“I Play the Long Game”: Selection of Books in a Time of Continued Book Challenges

• In Event: Book Censorship and Banning in the United States

Abstract

The United States is in the continued grips of parents and community members challenging school districts to remove books they find “inappropriate”, too “controversial” for elementary aged child; many state legislatures are sanctioning/enacting such removals. These books are LGBTQ2+ themed books and/or books addressing race, racism, racial inequity, and/or written by minoritized peoples, often under the label of diversity (Friedman et al., 2022). In many states, educators are mandated in what grade levels they can discuss/address topics of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and race/racism. Teachers and librarians are caught in the crosshairs of these debates, and the question begs how and/or if their selection of books has stayed the same or changed in this climate.

Author

• Michael Bartone, Central Connecticut State University