The following analysis was provided by Carroll County Public School teachers and parents.
CCPS must revisit the process in which books and media are selected for the media center shelves. In a cursory comparison of most challenged and banned books and books on the shelf at CCPS media centers, it appears there is either no thought given to the selection of student reading material or the controversial books and media are purposely sought out to stock the shelves at our local middle and high schools. The following are just some of the dreadful findings present on our CCPS media centers for our children to sign out and read. Out of the American Library Association’s (ALA) top 10 most challenged or banned books from public schools in 2020, CCPS has 9 of the 10 in their media centers.
| Name of book | Challenged or banned by: | Reason for challenge or ban | Number of copies in CCPS media centers |
| George by Alex Gino | #1 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 | Inappropriate sexual content, LGBTQ, conflicting religious content | 2 |
| Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Kendi and Reynolds | #2 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 * Challenged in Somerset Co, MD * Challenged in Austin, TX |
Racism, CRT | 33 13 copies at MVHS Middle and HS’s |
| All American Boys by Reynolds and Kiely | #3 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 * Challenged in Somerset Co, MD |
Profanity, drug use, alcoholism, anti-police views, divisive CRT topics. | 15 6 copies at WMHS Copies also at NCM |
| “Speak” by Laurie Halse | #4 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 | Political viewpoints, rape and profanity | 15 |
| The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie | #5 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 * Removed from WA, MO, OR schools |
Profanity, sexual references, sexual misconduct | 10 copies All in HS’s |
| To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | #7 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 * Banned or removed from 8 different schools |
Racial slurs | 5 book copies Plus video |
| Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck | #8 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 Banned in: * Syracuse, * Tell City, Indiana, * Continental, Ohio * Oil City, Pennsylvania * Grand Blanc, Michigan * Scottsboro, Alabama * Banned in GA |
Racial slurs, racial stereotypes | 6 book copies Plus video Plus audio |
| The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison | #9 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 Banned in * Fairbanks Alaska * Challenged in West Chester HS PA * Banned in Morrisville HS PA * Challenged in Florida and Massachusetts HS’s * Challenged in Montgomery CO. MD * Challenged or removed from 11 other schools |
Sexually explicit, child sexual abuse | 3 copies |
| The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | #10 on the top 10 most challenged books of 2020 * Banned from TX schools * Challenged in SC, Missouri, |
Anti-police, CRT message | 18 copies HS’s and MS’s |
Why is CCPS choosing books and media that is on the challenged and banned list?
Not only are these books present in CCPS media centers, but several schools have multiple copies of these titles, suggesting they were purchased for a student book club or class reading. If so, who ran the book club? Who funded these purchases? Were the books approved as material for curriculum and instruction? Was a book with an opposing viewpoint provided as part of the discussion? Are book clubs on differing viewpoints offered?
Other books banned from other schools in previous years, BUT still freely available on media shelves at CCPS:
| Name of book | Challenged or banned by: | Reason for challenge or ban | Number of copies in CCPS media centers |
| A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley | * Challenged and Censored in MD * Banned in Missouri * Challenged in CA * Banned in GA |
Anti-family, anti-religion, language, promiscuous sex, | 2 At WMHS |
| Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell | Challenged in MNBanned in ORBanned in VAChallenged in MN | Vile profanity, offensive language, sexually explicit, | 13 copies |
| The Color Purple by Alice Walker | Challenged in numerous schools – numerous times. * CA – banned * VA – banned * MI – banned * PA – banned * WY – challenged * CT – banned * NC – banned * Etc. |
Racism, inappropriate language, violence, physical abuse, rape, | 9 copies |
| So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo | White privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the “N” word | 9 books 2 audios |
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| White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo | Banned in FL schools | Adult content, Racism, BLM and CRT affiliation | 6 copies |
| Black Lives Matter by Martin Gitlin | BLM, CRT affiliation | 2 copies WMHS, CHS |
The media centers are full of controversial books about sex, racism, violence and more. Many books have been challenged or banned in other school districts which should have raised a red flag and inspired further investigation prior to ordering the book for the CCPS media center. Many of the titles not only include adult level content, but also are suggested for adult readers, yet have been hand-selected by media specialists for kids as young as K thru 5. Not only is this content inappropriate for the age level, but it shows the media specialist lacks professional judgement in the selection of materials for the school because the media specialist knowingly chose these adult level books for elementary-aged students.
