PEN America has called it “a dark day” for freedom to read as Utah’s state Board of Education released a No-Read List of 13 book titles it has banned in all public schools. The board has taken the decision to comply with a new law that requires every district to remove books banned in at least three districts. If just a handful of parents deem a book pornographic, their voices can lead to the books being removed from school libraries in the state.
The list includes three of world’s most popular and revered writers: Judy Blume, Margaret Atwood and Sarah J Maas. The 13 banned titles include the following:
- “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
- “A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas
- “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
- “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas
- “A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas
- “Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas
- “What Girls are Made of” by Elana K. Arnold
- “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur
- “Forever” by Judy Blume
- “Tilt” by Ellen Hopkins
- “Fallout (Crank, Book 3)” by Ellen Hopkins
- “Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood
- “Blankets” by Craig Thompson
“It is a dark day for the freedom to read in Utah,” said Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America. “The state’s No-Read List will impose a dystopian censorship regime across public schools and, in many cases, will directly contravene local preferences. Allowing just a handful of districts to make decisions for the whole state is antidemocratic, and we are concerned that implementation of the law will result in less diverse library shelves for all Utahns.”
Guidance from the state requires public schools to dispose of the 13 titles if they are currently on shelves, but stipulates that the banned books “may not be sold or distributed.” The board had initially considered language requiring schools to “destroy” the books, prompting board member Brent Strate to say, “I don’t care if it’s shredded, burned, it has to be destroyed one way or another.”
A petition to stop banning books and amend the law has been posted by Let Utah Reads, a coalition of Utah community members, educators, parents, librarians, and advocacy organizations, including PEN America, dedicated to preserving Americans’ “freedom to choose what we read”.