Hernando School Board to decide on six book challenges at Jan. 23 meeting

Book Challenge Update - January 18, 2024

BROOKSVILLE (Suncoast News) – Six books are being challenged in Hernando County’s schools, according to the agenda documents that were issued on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 23, at school district headquarters, 919 N. Broad St., Brooksville.

The six books are: 

• “Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan. According to the Amazon.com summary, it is a 2013 book based on true events and narrated by a Greek chorus of a generation of gay men who died of AIDS about two 17-year-old boys who engage in a 32-hour kissing marathon to set a new Guinness World Record. The book is being challenged at Hernando High School. The review committee met on Nov. 15 and Nov. 29 to discuss a request for reconsideration of the book, and recommended on a 5-1 vote to recommend to the superintendent that it be kept.
  
  Julia Thomas of Moms for Liberty said in a September 2023 letter that the book “contains sexual age-inappropriate content: sexual nudity and activity; alternate sexuality, profanity; and violence by self-harm.”
• “Speak: The Graphic Novel” by Laurie Halse Anderson. It’s a 2018 graphic novel version of a 1999 novel about a high school girl who is a friendless outcast because she called the police on an end-of-summer party, and was raped at the party by an upperclassman who still attends the school, but she finds solace in her art class. It’s recommended for grade levels 7 to 9. This book is being challenged at Springstead High School and Hernando High School. Springstead’s committee met on Nov. 1 and Nov. 13 to discuss a request for reconsideration, and the vote was 5-2 to recommend that the book stay in circulation in Hernando County’s high schools because of its literary value.
  
  Thomas of Moms for Liberty said the book was discovered in August 2023, and “contains sexual age-inappropriate, profanity; alcohol use involving minors; controversial social commentary; self-harm including anorexia, and suicidal ideations; sexual activities; and sexual assault against a minor. The book clearly shows a warning label for 18 years of age and up.”
  
  
• “Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell. It’s a 2013 book set in 1986, “… this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.” The listed reading age is 13 to 18 years old, grade level 8 to 12. This book is being challenged at Hernando, Nature Coast Technical, Springstead, Central High Schools and Winding Waters K8. “Eleanor and Park” was originally challenged at Hernando High School and the results of that committee also determine the challenges for the schools mentioned. The committee met on Nov. 3 and Nov. 15 to discuss a request for reconsideration, and voted 4-1 to recommend keeping the book in Hernando County’s schools.
  
  Thomas of Moms for Liberty said the book was discovered in July 2023 and “contains sexual age-inappropriate, excessive profanity; and racism remarks.”

• “Sold” by Patricia McCormick. It’s a 2008 book about a 13-year-old girl named Lakshmi, who lives with her very poor family in Nepal until she is told to take a job to help support her family, but finds herself sold into prostitution in India. It is recommended for grades 9 and up. This book is being challenged at Springstead High School, Hernando High School and Weeki Wachee High School. “Sold” was originally challenged at Springstead High School and the results of that committee also determine the challenges for Hernando and Weeki Wachee high schools. Springstead High School’s committee met on Nov. 13 and Nov. 29 to discuss a citizen’s request for reconsideration of the book. The committee voted 5-2 to recommend to the superintendent that the book be removed from circulation in Hernando County Schools.
  
  Thomas of Moms for Liberty said in an October 2023 letter that the book “contains sexual age inappropriate content including: explicit aberrant sexual activities including rape of a minor; prostitution; and explicit violence, and gambling addiction. The book clearly shows a warning label for 18 years of age and up.”

• “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. It’s a 2020 book that “reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future,” according to an Amazon.com summary. The recommended reading age is 12 and up. This book is being challenged at Hernando High School and Central High School. It originally was challenged at Hernando High School and the results of that committee also determine the challenge for Central High School. Hernando High School’s committee met on Nov. 29 and Dec. 15 to discuss a citizen’s request for reconsideration of the book. The committee voted 7-0 to recommend to the superintendent that the book not be removed.
  
  Thomas of Moms for Liberty, in an October 2023 letter, said it “contains controversial racial, historical and social commentary. The author promotes his belief on racism as his own beliefs are true which could be argued.”

• “The Poet X” by Elizabeth Acevedo. This book is an award-winning “novel in verse” about an Afro-Latina girl who tells her story, pouring frustrations about her life into the pages of a leather notebook, according to an Amazon.com summary. It is recommended for ages 13 to 17. The book is being challenged at Springstead High School. The school’s committee met on Nov. 29 and Dec. 13 to discuss a citizen’s request for reconsideration of the book. The committee voted 6-1 to recommend to the superintendent that the book stay in circulation for grades 9-12 in Hernando County’s schools.
  
  In an October 2023 letter, Thomas of Moms for Liberty wrote that the book “contains sexual age inappropriate content including: sexual activitie(s) that include almost  pornographic scene, masturbation, sexual nudity and profanity. However, every family is dysfunctional, in some way, it does not give teachers the right to supercede parental guardian or have child believe their teacher will save them. The book clearly shows a warning label for 18 years of age and up.”