It showcased stories that shed light on civil rights icons and other influential figures who have significantly impacted our nation’s history. It also included some arguably sexually explicit materials and not always proven facts according to some of its critics.
The controversy was initially stirred by Scholastic’s decision to offer schools the choice to opt out of this diverse book collection.
The company explained its rationale by pointing to the growing number of U.S. states enacting or considering legislation that bans certain types of books in schools, primarily titles related to the LGBTQIA+ community and those addressing the issue of racism.
Scholastic highlighted the problem this posed for their Scholastic Book Fairs, which are hosted in schools and allow students to purchase books independently. Under these restrictive laws, participation in the collection could potentially expose educators and volunteers to the risk of termination, lawsuits, or even legal prosecution.
Company spokespersons confirmed that thousands of school districts had made choices regarding the 64 books as of last week, but specific breakdowns were not disclosed.
