One Florida school district removed over 400 books. See books restricted in your district

Amanda Geduld
·3 min read
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A school district in northeastern Florida removed more than 400 books from classroom and library shelves during the past school year, the most of any of the state’s 67 school districts.

Clay County District Schools, near Jacksonville, was one of four districts in the state that banned or restricted over 100 books between July 2022 and June 2023, according to a report released Thursday by PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for freedom of expression.

Escambia County Public Schools in the Panhandle removed 205 books, Brevard Public Schools, home to Melbourne and Cocoa Beach, removed 151 titles, and the Martin County School District, home to Stuart, removed 122. (PEN America is one of the plaintiffs suing Escambia County over its book challenges.)

From July 2022 to June 2023 PEN America recorded 3,362 instances of individual books banned nationally, affecting 1,557 titles. No state restricted more books than Florida.

The nonprofit defines a “book ban” as “any action taken against a book based on its content, and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book.”

READ MORE: Florida now leads the country in book bans, new PEN report says. How did that happen?

In 33 districts in Florida — about half the state, including the five largest districts— more than 1,400 books were banned or restricted. These texts run the gamut from children’s picture books to young adult novels. In Palm Beach County, the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has been banned pending investigation.

There were no recorded incidents of book banning in the Monroe County School District, which includes the Florida Keys.

Here are the numbers of book bans and challenges during the last school year in the state’s largest districts, along with some of the titles, according to PEN America’s report.

READ MORE: Book bans are growing in South Florida schools. You’ve probably read some of these books

Miami-Dade Public Schools

Number of titles banned or restricted: 8

Examples of materials: “The ABCs of Black History” by Rio Cortez; “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country” by Amanda Gorman; “Love to Langston” by Tony Medina.

Amanda Gorman’s book containing the inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” and a foreword by Oprah Winfrey. Miami-Dade, Florida, school officials put the book on a restricted list after a parent complained about it, citing “indirect hate messages.”
Amanda Gorman’s book containing the inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” and a foreword by Oprah Winfrey. Miami-Dade, Florida, school officials put the book on a restricted list after a parent complained about it, citing “indirect hate messages.”

Broward County Public Schools

Number of titles banned or restricted: 12

Examples of materials: “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harris; “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini; “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison.

Broward County Schools restricted the book, ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini to students in ninth grade or higher during the 2022-23 school year.
Broward County Schools restricted the book, ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini to students in ninth grade or higher during the 2022-23 school year.

School District of Palm Beach County

Number of titles banned or restricted: 23

Examples of materials: “Fred Gets Dressed” by Peter Brown; “The 1619 Project: Born on the Water” by Nikole Hannah-Jones; “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee; “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” by Rob Sanders; “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” by Mildred D. Taylor.

‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee was one of the books restricted by the Palm Beach County school district, according to a report from PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for freedom of expression.
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee was one of the books restricted by the Palm Beach County school district, according to a report from PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for freedom of expression.

Hillsborough County Public Schools

Number of titles banned or restricted: 1

Examples of materials: “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson

Orange County Public Schools

Number of titles banned or restricted: 9

Examples of materials: “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen; “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harris; “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe; “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins

Pinellas School District

Number of titles banned or restricted: 1

Examples of materials: “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was removed from at least 12 school districts in Florida last year, including Clay and Broward.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was removed from at least 12 school districts in Florida last year, including Clay and Broward.

Duval County Public Schools

Number of titles banned or restricted: 24

Examples of materials: “The Story of Werewolves” by Thomas G. Aylesworth; “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harris; “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini; “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

Escambia County Public Schools

Number of titles banned or restricted: 205

Examples of materials: “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas; “Go Ask Alice” by Beatrice Sparks; “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson