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- Scholastic's iconic school book fairs are facing an "almost impossible dilemma."
- The publisher said that state-level book bans are making it difficult to navigate which books to offer students.
- There'll now be a separate section for books dealing with race and gender at elementary school fairs that schools can opt out of.
Children's book publisher Scholastic says that state efforts to ban literary works that discuss gender or race are causing an "almost impossible dilemma" for the iconic book fairs that it has hosted at elementary schools across the United States for decades.
So in response to a slew of laws and policies in Republican-controlled states banning specific kinds of books or restricting access to them from school libraries and classrooms, Scholastic announced it's made a separate section in its catalog for works dealing with race, gender and sexuality at elementary school book fairs.
Elementary schools that hold Scholastic book fairs where students can typically buy books on their own now have the option to opt in or opt out of the "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" collection.
That section is made up of titles believed to be "most likely" restricted in schools, a Scholastic spokeswoman told Insider on Wednesday.
This set of children's books features over 60 different titles and includes a biography on Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who made history last year when she became the first Black woman to serve on the nation's high court, and a book focusing on late Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.
Other titles in the catalog viewed by Insider include: "The ABCs of Black History," "All Are Welcome," "I Am My Ancestors' Wildest Dreams," "You Are Loved," "Speak Up!," and "I Color Myself Different."
"There is now enacted or pending legislation in more than 30 US states prohibiting certain kinds of books from being in schools – mostly LGBTQIA+ titles and books that engage with the presence of racism in our country," Scholastic said in a statement last week.
It added, "Because Scholastic Book Fairs are invited into schools, where books can be purchased by kids on their own, these laws create an almost impossible dilemma: back away from these titles or risk making teachers, librarians, and volunteers vulnerable to being fired, sued, or prosecuted."
"We don't pretend this solution is perfect – but the other option would be to not offer these books at all – which is not something we'd consider," the publisher continued.
Scholastic spokeswoman Anne Sparkman told Insider that this new approach went into effect for this school year and that in creating the "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" collection, Scholastic "began with titles we support even as they are the most likely to be restricted."
Sparkman said the collection provides "additional space at a fair for even more diverse titles that while they may not have content that is named in legislation, do increase the diversity available at a fair."
Additionally, Sparkman explained that a school can order any individual title from any of its collections without using every book on the list for a fair and that all titles from its "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" catalog are available to families through an online book fair.
Schools in all 50 states have already opted to include the "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" collection in their book fairs, according to Sparkman.
"When local laws or policies create content restrictions, many fair hosts make the collection available during family hours, where parents accompany children to the event," said Sparkman.
Scholastic's decision to separate titles dealing with race, gender, and sexuality has sparked criticism from some — including from Florida's Department of Education.
Cailey Myers, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Education, called Scholastic's plan a "political stunt by a corporation prioritizing activism over the well-being of children."
Myers cited examples of books on topics involving race — including "Uncle Tom's Cabin" — that are included in the state's English curriculum.
Myers also disputed allegations that Florida is banning books, but said that districts are responsible for the content they make available to Florida students.
More than 40% of all book bans in the US in the 2022-2023 school year occurred in school districts in Florida, according to a report by PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for free expression.
"PEN America recorded 1,406 book ban cases in Florida, followed by 625 bans in Texas, 333 bans in Missouri, 281 bans in Utah, and 186 bans in Pennsylvania," the report says.
In a statement, PEN America urged Scholastic to explore other options instead of partitioning book titles.
"Despite the challenges of this climate, we call on Scholastic to explore other solutions so they can reject any role in accommodating these nefarious laws and local pressures, or being an accessory to government censorship," PEN America said in a statement.
Last month, Scholastic was one of dozens of groups to sign onto an open letter co-organized by PEN America to oppose book bans.
When asked for comment on PEN America's statement, Sparkman told Insider: "We're committed to our continued partnership with and support of PEN America."