This is the list of books they are banning and the "support" found in this document. If you read the entire document from the Nampa School Board, it gives so many more details.
The following books are recommended for removal from the list of
challenged books for lack of or little sexual content:
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Common Sense Media gives the book a 5-star rating for overall as well as for educational value, language, and violence. The target audience is 16+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 1 out of 5 for sexual content: The author describes romantic love and caring adults' desire for affection.Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli - Common Sense Media gives it an overall rating of 4 stars. “Language gets a 4-star rating and there is scenes of underage drinking and teens in gay and bisexual relationships.Sexual Content: Common Sense Media rates this book 2 out of 5 for sexual content: Mentions of sexuality: "Of course I told my mom I'm bisexual, even though none of my friends know." But no actual sex. Sweet kissing sceneThe Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang - Common Sense Media gives this story a 5-star overall rating and says it is a standout for both positive role models and positives messages. The target audience is 12+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 1 out of 5 for sexual content: One kiss, one almost kiss, and growing feelings of attraction and love illustrated.Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - Common Sense Media gives an overall rating of 3 stars.Target audience is 14+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 2 out of 5 for sexual content: There's sexual innuendo, kissing, and inappropriate touching -- a boy grabs a girl's buttThe 57 Bus by Dashka Slater - Common Sense Media gives the overall rating of 5 stars, while also being a standout for positive role models, positive messages, and educational value.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 1 out of 5 for sexual content: Mention of more than one teen pregnancy, including Richard's mom's. She had him when she was 14. No sexually descriptive scenesDrama by Raina Telgemeier - Common Sense Media gives this graphic novel an overall rating of 5 stars. Additionally, the educational value, positive messages, and positive role models are all given 5-star ratings. The story has a gay character and another boy who is not sure about his sexuality. The target audience is 10+Sexual Content – Common Sense Media give this book 2 out of 5 stars: The story addresses middle school characters' sexual orientation and depicts same-sex and opposite-sex crushes. In one scene, Jesse, a boy, kisses West, a boy, when playing the part of a girl.
The following books are recommended to move to committee for
review because they contain content resulting in a high rating for sexual
content. Many of these titles also have high educational value. A full
review is recommended.
Looking for Alaska by John Green - Common Sense Media gives it a 4-star overall rating and considers it a standout for positive messages. Target audience is 16+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Most of the teen characters have lost their virginity, and there are some descriptions of heavy kissing, oral sex, groping, references to masturbation, erections, making out, watching pornography, etc. Author John Green has described the frank sex scene as "wholly unerotic," especially in contrast to the book's next more intimate (but less graphic) encounter.The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - Common Sense Media gives the book a 5-star rating and sets the audience to age 15+. The site describes the story as a "deeply poetic novel [that] explores racial and sexual feelings.”Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 5 out of 5 for sexual content: There are numerous descriptions of sexual feelings and events in The Bluest Eye. Mr. Henry interacts with two prostitutes. A boy's mother is described as having an aversion to sex; her sexual interactions with her husband are reserved and obligatory. Three prostitutes, who live in the flat above the Breedloves, engage in bawdy talk in front of Pecola. In the Breedlove household, Polly's sexual experiences with her husband are described somewhat poetically, where colors represent strong feelings of desire and enjoyment. However, we learn that Cholly's feelings about sex have been affected by a disturbing first sexual experience. A man turns out to be a pedophile.The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood - Common Sense Media gives this story an overall rating of 5 stars. Ratings for educational value, positive role models, and positive messages are also 5 stars.The target audience is 16+.Sexual content- Common Sense Media gives this book a 5 out of 5 for sexual content: Nonreproductive sex is prohibited in Gilead, punishable by exile or even death. As a handmaid, Offred must participate in the Ceremony, in which she lies between the legs of the Commander's Wife and then has sex with the Commander. (This is the novel's most sexually explicit scene.) Later, Offred spends time at a brothel as a guest of the Commander and even develops a sexual relationship with another character.l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle - Common Sense Media gives this book a 3-star rating.Target audience is 15+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Teen loses virginity, performs oral sex, describes safe sex practice, kissing, fondling. Stepmother caught having affair with another man. Aunt of character has party with sex toy theme. A prank involves posting a fake ad for sexOut of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez - Common Sense Media gives the story an overall rating of 5 stars.The educational value of the story is rated at 4 stars.The target audience is 15+/Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Two 17-year-olds in love have a physically intimate relationship that starts with hand-holding and progresses to kissing, making out, and oral sex. Before they're really together, those same teens touch themselves while thinking of each other. Wash admits he's been with other girls but doesn't reveal exactly how far. A young woman realizes her unrelated guardian is aroused by her. He finds excuses to touch her and eventually tells her they should get married. The "Gang" of white boys secretly wants to have sex with Naomi.The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Common Sense Media give the story an overall rating of 4 stars.The target audience is 16+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Charlie overhears his crush having sex with her boyfriend, walks in on his sister naked with her boyfriend, and learns a friend is having a secret homosexual romance with a popular boy. He goes with his sister to have an abortion and also with his gay friend to pick up on guys for anonymous sex. He lets that same friend kiss him. Some other making out and descriptions of people having sex. Toward the end, in a pretty descriptive scene, Charlie stops a girl from touching him when he remembers being abused.Crank by Ellen Hopkins - The overall rating given by Common Sense Media is 4-stars.The target audience is 16+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 of 5 for sexual content: Lots of kissing, including same-sex kissing for attention, references to oral sex, and Kristina and her boyfriend have sex several times. At the end of the book, Kristina discovers she is pregnant and goes to a Planned Parenthood to learn about her options
