An Ohio teacher recently sued her school superintendent because he suspended her for having books with LGBTQ characters in her classroom library.
New Richmond Exempted Village School District Superintendent Tracey Miller says Karen Cahall, who has taught in the district for more than 30 years, intentionally placed controversial books in her classroom library after asking for the books to be placed in the school library and being denied.
“It is my sincere hope that you will internalize the discipline you are receiving and that you will reflect upon this in order to change,” Miller wrote in Cahall’s suspension notice. “However, if you continue to behave in this manner in the future, you will be subjected to more severe discipline up to and including termination of your employment.”
None of the books describe sexual activity, Cahall’s lawsuit says. But they do include LGBTQ characters who “are coming to terms with feeling different and excluded.” One of the books in question is about censorship.
‘Highly inappropriate’:Forest Hills teacher reported New Richmond teacher’s books
Here’s a list of the books that got Cahall suspended, and what they are about.
‘Ana On The Edge’
This book, by A.J. Sass, has 4.38 out of 5 stars on GoodReads with 1,502 ratings. GoodReads is a social media site where millions of readers share, rate and review books they’ve read.
GoodReads description: “A heartfelt coming of age story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world. Twelve-year-old Ana-Marie Jin, the reigning US Juvenile figure skating champion, is not a frilly dress kind of kid. So, when Ana learns that next season’s program will be princess themed, doubt forms fast. Still, Ana tries to focus on training and putting together a stellar routine worthy of national success.
“Once Ana meets Hayden, a transgender boy new to the rink, thoughts about the princess program and gender identity begin to take center stage. And when Hayden mistakes Ana for a boy, Ana doesn’t correct him and finds comfort in this boyish identity when he’s around. As their friendship develops, Ana realizes that it’s tricky juggling two different identities on one slippery sheet of ice. And with a major competition approaching, Ana must decide whether telling everyone the truth is worth risking years of hard work and sacrifice.”
‘Ban This Book’
This book, by Alan Gratz, has 4.41 out of 5 stars on GoodReads with 14,203 ratings.
GoodReads description: “An inspiring tale of a fourth-grader who fights back when her favorite book is banned from the school library — by starting her own illegal locker library!
“It all started the day Amy Anne Ollinger tried to check out her favorite book in the whole world, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, from the school library. That’s when Mrs. Jones, the librarian, told her the bad news: Her favorite book was banned! All because a classmate’s mom thought the book wasn’t appropriate for kids to read.
“Amy Anne decides to fight back by starting a secret banned books library out of her locker. Soon, she finds herself on the front line of an unexpected battle over book banning, censorship, and who has the right to decide what she and her fellow students can read.
“Reminiscent of the classic novel Frindle by Andrew Clements for its inspiring message, Ban This Book is a love letter to the written word and its power to give kids a voice.”
‘The Fabulous Zed Watson!’
This book, by Basil Sylvester, has 4.22 out of 5 stars on GoodReads with 326 ratings.
GoodReads description: “The literary scavenger hunt of a lifetime, starring an endlessly endearing nonbinary tween.
“Zed Watson loves[…] their name (which they chose themself!), their big rambunctious family, and — oh yeah — monsters. When Zed discovered the mystery surrounding an unpublished novel called The Monster’s Castle, they were completely hooked. Now Zed is a member of a small but dedicated legion devoted to finding the long-buried text.
“When a breakthrough discovery leads Zed to the route that they are sure will take them to the treasure, they know it’s time for a road trip. And with the help of their shy, flora-loving neighbour, Gabe, and his sister, Sam, a geologist who is driving back to college in Arizona, Zed and company are soon off on a wild adventure following cryptic clues.
“But it’s not all fun and games. Gabe doesn’t like Zed’s snacks, Sam is a bossy driver with total command of the ancient Impreza’s stereo, and Zed is often misgendered. It’s a good thing they also encounter kind strangers, potato-themed dance-offs and lots and lots of ice cream along the way. If Zed and Gabe can combine their strengths, survive Sam’s wrath and best the greedy historian who’s also hot on the book’s trail, they just might find the greatest treasure of all.
“Co-authored by child-parent duo Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester, this is a vibrant and enormous-hearted story about friendship, identity and belonging. It features illustrations by celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Sylvester, and an Own Voices perspective based on Basil’s experience.”
‘Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea’
This book, by Ashley Herring Blake, has 4.34 out of 5 stars on GoodReads with 1,271 ratings.
GoodReads description: “Hazel Bly used to live in the perfect house with the perfect family in sunny California. But when a kayaking trip goes horribly wrong, Mum is suddenly gone forever and Hazel is left with crippling anxiety and a jagged scar on her face. After Mum’s death, Hazel, her other mother, Mama, and her little sister, Peach, needed a fresh start. So for the last two years, the Bly girls have lived all over the country, never settling anywhere for more than a few months.
“When the family arrives in Rose Harbor, Maine, there’s a wildness to the small town that feels like magic. But when Mama runs into an old childhood friend — Claire — suddenly Hazel’s tight-knit world is infiltrated. To make it worse, she has a daughter Hazel’s age, Lemon, who can’t stop rambling on and on about the Rose Maid, a local 150-year-old mermaid myth.
“Soon, Hazel finds herself just as obsessed with the Rose Maid as Lemon is—because what if magic were real? What if grief really could change you so much, you weren’t even yourself anymore? And what if instead you emerged from the darkness stronger than before?”
‘Too Bright to See’
This book, by Kyle Lukoff, has 4.12 out of 5 stars on GoodReads with 5,534 ratings.
GoodReads description: “It’s the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug’s best friend Moira has decided the two of them need to use the next few months to prepare. For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes to wear, learning how to put on makeup, and deciding which boys are cuter in their yearbook photos than in real life. But none of this is all that appealing to Bug, who doesn’t particularly want to spend more time trying to understand how to be a girl. Besides, there’s something more important to worry about: A ghost is haunting Bug’s eerie old house in rural Vermont … and maybe haunting Bug in particular. As Bug begins to untangle the mystery of who this ghost is and what they’re trying to say, an altogether different truth comes to light — Bug is transgender.”
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