The School Board of Indian River County, Florida, has ironically voted to remove the children’s novel “Ban This Book” by Alan Gratz from its libraries. This action directly contradicts the recommendation of the district’s book-review committee, which had advocated for the book’s retention on school shelves.
The novel portrays a young fourth grader who, in response to her school board’s removal of various books, sets up a secret locker library of banned books. However, some board members criticised the book for its references to previously banned titles and its perceived encouragement of defiance against school board authority. “The title itself and the theme challenges our authority,” stated Kevin McDonald, a board member who supported the book’s removal, during last month’s meeting.
Jennifer Pippin, president of the local Moms for Liberty chapter and a key figure in the challenge against the book, argued that the book contains inappropriate themes, despite it being rated low for inappropriateness by a book-rating website affiliated with her organisation. Pippin’s challenges have previously led to the removal of over 140 books from local schools.
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BookLooks.org, the book-rating website affiliated with the group and frequently referenced in book challenges within schools, assigned a mild “1” out of 5 rating for inappropriateness to “Ban This Book.”
In defence of his work, Gratz highlighted the irony of the situation, stating to USA Today Network, “They banned the book because it talks about the books that they have banned and because it talks about book banning.” He added, “It feels like they know exactly what they’re doing and they’re somewhat ashamed of what they’re doing and they don’t want a book on the shelves that calls them out.”
Opposition to the removal came from within the board as well. School Board chair Teri Barenborg expressed concern over the disregard for the prior review process the book had undergone, saying, “We’ve had several eyes on this book before it came to us… Yet we’re going to be the five people that determine that we know all those people who determined the book was OK before it got to us. I have a hard time with that.”
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Critics of the board’s decision, including Florida Freedom to Read, have labelled the removal as “truly absurd” and indicative of the problems that arise when a nonpartisan majority is lost. Meanwhile, Gratz advocates for the educational value of “Ban This Book”, stressing that it promotes civic engagement rather than rebellion.
The controversy continues to fuel discussions on the role of school boards in book censorship and the broader implications for educational freedom in Florida, a state that has seen an increasing number of book challenges under recent legislative changes.