Roundup: Book challenge updates.
- Smithville, Georgia. The Smithville Public Library was awarded the Gordon M. Conable Award for refusing to cancel the "Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys" series despite some angry pushback from a small contingent of patrons. (It should be mentioned, however, that I am dinging the otherwise nice article on two fronts: One, that it named Fifty Shades of Grey as a 2012 National Book Award winner, and two, that it broadly disparaged the romance genre.)
Waukesha, Wisconsin. Looking for Alaska will remain in the curriculum; Chris Crutcher's Chinese Handcuffs and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner have now been challenged. I guess the challengers are going the try, try again route.
Singapore. Tango and White Swan will be available in the adult stacks as of Tuesday, both in the social sciences section. The library board is apparently working to "fine-tune its existing review process".
Albertville, Alabama. Still hoping for more information about whatever's going on with Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.
Cape Henlopen, Delaware. And, in case you missed it, the Cape Henlopen School Board returned Cameron Post to the summer reading list... and then abolished the entire list:
As is pointed out in this letter from the NCAC (dating from before the decision to axe the entire list), one would assume that the school board will now remove Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, and every other book that contains profanity from the curriculum.