Texas Freedom to Read Project

Sorry- it’s working when I click on it so I’m not sure why it’s not working for you… the op ed is Austin in the Austin Statesman if you happen to have a subscription to that newspaper.

First Texas schools banned my book. Now it's 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' The problem isn't just the new state law. It's how some school leaders are reacting to it.

Stop what you’re doing and read this op ed by @ashleyhopeperez.bsky.social right now.

Gift link:
www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outl...

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School districts banning books because of “disagreeable” ideas they contain is censorship. Courts are siding with districts, not parents. Not students. In America. In 2025.

In this case we are talking about a nonfiction children’s picture book about a penguin family with 2 daddy penguins. 😑

If you haven't already purchased the book Chains, it's not too late to grab a copy and join us for the Right to Read Night on October 5th!!

For all those who love democracy, free speech, and books, this one is for you. Grab of copy of "Chains" by @halseanderson.bsky.social & support the #FREADomtoRead

The Normalization of Book Banning This report offers a window into the complex and extensive climate of censorship between July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

Proud to work on this with some great folks fighting for the freedom to read. Of note - SO MANY ALLIES. @heykellyjensen.bsky.social @flfreedomread.bsky.social and @txfreedomread.bsky.social!!!! pen.org/report/the-n...

That’s part of what’s so alarming about this! They HAVE done well navigating the book banning hysteria over the past few years- so to see them remove these books from classrooms is incredibly concerning. 😩

Leander ISD pauses dozens of books in classrooms in response to state law

Removing To Kill a Mockingbird and The House on Mango Street from Texas classrooms does not protect Texas kids. The Texas GOP and Governor Abbott need to answer for this. Shameful.

www.fox7austin.com/news/leander...

Texas, USA: “Protecting children” from To Kill a Mockingbird and The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass since 2025. 🆒

Texas SB12 and SB13 are taking books away from your children’s classrooms. If this is happening in your school, contact us or @txfreedomread.bsky.social project. Our students deserve quality reading materials in their classrooms.

Harlingen CISD cancels Scholastic Book Fairs & shuts down online library access. Cites school library bill, SB 13.

Limits student and parents’ opportunities to PURCHASE books, & ability to borrow choice books.

SB 13 means fewer books for TX students.

www.valleycentral.com/news/local-n...

Y’all- can you please take 2 mins to email the LCISD school board and local Texas lawmakers to let them know laws and local polices that result in banning Pinkalicious must be fixed?

Click to email:
actionbutton.nationbuilder.com/share/SPK-QE...

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Paperbag Princess, by Canadian picture book author Robert Munsch, is banned for.... frontal nudity. As is Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen.

Don’t mind us. Just a few Texas parents out here fighting to protect our kids’ right to read… {checks notes} ….. Pinkalicious….?!?!

No one is coming to save us.

If you want to start fighting for books wherever you live, we recommend starting here:

www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

Our local policies and state laws don’t leave a lot of room for common sense to prevail. They’re prescriptive and often overly broad. Which puts district staff in a horrible bind. Especially when they have been told at every turn their professional judgement can’t be trusted.

Thank YOU for using your voice and speaking to your school board! 👏🏻

It’s coming for every district. I spoke at my school board last night, reminding them we can e different voices than this.

“What happens in Lamar, will not stay in Lamar. The same people, organizations, & groups successfully lobbied the Texas legislature for laws they believe will make it easier to criminalize educators & librarians, & for them to remove books”

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Sure feels that way to us, too!

District records indicate that the book was found to be not in alignment with state law HB 900, and LCISD’s EFB Local library materials policy. They also indicated the book contained “frontal nudity” which their local policy prohibits in elementary schools. 🫠

#booksky #edusky #texas #stopbookbans #freadom #freedomtoread

Screen shot of email campaign landing page

Remember what happens in Lamar Consolidated ISD, will not stay in LCISD.

Email LCISD leaders, & Texas lawmakers. Ask them how they plan to fix the policies and laws that have now banned Pinkalicious- and hundreds of other books along with her.

actionbutton.nationbuilder.com/share/SPK-QE...

The @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social found that 72% of demands to restrict & remove books, in 2024, came from politicians or people with ties to pressure groups. Not parents with genuine concerns for their individual child’s access to a book they happened upon in their library.

Conservative book ban activists target Rio Grande Valley school districts

While we don’t know how these books were identified in LCISD, we do know many of the books on the list can be found on book lists being circulated by political groups with a book banning agenda.

www.progresstimes.net/2024/05/23/c...

So how and why are these books being targeted for restriction and removal, and by whom?

That question is harder to answer.

Screen shot of a PIR from LCISD

LCISD has not received a single formal request to reconsider any library or instructional materials since prior to Jan 1, 2024.

The District also stated that some of the books on the list do not even exist in LCISD, but that the school board is requiring a review of all of the titles.

We have been told staff have been instructed to pull these books from classrooms and campus libraries. In some cases teachers are having to rework previously approved lesson plans since students are not currently allowed access to any of these books.

LCISD Titles Under Review.xlsx

Some of the titles on this list include Maus 1 and Maus 2 by Art Spiegelman, Drama by Raina Telgemeir, Black Boy Joy by Kwame Alexander and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...