From an AP African American studies course to classroom gender-identity discussions to TikTok on university phones, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration and the state's Republican-dominated legislature have instituted a dizzying number of regulations restricting what Floridians can say, read, and scroll through mindlessly. It's part of a nationwide push by conservative politicians to draw their battle lines in the culture wars and signal to their constituency that they're decidedly anti-woke.
Still, there's one item school districts in Florida appear to have consistently banned more than almost any other U.S. state: books.
The nation has seen a surge in book bans over the past two years as parents, conservative activists, and elected officials have flooded school districts with requests to wipe scores of titles from classrooms and libraries — with Florida still leading the pack in such incidents.
After more than 200 books were banned in various school districts across Florida between the summer of 2021 and 2022, districts continued the crackdown, banning 357 books between July and December 2022, according to the nonprofit organization PEN America. The organization reports that Florida had the second-highest number of book-banning incidents in the nation during that period, trailing only Texas.
The surge in the removal of books — many of which are about race, sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity — came amid a flurry of new Florida laws such as the Stop WOKE Act, which restricts teaching about systemic racism in schools, and the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, which bans instruction involving gender identity and sexual orientation before fourth grade (recently extended, in large part, through the end of high school under a new Florida Department of Education rule).
While the new laws don't ban specific titles, they've opened the door for activists to challenge dozens of books in Florida schoolhouses on the grounds that they contain non-compliant content. The new laws and administrative rules have been cited by teachers, librarians, administrators, and parents alike as the reason for books being removed from school shelves.
Fear of tempting the wrath of parents or the Florida Department of Education has left many educators walking on eggshells. The state currently mandates that librarians undergo training to avoid selecting books that violate Florida regulations and to "err on the side of caution" when selecting materials.
Florida has argued in court that the "Don't Say Gay" bill applies only to classroom materials. But in practice, some county officials have been readily restricting access to school library books based on challenges mirroring the bill. Meanwhile, Florida is requiring local librarians to ensure "alignment to state academic standards" and to weed out school books that subject children to "indoctrination," a term used by the governor and his supporters to justify passing restrictions on LGBTQ-related content.
"Because the laws are vague, everybody's confused, and everybody's a little scared," Reagan Miller, a mom and leader of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, told Education Week.
During a March press conference, DeSantis showed an audience in Tampa clips of books, including graphic novels with sexual images, which he claimed were found in Florida public schools. He said his administration was only trying to remove inappropriate materials from classrooms and that the media was perpetuating a "book-ban hoax."
"[Parents] have procedures where they can say, 'Wait a minute... that is pornographic. Why would we have that in a media center with 10-year-old students?'" DeSantis said.
PEN America's chief executive Suzanne Nossel responded in a statement, saying the "approaches and methods being legislated statewide go far beyond any conceivable effort in service" of the governor's stated goal of removing sexualized texts.
"Have some schools been overly cautious? Quite possibly," Nossel continued. "But that is how censorship works — it sweeps up not just material directly banned but also exerts a well-documented 'chilling effect' whereby a wider circle of books and ideas are off limits to avoid risk of punishment."
Picking up where we left off, here's a list of books banned in Florida's school districts since July 2022, according to PEN America. Among them, you'll find titles by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, satirical novelist Kurt Vonnegut, and prominent author and poet Margaret Atwood.
