A school district in Florida has banned a children’s book about book banning.
The Indian River County school district banned ‘Ban this Book’ by Alan Gratz, The Guardian reports.
The children’s book follows a fictional fourth grade student who created a secret banned books locker after a librarian told her that her favorite book was banned because a classmate’s parent had complained that it was inappropriate.
Jennifer Pippin, the chair of the local ‘Moms For Liberty’ chapter challenged the book. This led to a 3-2 vote by the school board to remove the book despite its own district book-review committee vetting the book and deciding to keep it.
The three votes in favor of banning the book came from two board members whose elections were backed by ‘Moms For Liberty’ and another member who was recently appointed to the board by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
In the formal motion to remove the book, board members said they disliked how the author referenced other banned books and accused the book of “teaching rebellion of school board authority.”
“They banned the book because it talks about the books that they have banned and because it talks about book banning,” Gratz told The Tallahassee Democrat. “It feels like they know exactly what they’re doing and they’re somewhat ashamed of what they’re doing and they don’t want a book on the shelves that calls them out.”
“It doesn’t teach rebellion against the school board; it teaches civic engagement,” Gratz added. “If that means opposing what your school board is doing, that means opposing what your school board is doing.”
