Free speech organization PEN America has tracked over 1,500 book bans in the state from July 2021 to December 2023, according to the organization's report "Banned in the USA: Narrating the Crisis."
What's happening?
State legislation has been increasing its pressure on school libraries, said Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association, which comprises more than 6,000 academic, public, school and special libraries. House Bill 900, passed by the state Legislature in 2023, prohibits schools from purchasing or displaying “sexually explicit material," including books, per the bill text.
In January, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a portion of the bill requiring library vendors to rate materials, but the act upheld the Texas State Board of Education’s role in creating new library standards, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“Some districts are going further than the mandated collection development standards, placing restrictions on what types of materials can be included in their libraries,” Robinson said. “Librarians and district staff are spending inordinate amounts of time and money answering [Freedom of Information Act] requests and responding to many requests for reconsideration, instead of working with teachers and students.”
Supporters of book removals—such as Moms for Liberty, a parent-empowerment organization with chapters in Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Montgomery counties—have said they believe the new requirements imposed upon school libraries protect students from inappropriate material.
"The Harris County chapter of Moms for Liberty is concerned about the abundance of sexually explicit and age-inappropriate material found on school library and classroom shelves across Houston, in spite of HB 900," said Denise Bell, chapter chair of Moms for Liberty Harris County. "There are numerous titles that have been found on school shelves in Harris County that are inappropriate for minors due to sexually explicit content."
Out of 15 school districts Community Impact covers across the Greater Houston area, seven have recorded book removals over the past two school years, with Conroe ISD having the most banned books at 160 titles. Officials with Alvin, Clear Creek, Friendswood, Houston, Klein, Montgomery and Pearland ISDs reported no books banned in their respective districts from 2022-24. Tomball ISD did not respond to requests for data.
Out of the total 267 books banned over the past two school years, several books have been banned across multiple Houston-area school districts. "What Girls Are Made Of" by Elana K. Arnold was banned the most—across four of the districts analyzed. Other titles banned in more than one district include:
- “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson (banned in three districts)
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky (banned in three districts)
- “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur (banned in three districts)
- “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas (banned in three districts)
- “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas (banned in two districts)
- “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe (banned in two districts)
- “These unprecedented [book] challenges come from very well-funded and well-organized national groups with chapters across the country that have developed a ‘playbook’ for removing books from schools and public libraries," Robinson said. "Important voices and viewpoints are being silenced, and student learning is negatively impacted.”
- "Schools should focus on providing quality, age-appropriate literature and increasing literacy rates," Bell said.
