Scholastic posted an additional update on its Share Every Story book fair program, with much more measured language than trade president Ellie Berger’s apology to authors and agents. “As we reconsider how to make our Book Fairs available to all kids, we will keep in mind the needs of our educators facing local content restrictions and the children we serve,” the statement reads. “It is unsettling that the current divisive landscape in the U.S. is creating an environment that could deny any child access to books, or that teachers could be penalized for creating access to all stories for their […]
Book Bans
Scholastic Apologizes, Will Discontinue Separate Book Fair Collection
Scholastic has reversed course regarding their separate, optional case of “diverse books” available for elementary school book fairs. The Share Every Story/Celebrate Every Voice book collection, which featured predominantly BIPOC and LGBTQIA creators and stories, was created in response to pending and enacted book ban legislation around the country. The case did not ship automatically with Book Fair orders, but was available as an add on. After librarians shared news of the case online and Scholastic wrote an explanation, the program drew widespread criticism from authors including Amanda Gorman, Celeste Ng, and Jacqueline Woodson. In a letter to authors and […]
Scholastic Creates Separate Diverse Books Collection For Elementary School Book Fairs
Following Reddit reports from librarians in September, the Mary Sue recently asserted that to comply with country-wide book bans Scholastic Book Fairs has grouped diverse titles into a separate, optional or excludable a la carte case. On Friday, Scholastic released a statement claiming, “The biggest misconception is that Scholastic Book Fairs is putting all diverse titles into one optional case. This is not true, in any school, in any location we serve.” The company notes the legislation “enacted or pending” in more than 30 states restricting books predominantly about LGBTQ+ and BIPOC experiences in schools. “Because Scholastic Book Fairs are […]
Texas Court Hearing Delayed to Nov. 29
After plaintiffs in the Texas READER law case asked for a ontinuance due to a scheduling conflict, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit updated the schedule for the state’s appeal. Now the case will not be fully briefed until November 20, with oral arguments scheduled for November 29 (previously scheduled for November 8). In the meantime, the book banning law remains in place, even though Judge Alan D. Albright issued an injunction and ruled the law unconstitutional in September. The merits panel can rule on the stay of the injunction at any time, from when they get the […]
Texas Court Sets November 8 Hearing
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Texas has agreed to expedite oral arguments in the appeal of the preliminary injunction blocking the state of Texas’s cumbersome “READER” book banning law. (The injunction was stayed pending appeal, meaning the law is in force until further action from the appeals court.) A full schedule has the case due to be fully briefed by November 3.
Stay
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Texas formally issued a temporary administrative stay of Judge Alan D. Albright’s clear and unambiguous preliminary injunction blocking implementation of Texas’s cumbersome “READER” book banning law. The court is expected to decide further on whether or not to stay the original order pending the full appeal after the issue is fully briefed in early October.