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary, the Dallas Morning News reports.
The books were all challenged over the past year by community members and parents of students in the Keller Independent School District, located near Fort Worth.
Principals were ordered to pull the books in an email from the curriculum director of the school district, who wrote, “By the end of today, I need all books pulled from the library and classrooms. More information will be sent regarding action for these books….Once this has been completed, please email me a confirmation. We need to ensure this action is taken by the end of today.”
The books are listed in a spreadsheet posted on the school district’s website. The entry for the Bible is accompanied by an author credit reading, “Men who lived a long time ago- no 1 exact author exist for these books.”
Other books listed on the spreadsheet include Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Jazz Jennings’ I Am Jazz, Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer, Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey, and George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue.
News of the books’ removal drew mockery and outrage on social media, which led the district to respond in a statement posted on its website, which stated that the books will be moved to a “Parental Consent Area” while the school board considers the challenges to them.
“If the books pass the new standards, as determined by reviews conducted in coordination with campus administration and librarians, the books will be promptly returned to shelves,” the district said. “We anticipate that books like the Bible, Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, and other titles will be on shelves very soon.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
