Nixa school board to discuss student access to seven books at June meeting
The Nixa school board is expected to meet in June to consider restricting or removing four books challenged in the past year by parents or patrons.
Each book went through a review committee, which decided to keep the challenged books available on the library shelves without restrictions.
The individuals who initially challenged those books were not satisfied with committee-level decisions, which were unanimous in all but one case, and have appealed the decision to the board, which has final say.
At the June 20 meeting, the board will consider appeals for four books:
"Lucky" by Alice Sebold, 2017, a memoir about rape and the resulting aftermath;
"Unpregnant," by Jenni Hendricks and Ted Caplan, 2019, a novel about reproductive rights;
"Empire of Storms" by Sarah J. Maas, 2016, a novel that is part of the Thrown of Glass fantasy fiction series;
"Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice," by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazard, 2018.
Documents obtained by the News-Leader through a Sunshine Law request showed Nixa parents filed challenges to at least 12 book during the 2022-23 school year — five in September, three in October, three in December and one in January. In nearly all cases, they asked that the books be removed from the high school.
More: In late 2022, Nixa parents ask for more books to be removed from the high school library
Committees were formed to review each book and decide if they should be removed, kept available without any restrictions or restricted, which requires parental permission to access.
The other eight books challenged during the 2023-24 year included:
"A Court of Thorns and Roses," by Sarah J. Maas, 2016;
"A Court of Mist and Fury," by Sarah J. Maas, 2017;
"A Court of Frost and Starlight," by Sarah J. Maas, 2018;
"A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas, 2020;
"A Court of Silver Flames," by Sarah J. Maas, 2021;
"Girl in Pieces," by Kathleen Glasgow, 2016;
"The Nowhere Girls" by Amy Reed, 2019;
"Forever," by Judy Blume, 2007.
"Girl in Pieces" was not available in the high school. At this point, there are no challenges or appeals involving the other books that have not been resolved.
In the past two years, review committees and the school board have removed or restricted access to various books challenged by residents.
At the June 20 meeting, the board is also expected to discuss the fate of three graphic novels that have not been formally challenged by Nixa residents.
Instead, the three were flagged by school employees who reviewed library collections in response to a new Missouri law that makes it illegal to provide provide minors with sexually explicit material, especially if it is visual.
"Blankets," by Craig Thompson, 2015, an illustrated novel about sexual identity, abuse and Christianity;
"A Handmaid's Tale," a graphic novel adaptation of the dystopian novel author Margaret Atwood wrote in 1985;
"The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale," by Art Spiegelman, 1996, a graphic novel about the Holocaust.
More: After Tennessee school board bans Holocaust novel 'Maus,' comic book stores send students copies
Book challenges, review committee decisions
For three of the books under appeal, the committee-level decision to keep the book available without restriction was unanimous. There was one vote to restrict "Lucky" but the majority disagreed.
"Lucky" was reviewed in late February. The originally challenge filed by Cindy Dickens argued the book included "horribly graphic rape details."
"My objection is that this is not educational material," she said. "In the hands of a professional, this could be used to help a kid going through a similar situation."
The committee decided the book was "highly educational" as it showed "what steps can be taken by a survivor in the aftermath of a sexual assault."
The committee wrote: "The book discusses the involvement of crisis professionals, navigating sharing one’s experience with family members and friends, and the court proceedings that can follow in a similar situation. We also found the presence of this book to be beneficial for a reader who has a loved one who may have experienced an assault of this nature. The opportunity to read about the author’s experience without having to experience itthemselves will allow the reader to better understand how to support someone who may have undergone a similar traumatic event."
More: Nixa parents form group to fight book bans, demand school board transparency
In challenging "Empire of Storms," Dickens said it had adult themes. She wrote: "I have never seen porn but I imagine reading this book that this is the stuff porn movies are made of. The book has a content warning."
The review committee noted the book was "further into a series" and a student would likely need to read the earlier books to understand this one.
The committee wrote: "While the book does for a brief moment address content sexual in nature it is a series that requires a higher level reader. Students would have to be dedicated to reading over four hundred pages per book prior to this book within the series."
In the original book challenge, parent Carissa Corson wrote that in "Unpregnant," a teenager from a conservative Christian home seeks an out-of-state abortion. "She travels 1,000 miles, without her parents' knowledge, to end the life of her baby. This book is considered a comedy. It also goes against Nixa's sex education policy and undermines parental authority."
In April, the review committee described the book as a "tale of friendship and self-discovery."
The committee ruled the book "in no way promotes or advocates for abortion."
"The novel manages to take a highly stigmatized topic and bring it into the light and in the process create a story that is both timely and meaningful," the committee wrote in its report.
Nixa resident Jennifer Rosebrock file the challenge to "Something Happened in Our Town" because she said it included "racial stereotyping" and a "strong anti-police rhetoric."
The review committee decided the book "promotes inclusion and represents viewpoints on all sides."
The committee wrote: "While the book discusses a difficult topic, it is written in language that is appropriate for the high school population, and the inclusion of a discussion guide in the back of the book provides additional resources and talking points to help readers navigate the book’s content. The central theme of the book is one ofinclusivity, empathy, and understanding the perspectives of others, all of which are values that are woven into the social-emotional and curricular goals of the district."
Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Nixa school board to discuss student access to seven books in June
