A children’s picture book that tells the story of two male penguins who adopt a baby penguin has been replaced on school library shelves in Lake County.
And Tango Makes Three was pulled in the district over its LGBTQ themes under the Parental Rights in Education, or Don’t Say Gay law.
The book’s author along with parents and kids in the district sued.
Last Friday, the Florida Department of Education released a memo saying the ban on content exploring gender identity and sexuality in schools only applies to classroom materials, and not school libraries.
This week, the book which has won several awards including an American Library Association Notable Children's Book award, is back for the start of school on August 10.
A new law, HB 1069, that took effect on July 1st will make it easier for parents and other community members to challenge books this school year in Florida.
The top 10 most challenged books of the last school year according to the American Library Association were:
1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
2. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
4. Flamer by Mike Curato
5. (tie) Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
7. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
9. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
10. (tie) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Crank by Ellen Hopkins, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, and This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
According to the ALA, 30% of book challenges across the U.S. were initiated by parents, the most of any category of people.
The majority of books that were pulled off shelves, about 82%, were graphic novels, novels and textbooks.
In a statement, the organization wrote, "ALA documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago."
