Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.
2022
A group of parents distributed flyers containing excerpts and illustrations from this and other books at a meeting of the Rockwood (MO) School District Board. After the meeting, they submitted requests for reconsideration of This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, Crank by Ellen Hopkins, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, The Haters by Jesse Andrews, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Where I End and You Begin by Preston Norton, Heroine by Mindy McGinnis, and The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson, claiming the books were pornographic. A review committee of two teachers, two librarians, a curriculum coordinator, a school board member, four parents, and two high school students voted to retain all challenged titles. However, The Breakaways was restricted to students in fourth grade and up.
2019
The graphic novel was challenged in a Oregon public library by a patron who objected to language (“slut”) and mention of condoms in the dialogue. Retained.
2017
Removed, but returned to a separate section and available only to tenth- to twelfth-graders at the pre-K-12 Henning (MN) School District libraries in response to a complaint from a parent. Removed from three elementary schools in Seminole County (FL) because it “contained inappropriate content.” It is a coming-of-age story about two preteen friends, Rose and Windy, during a summer in Awago, a small beach town.
2016
Removed from one elementary school library and restricted at three Florida high school libraries in Longwood in response to a complaint from a parent about the graphic novel’s language. It is a coming-of-age story about two preteen friends, Rose and Windy, during a summer in Awago, a small beach town.
On These Pages
A Banned book has been removed from a library, classroom, etc.
A Challenged book has been requested to be removed from a library, classroom, etc.
For additional information contact
Ron Titus, titus@marshall.edu
304-696-6575
Last updated
June 23, 2023