Florida school board bans book that discusses bans on books

By Jane Laurey

The school board of the Indian Rivers County School District recently voted to ban Alex Gratz’s Ban This Book, a children’s book discussing book bans. 

Gratz’s 2017 book follows fourth-grade Amy Anne Olliger after her favorite book is banned from her school library after being deemed inappropriate by one student’s parent. Amy Anne then forms a banned books library, which she keeps secret from her school. Her secret library becomes a more serious discourse against book bans and censorship throughout her school. The book was banned due to its alleged sexual content and encouragement of rebellion against authority.

"They banned the book because it talks about the books that they have banned and because it talks about book banning," Gratz said in an interview with the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida. "It feels like they know exactly what they're doing and they're somewhat ashamed of what they're doing and they don't want a book on the shelves that calls them out."

Jennifer Pippin, the president of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, proposed the ban as she objected to certain references to other books that contain sexual content. Board members Jacqueline Rosario, Gene Posca, and Kevin McDonald joined together to win the 3-2 vote to remove the book from libraries. McDonald’s specific issue with the book was its alleged encouragement of rebellion against authority figures, such as school boards.

"At (age) 9, I needed to know what was right," McDonald said. "I didn't need the schools to teach me what was wrong."

This book ban represents a greater issue with censorship, as the number of titles targeted for banning rose by 92% between 2022 and 2023. The root of this issue is the decision of who has the right to decide what students can and cannot read, whether it is parents or school boards. Supporters of book bans argue that school boards have authority over the content children consume in school.

"We are elected — I was appointed, vote of one — we are here to represent the parent's decisions,” board member McDonald said, “And the school board is the final authority for our citizens."