Library Book Review Process
There are allegations that making these books available in the library for student check-out violates two specific state laws (F.S. 847.012 and 847.001, respectively).
The superintendent has temporarily paused making these books available in school libraries while a thorough review takes place, so PCPS staff can be protected from the possibility of potential criminal charges.
It is important to note that these books have not been banned. A final decision has not been made at this time.
Two book review committees will conduct a formal review to recommend whether a book should be retained or removed from the district’s library collection. The meeting schedule is posted below. Meetings will be open to the public. The meetings will be recorded and posted on this webpage for the community to view.
Committee Meeting Schedule and Results
Meetings will take place at the Jim Miles Professional Development Center, 4270 Wallace Road in Lakeland.
At each meeting, committee members will be voting on whether a book should be retained or removed from the district’s library collection. The voting breakdown for each book will posted below.
The superintendent will consider these votes before bringing his recommendation to the school board. When making his recommendations, the superintendent will consider the committees’ votes for each book, age appropriateness of the book, and any past concerns regarding the book.
The superintendent will provide a final summary with all of the recommendations at the May 10 school board meeting.
The School Board does NOT need to officially vote in order to accept the superintendent’s recommendation. The School Board may choose to vote, but it is not required.
Tentative Schedule - Committee 1
| Date 6:00 p.m. |
Week | Task | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-1-22 | 1 | Introductory Meeting: training; assign 1 week to read The Kite Runner | Not Applicable |
| 3-10-22 | 2 | Review The Kite Runner; assign George | View Result for The Kite Runner |
| 3-15-22 | 3 | Review George; assign Nineteen Minutes | View Result for George |
| 3-29-22 | 4 | Review Nineteen Minutes; assign It’s Perfectly Normal | View Result for Nineteen Minutes |
| 4-05-22 | 5 | Review It’s Perfectly Normal; assign Thirteen Reasons Why | View Result for It’s Perfectly Normal |
| 4-12-22 | 6 | Review Thirteen Reason Why; assign The Bluest Eye | View Result for Thirteen Reasons Why |
| 4-21-22 | 7 | Review The Bluest Eye; assign Two Boys Kissing | View Result for The Bluest Eye |
| 4-28-22 | 8 | Review Two Boys Kissing, assign More Happy Than Not | View Result for Two Boys Kissing |
| 5-05-22 | 9 | Review More Happy Than Not | View Result for More Happy Than Not |
Tentative Schedule - Committee 2
| Date 7:00 p.m. |
Week | Task | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-1-22 | 1 | Introductory Meeting: training; assign 1 week to read Drama | Not Applicable |
| 3-10-22 | 2 | Review Drama; assign The Vincent Boys | View Result for Drama |
| 3-15-22 | 3 | Review The Vincent Boys; assign Beloved | View Result for The Vincent Boys |
| 3-29-22 | 4 | Review Beloved; assign Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close | View Result for Beloved |
| 4-05-22 | 5 | Review Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; assign Real Live Boyfriends | View Result for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close |
| 4-12-22 | 6 | Review Real Live Boyfriends; assign Tricks | View Result for Real Live Boyfriends |
| 4-21-22 | 7 | Review Tricks; assign Almost Perfect & I Am Jazz | View Result for Tricks |
| 4-28-22 | 8 | Review Almost Perfect & I Am Jazz | View Result for Almost Perfect |
Library Book Review Committees
PCPS is organizing two committees to review the challenged books. Each committee will be assigned eight books. Members will be provided one to two weeks to read each book after which the committee will meet to discuss the book.
Members consist of:
- Chief academic officer or district curriculum specialist — (one per committee)
- Library/media specialist — (two per committee)
- English language arts teacher — (two per committee)
- Parent — (three per committee)
- Florida Association for Media in Education — (one per committee)
- Child psychology and child development expert — (one per committee)
- Postsecondary English professor — (one per committee)
- NAACP — (one per committee)
- County Citizens Defending Freedom (CCDF) — (one per committee)
- Equality Florida — (one per committee)
- Concerned Citizens of Polk — (one per committee)
- Student Support Services — school psychologist, social worker, or school counselor (two per committee)
In addition, a total of 15 students (grades 11 or 12) will also serve on the committees. Each student will attend a training session as well as one meeting to observe the process. They will be assigned one challenged book to review and participate in one meeting. This will reduce the extensive time commitment that these students will need to invest as part of this community service.
Library Books Under Review
The following books have been identified for review:
- Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Drama by Raina Telgemeier
- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer
- George by Alex Gino
- I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings
- It’s Perfectly Normal by Robbie Harris
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
- Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
- Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
- Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
- The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines
Review Committee Results
Book 1: Almost Perfect
- 3 votes to remove from all libraries
- 0 votes to keep at ALL school levels
- 7 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 8 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 2: Beloved**
- 1 vote to remove the book from all libraries
- 0 votes to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 1 vote to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 15 vote to keep the book at high school level only
**One pending ballot has not yet been received.
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 3: The Bluest Eye
- 1 vote to remove from all libraries
- 1 vote to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 4 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 12 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 4: Drama
- 0 votes to remove the book
- 4 votes to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 13 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 1 vote to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain in middle and high school levels
Book 5: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
- 1 vote to remove the book from all libraries
- 1 vote to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 12 vote to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 4 vote to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 6: George
- 0 votes to remove the book from all libraries
- 14 vote to keep the book at ALL school libraries
- 3 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 1 vote to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at all levels
Book 7: I Am Jazz
- 2 votes to remove from all libraries
- 15 votes to keep at ALL school levels
- 1 vote to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 0 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at elementary level
Book 8: It’s Perfectly Normal
- 1 vote to remove the book from all libraries
- 2 votes to keep the book at ALL school levels *
- 14 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels**
- 1 vote to keep the book at high school level only
*Three (3) votes were to keep the book for 4th grade and above. These votes have been tallied as middle and high school levels to better align with school library collections.
**One (1) vote was to keep the book for 8th grade and above. This vote was tallied as high school level only to better align with school library collections.
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 9: The Kite Runner
- 2 votes to remove the book from all libraries
- 1 vote to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 11 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 4 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain in middle and high school levels
Book 10: More Happy Than Not
- 1 votes to remove from all libraries
- 1 vote to keep at ALL school levels
- 8 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 8 vote to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain in middle and high school levels
Book 11: Nineteen Minutes
- 1 vote to remove the book from all libraries
- 0 votes to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 2 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 14 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 12: Real Live Boyfriends
- 1 vote to remove from all libraries
- 0 vote to retain at all levels
- 14 votes to retain in middle and high only
- 3 votes to retain in high only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 13: Thirteen Reasons Why
- 0 votes to remove from all libraries
- 1 votes to retain at all levels*
- 16 votes to retain in middle and high only
- 1 vote to retain in high only
*Three (3) votes were to retain for 4th grade and above-these votes are tallied as middle and high school only to better align with school library collections.
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain in middle and high school levels
Book 14: Tricks
- 1 vote to remove from all libraries
- 0 votes to keep the book at ALL school levels
- 1 vote to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 16 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
Book 15: Two Boys Kissing
- 0 votes to remove from all libraries
- 1 vote to keep at ALL school levels
- 16 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 1 vote to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain in middle and high school levels
Book 16: The Vincent Boys
- 3 votes to remove the book
- 0 votes to keep the book at ALL school libraries
- 2 votes to keep the book at middle and high school levels
- 13 votes to keep the book at high school level only
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Retain at high school level
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