The Rutherford County School Board voted Wednesday night to remove 16 books from school and classroom libraries, marking the last of the 160 titles sent to review in November.
The following books will not return to library shelves:
- “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews
- “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood
- “Lexicon” by Max Barry
- “The Detour” by S.A. Bodeen
- “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess
- “Plan A” by Deb Caletti
- “This is Kind of an Epic Love Story” by Kacen Callender
- “Lady Midnight” by Cassandra Clare
- “You Too? 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories” by Janet Gurtler, editor
- “Maybe Now” by Colleen Hoover
- “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson
- “Fade” by Lisa McMann
- “Fire Force” Book 1 by Atsushi Ohkubo
- “Adjustment Day” by Chuck Palahniuk
- “Juliet Takes a Breath” by Gabby Rivera
- “You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things” by Cory Silverberg
The following six books will return to shelves, some with limitations:
- “Emergency Contact” by Mary H.K. Choi (11th and 12th grade with parental consent)
- “A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend” by Emily Horner
- “Real Live Boyfriends” by E. Lockhart (11th and 12th grade with parental consent)
- “Daughters Unto Devils” by Amy Lukavics (11th and 12th grade with parental consent)
- “Guyaholic” by Carolyn Mackler
- “Bumped” by Megan McCafferty (with parental consent)
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” topped the American Library Association’s recently released list of the most challenged books of 2024. The list also includes “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”
Before the vote, RCS Chief Academic Officer Kelly Chastain summarized the process. Though each of the 160 books went under review, 61 were withdrawn for various reasons before being presented to the board.
She encouraged parents to communicate directly with concerns about library materials.
“We highly, highly encourage parent communication with our librarians,” Chastain said. “Whenever there is a doubt or something they would like to communicate, please reach out.”
After tonight, 99 reviews have been presented to the board members to inform their votes. The board has frequently voted to remove books despite librarian recommendations to retain them, including ten Wednesday.
Wednesday’s meeting was the first since the school board voted on March 20 to start each meeting with a Christian prayer instead of a moment of silence. Less than a minute after board chair Claire Maxwell banged her gavel to call the meeting to order and during board member Tammy Sharp’s opening prayer, an individual was removed from the gallery for shouting, “The Bible is fake news!”
The next Rutherford County School Board meeting is scheduled for April 24 at 5:30 p.m.
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