Many books depict CRT tenets and promote the BLM organization. The CCPS BOE contends there is no CRT taught or promoted in the CCPS system. If this is true, the media centers need a thorough cleansing of many books depicting racism, anti-policing, white supremacy, and other CRT topics. Winters Mill High School seems to be the worse violator of these issues, having the highest number of controversial books and other media in their possession. One has to wonder if this was a directive given to expand the media in this direction.
| Name of book | Reason for challenge or ban | Number of copies in CCPS media centers |
| Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker | BLM, CRT affiliation | 13 at West Middle School |
| This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell | BLM, CRT affiliation | 2 Taneytown and Freedom Elementary |
| The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander | Adult content, CRT affiliation | 1 Taneytown Elementary |
| Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson | Adult content, CRT affiliation | 1 Taneytown Elementary |
A deeper analysis of the books that are present and notably missing shows a political bias. CCPS media specialists should be the very ones upholding the promotion of intellectual freedom by selecting a variety of materials from a variety of viewpoints, not just books that reflect their own viewpoints or those of the selection sources they are using. The following are examples of bias in the selection of materials by CCPS media specialists:
| 43% of all CCPS schools do not have a biography of President Donald Trump | * Missing from 4 of 8 high schools: Century, Gateway, Liberty, Winters Mill * Present in 6 out of 8 CCPS middle schools. Missing from: East, West & Sykesville * Missing from 11 of 23 CCPS elementary schools: Carroll Springs, Eldersburg, Freedom, Friendship Valley (not an individual book), Hampstead, Piney Ridge, Robert Moton, Runnymede, Sandymount, William Winchester (not an individual book), Winfield) |
| 100% of all CCPS schools have at least one biography of President Barack Obama and/or family members | Almost all schools have more than 1 President Obama related biography or story, some schools have multiple including: ranging from 2-21 different titles |
| Multiple titles are politically bias or critical of a political side yet lack literature providing countering viewpoints. | * Why Irrational Politics Appeals: understanding the allure of Trump * Impeachment: Donald Trump and the history of presidents in peril * We were 8 Years in Power: An American Tragedy * Unpresidented: A Biography of Donald Trump * Nearly all titles mentioned in the earlier charts. |
At minimum, parental permission should be granted for access to cultural insensitive books.
Websites and Resources
- Destiny – CCPS digital book catalog: https://ccpsdestiny.follettdestiny.com/common/servlet/presenthomeform.do?l2m=Home&tm=Home&l2m=Home
- The Bluest Eye list of schools that banned or challenged this book: https://www.bannedlibrary.com/podcast/2016/6/23/banned-62-the-bluest-eye-by-toni-morrison
- Stamped – the reason for challenge: https://reason.com/volokh/2021/06/26/kendi-and-reynolds-stamped-racism-antiracism-and-you-a-remix-a-partial-list-of-errors/
- So You Want to Talk Race: https://shegeeksout.com/diversity-equity-inclusion-books-reading/
- The Color Purple: https://bannedbooks.library.cmu.edu/alice-walker-the-color-purple/
- Eleanor and Park: https://bannedbookbrigade.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/bonus-book-eleanor-and-park-by-rainbow-rowell/#:~:text=Reason%20for%20Ban%2FChallenge%3A%20Eleanor%20and%20Park%20has%20been,libraries%20due%20to%20offensive%20language%20and%20%E2%80%9Cgeneral%20inappropriateness.%E2%80%9D (banned book review)
- A Brave New World: https://world.edu/banned-books-awareness-brave-world/
- Top Ten ALA Banned Books: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
- White Fragility: https://www.shortform.com/summary/white-fragility-summary-robin-j-diangelo?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Book%20-%20White%20Fragility%20-%20Phrase&utm_term=robin%20diangelo%20white%20fragility%20criticism&utm_content=85074926840388&msclkid=88887ae2a7d91ef003da1bbce9e7a62a
