Wilson County Schools reviewed 19 books. These titles didn't make the cut.

The Wilson County School Board has removed six books from its library shelves since members started reviewing publications in April 2022.

The pulled books range from "Tricks" to "Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)." A voting majority decided some amount of content was not appropriate for public school students for those books removed.

The board has reviewed a total of 19 books — through early August. The board’s evaluations coincided with a book review committee the school district established in March 2022. Here's a breakdown:

One book removed that coincided with a recommendation for removal by the review committee

• "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic,” by Alison Bechdel — removed in July.

Synopsis: The book chronicles the author’s complex relationship with her father and is described as a graphic memoir that includes sexual identity and gender roles.

5 books removed that the review committee did not recommend

• "Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts),” by L.C. Rosen — removed in December 2022.

Synopsis: A gay high school student who is sexually active writes a sex column that brings a stalker into the story. The author has defended the book in other challenges by saying the story contains no explicit sex scenes and features questions and answers for teens to be aware of.

• "Tricks,” by Ellen Hopkins — removed in December 2022.

Synopsis: The book is about five troubled teenagers who fall into prostitution. The plot explains the ease in which teens can fall into sex trafficking and prostitution.

• "Infandous,” by Elana K. Arnold — removed in June.

Synopsis: The story is about a teenage girl named Sephora Golding and her journey to womanhood. Themes include Sephora's relationship with her mother and an encounter with an older man. Includes explicit language and sexual content.

• "Damsel,” by Elana K. Arnold — removed in June.

Synopsis: A fantasy setting about a damsel and prince. Themes include submission and male domination with challenges over sexual and violent scenes.

• "The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel,” by Margaret Atwood — removed in August.

Synopsis: This book removed in Wilson County is the illustrated version of the story that is also written in a traditional novel form. The dystopian story is about a handmaid, Offred, who lives in a totalitarian, theocratic state called the Republic of Gilead where handmaids are forced to birth children for the ruling class. The book, first released in 1985, has been challenged numerous times by school districts over accusations of sexually explicit themes and vulgarity. Challenges led to a specially commissioned, unburnable edition released for auction.

13 books brought up for review that were not removed by the board

• "The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison — reviewed in April 2022.

• "Eleanor and Park,” by Rainbow Rowell — reviewed in April 2022.

• "A Court of Mist and Fury,” by Sarah J. Maas — reviewed in May 2022.

• "Monday's Not Coming,” by Tiffany Jackson — reviewed in May 2022.

• "Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices),” by Cassandra Clare — reviewed in May 2022.

• "Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins — reviewed in May 2022.

• "My Friend Dahmer,” by Derf Backderf — reviewed in June 2022.

• "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,”  by Erika L Sanchez — reviewed in August 2022.

• "The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky — reviewed in January.

• "The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini — reviewed in May.

• "The Carnival at Bray,” by Jessie Ann Foley — reviewed in May.

• "Red Hood,” by Elana K. Arnold — reviewed in July.

• "Empire of Storms,” by Sarah J. Maas — reviewed in August.

What books are picked for review?

Parents, students and community members can request a review of a book or material. The request must start with the school principal. If not resolved, a complaint can be made in writing to the director of schools.

The district also provides a mature reading list that enables parents the right to approve whether their child has access to the material.

What board members have said

Wilson County School Board Zone 2 member Beth Meyers and Zone 4 representative Joseph Padilla have regularly raised concerns at meetings about whether books being brought to the review committee are appropriate for public schools.

“We’re not debating whether the CDC said this is good or bad, that doesn’t matter to me,” Padilla said at one board meeting. “What matters is what’s in (a book) and what taxpayers are paying for and is this something for its intended use?”

Carrie Pfeiffer has consistently voted against book removals, maintaining that the mature reading list gives parents “ample opportunity” to determine a child’s access to a book. Pfeiffer did vote to remove “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic,” believing that the material shouldn't be in schools and agreeing with the review board's recommendation for removal.

“I’m thinking very much, 'Is this a book I would let my child read?’” Pfeiffer, the parent of middle school and high school students, said about book removals.

“I read each book and weigh each book on its own merit,” Zone 3 member Melissa Lynn said.

Pfeiffer also expressed concern about singling out illustrated graphic novels such as “The Handmaid's Tale,” because of the potential to restrict access to material for students that struggle to read traditional novels.

What's next

The next two books to be discussed by the board are "House of Earth and Blood" and "Kingdom of Ash," both by Sarah J. Maas. Both books are also presently on the district's mature reading list.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The 6 books removed from libraries by Wilson County Schools