Across the nation, it’s time for the Scholastic Book Fair. The beloved and nostalgia-triggering event, where kids go and pick out an armful of books to take home, is held at 120,000 schools.
But this year, amid the increasingly common practice of book banning in schools and the inevitably contentious debates that stem from politically driven censorship efforts, controversy is looming heavily around the event. After deciding earlier that it would allow schools to opt in or out of a collection of diverse titles this year, Scholastic has now reversed that decision—announcing instead that it will discontinue its separate collection of books on race and gender after a fierce backlash to segregating the titles.
“I want to apologize on behalf of Scholastic,” Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing, said in a recent letter to authors and illustrators. “Even if the decision was made with good intention, we understand now that it was a mistake to segregate diverse books in an elective case. We sincerely apologize to every author, illustrator, licensor, educator, librarian, parent, and reader who was hurt by our action.”
The collection of 64 books, called “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice,” was at first made optional, meaning schools could opt out of showcasing the very diversity that the stories taught about or celebrated. Mostly, the books are about Black and brown communities, including titles such as I Color Myself Different by social rights activist and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick; Malala Yousafzai’s biography; and The ABCs of Black History.
The decision to give schools the option of leaving out certain books follows a growing trend of banning books and even entire curricula that seek to educate youth on Black history, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ experiences. More than 30 states are prohibiting some stories about gender and race, up by 33% since last year.
Still, allowing schools to opt out of diversity didn’t sit well with those who stand against censoring what students read or organizations that stand for free speech. “Sequestering books on these topics risks depriving students and families of books that speak to them,” PEN America said in a statement. “It will deny the opportunity for all students to encounter diverse stories that increase empathy, understanding, and reflect the range of human experiences and identities which are essential underpinnings of a pluralistic, democratic society.”
Many parents and creators agreed, and a petition of more than 1,500 authors and illustrators demanded Scholastic reverse the decision.
While Scholastic wants diverse titles in schools, and even signed an open letter opposing the ban of stories about diverse populations, the organization was seen as bowing to pressure from conservative parents. It originally argued that it had little choice. “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,” Scholastic said in its original statement addressing the controversy.
In part, the group may have also been concerned about volunteer workers being harassed when parents didn’t agree with diverse books. The controversy seems to keep getting more contentious, too. Recently, a Georgia teacher was fired for reading aloud a book about gender identity. A growing number of public librarians, meanwhile, are resigning over the demand for censorship.
While Scholastic may be in the middle of a harrowing battle to educate the masses on diversity, this latest episode shows that tenacity in pushing those stories forward, and striving to give all students access to them, is needed more than ever.
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