For the remaining 10 novels from the list, please read the information
presented. These novels mostly rated 3 out of 5 for sexual content. They
have been given that rating for different reasons, some have won awards,
and have high overall ratings. If you wish to continue with a full review
of a specific title(s), please submit a formal “Request for
Reconsideration of Library Materials” for each.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Common Sense Media gives it a 5-star rating.Educational value: 3 starsPositive messages: 4 starsPositive role models: 4 starsViolence: 4 stars.Target audience: age 14+Sexual content- Common Sense Media rates this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Kissing and sexual thoughts. Mentions that main character loves to masturbate and has magazines with nude photos. When he hugs an adult counselor, he gets an erection. Bawdy talk with friend about erections and masturbation.City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare - Common Sense Media gives it a 4-star rating for positive messages4-star rating overallThe target audience is 15+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Clary and Jace -- both almost 17-- have sex for the first time, with mention of a condom being unwrapped as well as naked bodies. More couples, two straight and one gay, kiss and get a bit passionate rolling around together. A faerie queen gets out of bed with her lover and walks around naked. Plenty of jokingly bawdy banter among friends about characters going off and having sex and the walk of shame.Clockwork Princess by Cassanrda Clare - Common Sense Media gives this book a 5-star rating in positive role models, positive messages as well as the overall rating.The education value is given a 4-star rating.The target audience is 14+.Sexual Content: Commonsense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Passionate kissing, and a 17-year-old couple has sexEleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - Common Sense Media gives this story a 5-star rating.The target audience is 14+.Sexual Content –Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: For a long while during their relationship, Eleanor and Park just hold hands and caress each other's faces and arms before they eventually kiss. After a few kisses, their physical relationship leads to three passionate make-out sessions, but they stop just shy of sex. Eleanor mentions that nothing with Park is "dirty," because she knows he loves herExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - An overall rating of 4 stars is given by Common Sense Media.Target audience is 16+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book 3 out of 5 stars for sexual content Oskar's grandmother describes making love with Thomas Sr. in some detail, and Thomas Sr. remembers making love with Anna, his first love. These events are described in some detail but not in a highly sensual way. There's some kid talk among elementary students about "blow jobs," "hand jobs," and private body parts. Oskar's friend Mr. Black equates Marilyn Monroe with sex. Oskar asks a couple of grown women he finds attractive if he can kiss them (but they don't kiss). A young teenage girl poses naked for a sculpture made by her older sister’s boyfriend, then has sex with the boy.Note: This book was challenged as a AP literature book for Seniors in High School taking AP Lit. The result was to have the book stay and have parents opt out if they objected to this novel. An alternate novel would be provided if a parent/student opted out.Sold by Patricia McCormick - Common Sense Media gives this story a 5-star rating and a standout for positive messages.The target audience is 14+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 0 out of 5 for sexual content. The sexual content is actually listed under the violence rating of 4 out of 5: Lakshmi is described as "torn and bleeding" after being raped for the first time. Lakshmi and the other girls and women at Happiness House are raped multiple times each day and beaten by the woman in charge. A girl commits suicide. The girls live in constant fear. While the sex is violent, it's described with little explicit detail. Author Patricia McCormick's focus on the emotional effect sex work has on the girls and women shows how they are being not only physically but also mentally abused. Women have sex in the same room as their sleeping childrenSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson - Common Sense Media gives this story about rape a 5-star rating.Target audience is 14+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 2 out of 5 for sexual content: The narrator refers to cheerleaders sleeping with football players, and to high school girls having abortions33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp - This title wasn’t included on Common Sense Media.Target audience by reviewers: grades 9-up.An NSD staff member’s view: I have not read this book, but am impressed by the accolades, especially the listing in Wilson’s Senior High School.Note: We do not have a rating from Common Sense Media for sexual content for 33 SnowfishIt’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris. - An overall 5-star rating is given by Common Sense Media.Educational value is also given 5- stars.Target audience is 12+.Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Explains sexual activity in detail, including intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation. Some of this behavior is depicted in illustrations. Extensive information on safer sex practices and emphasis on caring, thoughtful, and respectful sexual relationships
I've already read two of these books, but you can bet the rest are going on my list "to read."
Censorship, in my opinion, is never okay. When we start to censor things, we travel on a slippery slope. Who decides what is okay and what needs censoring?
Here is a blog I found Why Banning Books is a Bad Idea which really had some great insight.
Also, did you know there is a banned books week? I am going to celebrate this year!
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