Hundreds of books pulled from Florida school libraries — including novels by Kurt Vonnegut, John Green and Toni Morrison
CBSN
A 35-page list compiled by the Florida Department of Education outlines hundreds of books banned across the state's 73 school districts during the 2023-2024 academic year.
The report lists the titles and authors of the books, and what grade levels the book was removed from, but does not detail why a book was discontinued. Under HB 1069, a 2023 law that bans Florida schools from having books that depict or describe "sexual conduct" or "is inappropriate for the grade level and age group for which the material is used," library books can be removed in response to an objection raised by the parent of a student or a resident of the county where the district is located. Once a complaint is made, the books must be reviewed before they can be returned to the shelves or permanently removed.
Some districts had no books removed, while others saw dozens or even hundreds of titles pulled from their shelves. Some of the removed books included entries in popular series like George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga and Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" novels. Well-known authors like John Green, Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, Nicholas Sparks and Sarah J. Maas also saw their books pulled from shelves.