Brevard County
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. MaasCrank by Ellen Hopkins
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
I Never by Laura Hopper
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
Broward County
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill TwissDifferent Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Melissa (George) by Alex Gino
Sold by Patricia McCormick
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
Clay County
All the Bright Places by Jennifer NivenAllegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Alt Ed by Catherine Atkins
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
Fable by Adrienne Young
Fade by Lisa McMann
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Flamer by Mike Curato
Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
Is He a Girl? by Loius Sachar
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human (A Graphic Novel) by Erika Moen
Light It Up by Kekla Magoon
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Love Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture by Roxane Gay
Novels for Students, Vol. 9: Presenting analysis, context, and criticism on commonly studied novels by Deborah A. Stanley
Ramona Blue Julie Murphy
Ready or Not by Meg Cabot
Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Someday by David Levithan
Stained by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
We Are Not Your Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
Woke: A Young Poets Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne
Yolk Choi by H.K. Mary
Escambia County
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. MaasA Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Beautiful by Amy Reed
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
Black Brother, Black Brother Parker by Jewell Rhodes
Black Girl Unlimited: the Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
Born Ready: the True Story of a Boy Named Penelope by Jodie Patterson
Boy Girl Boy by Ron Koertge
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
Boy2Girl by Terence Blacker
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Burned (EH) by Ellen Hopkins
Chosen by P.C. Cast
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Deogratias: a Tale of Rwanda by Jean-Philippe Stassen
Dime by E.R. Frank
Doing It!: Let's Talk About Sex by Hannah Witton
Drama: a Graphic Novel by Raina Telgemeier
Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Empire of Storms by Sarah J.Maas
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Fade by Lisa McMann
Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
Forever... by Judy Blume
Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Girl in Pieces Glasgow, Kathleen
GLBTQ*: the Survival Guide for Queer & Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel
Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Grit by Gillian French
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler
Hear These Voices: Youth at the Edge of the Millennium by Anthony Allison
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
I Never by Laura Hopper
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Infandous by Elana K. Arnold
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Jesus Land: a Memoir by Julia Scheeres
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
Lexicon by Max Barry
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Lush by Natasha Friend
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Melissa (George) by Alex Gino
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
Push by Sapphire
Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager
Race and Policing in Modern America by Duchess Harris
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Ready or Not by Meg Cabot
Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place by Jackson Bird
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Stamped from the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer
The 1619 Project: a New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
The 57 Bus: a True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's Tale: the Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
The Truth About Alice: a Novel by Jennifer Mathieu
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball by Mark Weakland
Where I End and You Begin by Preston Norton
Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Yolk Choi by H.K. Mary
Flagler County
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. MaasBreathless by Jennifer Niven
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Push by Sapphire
Sold by Patricia McCormick
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hernando County
Burned (EH) by Ellen HopkinsCollateral by Ellen Hopkins
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
Glass by Ellen Hopkins
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Highlands County Schools
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. MaasAnd Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Drama: a Graphic Novel by Raina Telgemeier
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated, I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver by E. Lockhart
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Lake County
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee StoneA Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Manatee County
Both Can Be True by Jules MachiasCrank by Ellen Hopkins
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews
Gender Queer: a Memoir by Maia Kobabe
I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
Light It Up by Kekla Magoon
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
My Jim: a Novel by Nancy Rawles
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Protesting Police Violence in Modern America by Duchess Harris
Push by Sapphire
Race and Policing in Modern America by Duchess Harris
Ready or Not by Meg Cabot
Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Sold by Patricia McCormick
The 57 Bus: a True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth by Wade Hudson
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
Palm Beach County
Ana on the Edge by A.J. SassAnne Frank's Diary: the Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman
Big Bob, Little Bob by James Howe
Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff
Calvin by J.R. Ford
Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman
Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown
Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings
It Feels Good To Be Yourself: a Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
Melissa (George) by Alex Gino
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino
My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
My Rainbow by DeShanna Neal
Pride: the Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
Rick by Alex Gino
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Pants Project by Cat Clarke
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
St. Lucie Public Schools
Mixed: a Colorful Story by Aree ChungRed: a Crayon's Story by Michael Hall
The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson
Seminole County Public Schools
10,000 Dresses by Marcus EwertDate Rape (At Issue) by Christine Watkins
Deogratias: aTale of Rwanda by Jean-Philippe Stassen
I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings
Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman
Let's Talk About It: the Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human (A Graphic Novel) by Erika Moen
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Push by Sapphire
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Volusia County Schools
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle LukoffA Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
