What Wilson County students actually check out as district wades through book ban requests
The Wilson County School Board has seen a steady stream of books over the last year and a half that some in the community want removed from school media centers.
From April 2022 through the most recent January 2024 meeting, the school board had 29 books brought before it based on requests for review. The board has removed six of those books.
But the number of times students checked out the books that are reviewed are nearly always very minimal, according to information presented at board meetings.
We asked the district about what its students are actually reading the most, based on books checked out at each of Wilson County's five traditional high schools this school year. The data runs from Aug. 1 through Dec. 15.
This is what we got:
Green Hill High
“The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien – 7 checkouts.
An overview: The first volume in a fantasy series about a hobbit and an evil lord's pursuit of the One Ring that has power to effect the world in a battle of good vs. evil.
“One-Punch Man Volume 2” by ONE – 7.
An overview: Part of a series about a Japanese superhero Saitama who defeats opponents with a single punch.
“One-Punch Man Volume 4” by ONE – 6.
An overview: Another book in the series about Saitama.
Lebanon High
“One of Us is Lying” by Karen McManus – 6.
An overview: A mystery about five diverse high school students who go into detention and only four make it out alive.
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson – 5.
An overview: A popular high school girl is killed by her boyfriend, who then kills himself with mystery that follows about what really happened.
“The Replacement” by Brenna Yovanoff.
An overview: A mythical plot about a character from another world named Mackie Doyle, a replacement left in a human baby crib who fights to survive in a human world.
Wilson Central High
“They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera – 7.
An overview: A novel that focuses on two teenage boys who learn they are going to die the same day.
“Naruto. Volume 1” by Masashi Kishimoto – 6.
An overview: About a boy named Naruto who is training with other classmates to become a great ninja in the land.
“Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard – 6.
An overview: Described as a dystopian novel about a character who is training with other classmates to become a great ninja in the land.
Watertown High
“When” by Laurie Victoria – 12.
An overview: A high school student named Maddie has the paranormal ability to see the date of death above the foreheads of people she encounters.
“The Island” by Natasha Preston – 10.
An overview: Thriller about a group of teenage friends who are invited for a pre-opening weekend at an exclusive theme park that has a killer.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han – 10.
An overview: A story that follows a character nicknamed Belly as she turns 16 at the summer destination her family spends regularly with another family.
Mt. Juliet High
“Heartstopper. Volume 2” by Alice Oseman – 9.
An overview: Part of a series about two boys named Nick and Charlie who become friends and fall in love.
“The Prince and the Dressmaker” by Jen Wang – 9.
An overview: Prince Sebastian has a secret life putting on dresses and going into Paris as fashion icon Lady Crystallia.
“Catching Fire” (Book 2 of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins – 7.
An overview: The second book in a dystopian story about a world where youth are sent to compete in a fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games and a revolution.
“Heartstopper. Volume 4” by Alice Oseman – 7.
An overview: A continuation of the series about two boys named Nick and Charlie and their evolving relationship.
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins – 7.
An overview: The first novel about youth sent to fight to the death.
Books the district has removed
"Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic,” by Alison Bechdel (removed in July).
An overview: 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.
"Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts),” by L.C. Rosen — removed in December 2022.
An overview: 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.
An overview: 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.
An overview: 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.
An overview: 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.
An overview: 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.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What books are Wilson County students actually checking out?
