Iowa is banning kids books, incensing authors. What's behind it? Our 60 second explainer

Samantha Hernandez, Des Moines Register
Updated ·2 min read
A number of books have been challenged in Iowa in recent years including "The Hate U Give," "All Boys Aren't Blue," "Hey, Kiddo," "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," "This Book is Gay," "Gender Queer" and "Melissa."
A number of books have been challenged in Iowa in recent years including "The Hate U Give," "All Boys Aren't Blue," "Hey, Kiddo," "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," "This Book is Gay," "Gender Queer" and "Melissa."

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably come across news stories about authors angry that their books have been banned by some Iowa schools.

So, how did we get here?

What is the law that bans books from schools?

It started with a push by Republican lawmakers and conservative parents who wanted to make it easier to challenge "inappropriate" books and remove them from Iowa schools.

That led to Senate File 496, a new law that automatically requires schools to remove most books that depict sex acts — no challenge needed.

Related: From book bans to bullying alerts, which schools are exempt and which aren't from Iowa law

Did Iowa have a lot of books challenged before the new ban?

Not really. A Des Moines Register investigation identified 100 challenges involving 60 different books between August 2020 and May 2023.

Just 11% of Iowa's 326 public school districts had a book challenged, and only 11 books were removed as a result. Ten others were restricted.

Register exclusive: In 3 years, 60 books have been challenged in Iowa schools. A new law could ban far more.

Register exclusive: What to know about the 9 most challenged books in Iowa schools, from 'Tricks' to 'Lawn Boy'

What is significant about the books challenged?

The Register's analysis found that 55% of the challenges were for books with people of color, 47% were about the LGBTQ community, and 25% focused on people who had survived sexual violence.

Nearly 90% of the challenged books were written by someone who belongs to an underrepresented group.

Register exclusive: Books challenged in Iowa schools frequently tell stories of LGBTQ, Black and brown people

Have schools begun removing books?

Many schools have held off, waiting for promised guidance from the Iowa Department of Education. They're still waiting.

Others have begun culling books ahead of the law's January 2024 deadline.

Their lists have sparked criticism, including from some of the award-winning authors whose books are now slated for removal.

More: Jodi Picoult speaks out about Iowa school district banning her New York Times bestseller

More: 'Friday Night Lights' author Buzz Bissinger an unlikely hero in Iowa book-ban debate

More: An Iowa school official needed to know if 42 books contained sex. She asked ChatGPT for help

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How Iowa's law to ban books with sex acts is causing a furor in schools