21 Books Banned at Madison County Excessive College Library: Did Any of Your Favorites Make The Listing?

The Madison County College Board just lately voted to ban practically two dozen titles from the native highschool library.

Lower than two miles separate the Madison County Excessive College library and the native public library, however the divide over 21 just lately banned college library books—nonetheless discovered on the native library—continues to develop. 

On Jan. 12, the Madison County College Board voted to ban practically two dozen titles from the highschool library. In keeping with each The MadRapp Reporter and Bookstr, the books got here from an inventory of novels that Concentrate on the Household, a nationwide conservative group, deemed unacceptable. Three titles additionally popped up on the American Library Affiliation’s 10 Most Challenged Books listing between 2019 and 2021. 

A number of authors had a couple of of their titles included within the ban. The varsity did away with three books by Stephen King, a well-known horror and suspense author. Nixed books included It, a narrative following a bunch of outcasts who attempt to cease an evil demon that poses as a child-killing clown; 11/22/63, a story of a time traveler who tries to forestall the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; and Bag of Bones, a novel about an creator affected by author’s block and delusions after his spouse’s sudden loss of life. 

King, typically a topic of censorship and book banning shenanigans, took to Twitter on Jan. 18 with a name to motion, posting: “Hey, youngsters! It’s your outdated buddy Steve King telling you that in the event that they ban a guide in your college, haul your [expletive] to the closest bookstore or library ASAP and discover out what they don’t need you to learn.”

Virginia Del. Nick Freitas—a Republican who represents the Counties of Madison, Orange, and parts of Culpeper—replied to King’s tweet the identical day, posting: “I’m unsure Stephen understands how creepy that is,” claiming that King’s titles are “brazenly pornographic.”

Republicans like Freitas are a driving force behind guide bans in Virginia. Earlier this month, a chunk of laws that passed the General Assembly final 12 months went into impact. Republican Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant’s Senate Bill (SB) 656 required parental notification earlier than college students encountered educational materials containing sexually specific topics. 

Mother and father now have the choice to evaluation the academic materials, and in the event that they deem the content material inappropriate for his or her baby, they will request that their scholar obtain an alternate project.

Within the Basic Meeting this session, Republican lawmakers filed a number of payments aimed towards censoring or banning books. 

For instance, House Bill (HB) 1448 would require that the Division of Schooling seek the advice of with numerous unspecified and unelected group members to create an inventory of mannequin insurance policies for each the choice and elimination of books and different media in public college libraries.

Within the Senate, Sen. Amanda Chase’s Senate Bill (SB) 1463 would require {that a} parental advisory label seem on the entrance of any guide deemed to include sexually specific content material.

Whereas state legislators proceed discussing potential bans, there’s loads of time to see what all of the banned guide buzz is about. Listed here are the 21 books just lately banned from the Madison County Excessive College Library:

• The Handmaid’s Story by Margaret Atwood
• The Completely True Diary of a Half-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Shatter Me sequence by Tahereh Mafi, together with Defy Me, Ignite Me, Restore Me, Shatter Me, Think about Me, and Unravel Me
• Tar Child by Toni Morrison
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Sula by Toni Morrison
• Love by Toni Morrison
• The Story of the Physique Thief by Anne Rice
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
• Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
• Empire of Storms by Sarah Maas
• Bag of Bones by Stephen King
• 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
• It by Stephen King
• Furyborn by Claire Legrand