There is now enacted or pending legislation in more than 30 U.S. states prohibiting certain kinds of books from being in schools – mostly LGBTQIA+ titles and books that engage with the presence of racism in our country. Because Scholastic Book Fairs are invited into schools, where books can be purchased by kids on their own, these laws create an almost impossible dilemma: back away from these titles or risk making teachers, librarians, and volunteers vulnerable to being fired, sued, or prosecuted.
To continue offering these books, as well as even more high interest titles, we created an additional collection called Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice for our U.S. elementary school fairs. We cannot make a decision for our school partners around what risks they are willing to take, based on the state and local laws that apply to their district, so these topics and this collection have been part of many planning calls that happen in advance of shipping a fair.
Is it wrong to buy my kids “read banned books” shirts?
Joking, but only sort of. I’m so irritated that this is the world they are growing up in. That I’m going to have to have conversations with them about why people are trying to restrict what they can learn based on bigotry and why that is wrong. There are so many other things they could be worrying about, I hate that we have this as an additional and completely unnecessary distraction.
Completely understand Scholastic’s move here. It’s unfortunate in a vacuum but on the other hand I’m very glad they aren’t simply dropping these titles entirely.
It’s never wrong to teach your kids how to resist fascism
It’s not wrong, don’t be joking.
While this is fucked up, and I don’t support the bans, ever generation has it’s banned books that are essentially harmless. I’m 37 and remembered hearing about Catcher In The Rye being banned and I thought it was going to be something raunchy. I read some of it years later and was like “this is it?!”
I love that Scholastic is standing strong. My mom still has a magnet on her fridge that I bought for her like 30 years ago at a book fair that says “I love you, Mom!”. The book fairs were the shit back in the day.
If your kids have read (or you have read to them) some banned books, and agree the reasons they’re banned are wrong, you can buy the shirts, with the caveat that they can only wear them when you’re there to protect them against anyone who reacts with violence. And if they’re old enough to have their own battles with society, maybe you could get yourself a shirt which supports that cause.
Jeez Louise. When I was a kid, and a teacher, I loved the book fairs. Spent waaaay too much on classroom libraries but the kids asked and I provided. I got so much joy from it. Everyone needs to see themselves represented. I believe people will read and continue to as long as they find someone or something they can identify with in the reading. Take that away and we have nothing. People will then not read and will therefore be ignorant over time of resources and knowledge they should have. I loved reading and I made sure my students always knew that. I made sure my ESOL kids had something fun and on their level. The Scholastic Book Fairs helped with that every year. I am both poorer and richer for this.
Well that’s depressing… Not exactly the way I wanted to start the morning. Poor kids.
I just had this conversation with my scholastic rep in August. I told her to bring the books. I would much rather have books that represent all my students even if I anger a white mom or two. The books were mostly black and Hispanic characters and a few LGBTQ+ books. I cannot fathom telling a student that they don’t get to read or buy a book that has characters that represent them and their culture because somebody else doesn’t “agree” with it. Fuck man, let the kids read.
I would much rather have books that represent all my students even if I anger a white mom or two.
Just like we teach our kids to yell “stranger danger” at creepos, we must train our kids to call over-reaching parents “Karens”.
I will proudly support an army of 4th graders bullying asshole adults.
Stranger Danger has also been proven to be bullshit
Have you been to a elementary school or even middle school book fair in recent history? The offerings are curated garbage of minimal literary value with product tie-ins to popular IP. Or that “wimpy kid” style of throwaway graphic novel that barely qualifies as reading.
If you want your kids to engage with any content of merit (whatever that looks like to you) you’re going to need to take matters into your own hands and checkout local library books or buy your own books. That’s just reality in 2023.
Hatchet by Brian Paulson was my shit!
My side of the mountain by Jean Craighead George
Any book by Fawley Mowat
Hi! was an elementary school librarian for 7 years and ran our school’s reading intervention program for 5 of those years. Now I work in a high school library with students who love to read and reluctant readers.
The books don’t matter. They really don’t. Some books can be silly, have tons of pictures, be a book of knock knock jokes, have world records, have everything you ever wanted to know about sharks, or be written in a journal-style like Diary of a Wimpy Kid (which are actually a 4th/5th grade reading level, depending on the book). As long as it gets kids reading, and ENJOYING reading, it really doesn’t fucking matter what it is. If they enjoy it, they’ll continue to read and their tastes in what they read will change and grow with them. Parents’ and teachers’ biggest job is to get them reading, no matter what it is. The absolute WORST thing you can do for children’s literacy is to be a book snob. Some of my most successful growth in readers has been the kids who go home and play Roblox because they have to be able to read and type in chat in order to interact with their friends.
Now if you want to talk about Scholastic book binding, we could absolutely talk about how quickly they fall apart (though the books are usually 1/2 of the price they are at Barnes and Noble, which again, makes them more accessible). ALL BOOKS HAVE MERIT, even the ones I think are dumb.
Unfortunately accurate. It was already pretty tamed around a decade ago before I was a parent.
Today, I’m walking through rows of the most shallowest picture books for 1-2nd graders, and like anime art books and “fortnite/Minecraft/youtuber influencer” books for older kids.
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The feds don’t enforce state law.
When practicing interstate commerce in which they have a pattern of violating the laws of several states, the DOJ or other agencies like the FTC very well might get involved.
Again, I am sorry I am just looking for understanding, who here is they? And what are the violations they made?
Edit: I know on the Internet it is very hard to convay intent, but I really am not asking these questions out of spite or as an argument. I have some trouble understanding nuance and I have an interest in this topic and I am trying to better understand.
If it helps for me to state my stance I am unequivocally, opposed to “don’t say gay” bills, the banning of so called CRT in schools, and book bannings.
Maybe. Scholastic’s status as engaged in interstate commerce gives it unique standing to challenge these laws in federal court. The chilling effect on speech, the prior restraint, and compelled speech, wrought by the combined effect of these state statutes is now laid bare.
Not challenging just curious, what law are you referring to?
The US has had a recent spat of legislative movement in some states that’s been nicknamed “Don’t Say Gay” bills. Effectively they outlaw discussion or inclusion of topics deemed inappropriate for children in educational settings. What this translates to is basically 'if you teach children that anyone other than heterosexual people exist you can be fined, fired, and potentially sued by the parents of your students.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Parental_Rights_in_Education_Act?wprov=sfti1
Got that one, up to date on the book bannings, but it seemed that it was being suggested that by complying with that law Scholastic would be violating a federal law, this is an interesting argument, especially if is has some application to interstate commerce, or even if it would be a violation of individual state law to have an agreement predetermined with the district, before the company brought “controversial” books into the district.
Let it be known that I find book banning and “don’t say gay” bills abhorrent, as I do with terminology that includes CRT including the history of slavery in the USA. I am trying only to get a better grasp of the mainstream arguments around this subject. I tend to see things in black and white (no pun intended, seriously) because I am autistic and I really do want a better understanding of this one.
I don’t think I’m seeing what you’re interpreting as them being worried about breaking federal laws. They’re worried about breaking state laws when they’re invited into schools in states with these don’t say gay bills. So scholastic has moved anything that could get them in trouble now goes in this separate collection that schools have to specifically ask them to bring and isn’t included with the normal offerings. Nor am I seeing how doing so would violate any kind of federal law.
“feds are going to be forced to act” for a federal agency to act that would require the enforcement of federal law, short of that it is all down to state action. Or am I misinterpreting intent, happens a lot to me?
