In February 2025, the Trump Administration banned Julianne Moore’s popular children’s book series, Freckleface Strawberry. Freckleface Strawberry explores the life of a little girl who would do anything to get her freckles off, just so that she can look like the other kids her age and fit in. Audiences loved the book because it serves as a reminder that everyone has their struggles but we are united through the kindness of our humanity and community. So why was Freckleface Strawberry, a seemingly innocent children’s book, banned by the government?
Familiar titles such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Fahrenheit 451, and others have been put on censorship lists, soon to be removed from school libraries across the nation. You can find a full list of censored books here.
President Trump released orders that books regarding “gender ideology” and “racial indoctrination” would be placed under examination to be removed from school libraries. These books were immediately put under censorship and removed from the Pentagon and Military-run schools, more than 160 schools in America.
The Department of Defense states, “The review of library books is part of an examination of all ‘instructional resources’.” Government attorneys have stated that these books aren’t being banned; instead, school districts have started a process to remove inappropriate content from their shelves, essentially denying the book bans and calling them a hoax. This action has sparked significant debate among educators, authors, and free speech advocates. Audiences have argued that these books undergo enough review by editors, authors, and publishers before being placed on shelves. If the gender and race-based content wasn’t an issue when these books were first published, what changed now?
This marks a new battle for censorship in schools regarding free speech and expression. This type of battle regarding First Amendment Rights was seen in Tinker v. Des Moines in 1969, where the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students, stating students don’t lose their First Amendment rights in school along with the fact that students’ constitutional rights to free speech and expression are protected in schools. These new book censorship laws go against that statement, making schools the place where these various books are banned, chipping away from the free speech and expression that students are permitted at school.
Some big publishing companies such as Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida for unconstitutional book-banning provisions.
“As publishers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and the right to read, the rise in book bans across the country continues to demand our collective action. Fighting unconstitutional legislation in Florida and across the country is an urgent priority. We are unwavering in our support for educators, librarians, students, authors, readers—everyone deserves access to books and stories that show different perspectives and viewpoints.”
(Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks)
This action is defendable considering the screening and editing processes these companies go through before publishing these books. Publishers usually have a precise process in which a book is reviewed two to four times before it hits the shelves. The banning of these books is a direct disrespect to both the publishers and authors.
Takeaway: book bans are real!
For avid readers who have found their favorite books on these censorship lists, audiences urge you to buy or collect some of these banned books before they are taken off shelves for good. Some popular places where I have been able to find these banned titles are ThriftBooks and Amazon.
PEN American is an organization fighting for the protection of free speech, specifically through access to books and literature throughout the U.S. They serve as an important resource to stay up to date on the political influence behind current book bans and what to potentially look out for in the future.
Books bring knowledge, fond memories, and valuable lessons. Our right to read cannot be taken away from us. America has reinstated our First Amendment rights time and time again and yet continues to simultaneously take away from it. They can ban books but they cannot ban the minds and ideas that created them. As Ray Bradbury says in Fahrenheit 451, “There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”