Here we go again, guys…
The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees has a meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 29th, and one of the items on the agenda involves recommendations concerning books that are currently under reconsideration in district libraries.
This isn’t exactly a new conversation…
According to KCBD, over 130 book challenges were filed as of August, with some groups in our community arguing that certain titles contain material that is inappropriate for students.
Lubbock ISD maintains that it’s still following Texas law, including Senate Bill 13, which sets requirements for reviewing school library materials.
But who should make the final decision?
Photo by Stephen Harlan on UnsplashWhite question mark painted on concrete pavement
I’m really not the one to answer that question.
I’d probably let every book ever written hang out in my own personal library.
But I guess parents should have a say in what their kids read. Different families have totally different boundaries, though, and that’s where things seem to get sticky.
One family’s boundaries shouldn’t determine what every child can check out.
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I get wanting to “protect your kids” or whatever…but, honestly, my parents did ANYTHING they could to get me interested in reading. Anything.
Handing me a couple of questionable titles is probably actually what got me hooked on books. It wasn’t until I came across drugs, sex, and rock and roll in literature that I gave a crap about it. Now, I’m an avid reader.
Sometimes, subject matter is supposed to make you uncomfortable. It’s supposed to make you ask questions. It’s supposed to make you want to keep turning the page.
Lubbock ISD already offers tools for parents to monitor and restrict their child’s library selections, so why are we going down this rabbit hole again?
Talk to me, Lubbock.
Photo by Shiromani Kant on UnsplashA large pile of various self-help and business books scattered on a surface
Lubbock, what do you think?
I want to hear from you.
Reach me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com and tell me where you’re at with this whole silly book banning nonsense, then keep scrolling for more odds and ends in the galleries below…
Books that Have Recently Been Challenged in School Systems Across the USAcross the country, legislators and school administrators are seeing a spike in efforts to prohibit certain materials from being available in libraries. As a result, books that explore topics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and other social issues are being targeted. The American Library Association received over 330 reports in the last year alone, containing multiple books that are being challenged all over the U.S.
Check out the following gallery to see some of the books that are currently in hot seats across the country.
Click on the below links to read an additional synopsis of each book. *As Amazon associates we earn on qualifying purchases.
Gallery Credit: Melissa Nelson
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