Please note the information below was from a book review conducted by PCPS during the 2021-22 school year.

Library Book Review Process

Polk County Public Schools is conducting a review of 16 library books whose content has been formally challenged.

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.

Book Review Committee Meeting Recordings

 

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

View Result for I Am Jazz

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