Hundreds of books were removed from shelves at Florida schools, according to a list compiled by the state’s Department of Education for the 2023-2024 school year.
The list shows more than 700 books were “removed or discontinued,” an increase from the 400 last year.
The department said the books were removed due to an objection by a parent, student or resident of a county.
The list shows how many books were removed by different school districts, with some districts removing none and others removing over 100.
Among the titles removed includes “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “Forever” by Judi Blume.
Florida has long led the nation in books removed from school shelves, citing inappropriate material while others say the state is looking to remove LGBTQ content.
“There are no books banned in Florida and sexually explicit materials do not belong in schools. Once again, far left activist groups are pushing the book ban hoax on Floridians,” the state Department of Education said, according to local outlet WUWF.
“The better question is, why do these groups continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit materials?” the department added.
Educators and students have created ways to get around these bans such as organizing a “Banned Book Club” and putting up more “Little Free Libraries” with books that have been targeted.
The Hill has reached out to the Florida Department of Education for comment.
