DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — (The video above is from a previous, unrelated report)
There's a growing movement nationally for the censorship of reading materials within public schools.
The bans are emerging as a new political tactic from right-wing conservatives, who are trying to censor literature on topics such as sexuality and critical race theory.
Here in Florida, a bill filed in the 2022 Florida Legislative Session, SB 1300, would change the review process for books and other learning materials, adding requirements and making it more open to the public.
The bill would require a state-certified media professional at each school to review all student books and materials to make sure they are what the state considers age-appropriate.
Opponents claim the bill will enable parents to more easily challenge books in classrooms.
This comes after controversy in Flagler County about the title 'All Boys Aren’t Blue 'which was pulled from school library shelves after a parent questioned its content.
Which poses the question, what other books have been pulled from circulation in local counties along the First Coast?
Below is a list of all books that have been reviewed and banned by the Duval County School District from 1978 through the current school year.
The district says there have been no additional requests for reevaluation since the 2008-09 school year.
RELATED: What is 'The Bluest Eye' about and why teachers say it's better to teach it in class than ban it
LIST:
- Angels in America by Tony Kushner
The play deals with the emerging AIDS/HIV epidemic hitting the gay community in the 1980s. The Atlantic reports that when the play first came out, it inspired a wave of due to outrage over "the play's frank depiction of homosexuality, drug use, racism and religious intolerance."
However, later on, the text was called one of the most influential American plays of the last two decades by The New York Times.
- Don't Call Me Little Bunny by Gregoire Solotareff
A book about a rabbit who does bad things, goes to jail, escapes, evades the police and goes into hiding at his grandfather's house.
According to several reviews on Amazon, some people are unhappy that the book hints at violence and has no consequences for the main character.
- Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
Sissy Hankshaw, the novel's protagonist, is a woman born with enormously large thumbs who considers her mutation a gift, according to one review.
The novel covers various topics, including free love, feminism, drug use, birds, political rebellion, animal rights, body odor, religion and yams.
- The Hand Book by The Lassor Blumenthal
The book is a guide on "how to play tricks on your friends by grabbing, thumping, squeezing, twisting or wiggling their fingers or your own."
A review of the book says that it promotes violence and encourages people to hurt others by "pounding your friends' shoulders, pulling their hair, slapping their palms, and "burning their wrists" which are "also part of the fun".
- Jogging by Sandra Hochman
Turner Publishing describes the plot of the book as follows:
"Jerry Hess is a smooth millionaire in the priceless world of art. His life is fast and classy dinners on Monday, screenings on Wednesday, drinks on Friday. And sex―well, his wife Lillian, a brilliant lawyer, promises someday. So Jerry runs away. Step by step he crosses the landscape of his sexual fantasies. From the firm, youthful desires of Mary to the sophisticated, sinful wishes of Ursule to the liberating pleasures of Paris, the city where dreams come true..."
- Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
The book is a retelling of classical fairy tales with a twist. The retellings are filled with slang terms. One story in particular uses the word s*** to refer to a woman, which the supermarket chain Aldi cited as a reason to pull the book from its shelves in 2014.
- Schmucks by Seymour Blicker
The novel is about a night in Montreal where two stubborn drivers come to a preposterous impasse about who has the right-of-way down an alley way, according to Goodreads.com. Critics say the book involves racial slurs and mentions of pedophilia.
- Skindeep by Toeckey Jones
Two characters Dave and Rhoda meet and fall in love, but since they live in South Africa, their love story becomes a tale of ingrained prejudice and institutionalized discrimination, writes Publisher's Weekly in an Amazon description. Throughout the book the main characters reportedly smoke, drink, use profanity, and have sex, which may be why the book was pulled from school libraries.
- There's A Pig In Every Crowd by Henry, S. Mead Kimble
This text appears to be some sort of collection of comics. Not much information is available. First Coast News is working to get additional information.
- Thrasher Magazine
Thrasher is a skateboarding magazine founded in January 1981 and quickly gained a large following from aspiring and professional skaters. Boardblazers.com says the magazine in no way promotes drug usage and alcohol consumption, however, there are semi-frequent mentions of these activities. The publication recently went digital.