Scholastic pushed back against 'misconceptions' over their decision to create a book collection focused on LGBTQ and race issues for younger readers at book fairs.
Scholastic is facing backlash over their new decision to move some books dealing with LGBTQ and race issues into an optional book collection for school book fairs at elementary schools around the country this year. USA Today reported several librarians and best-selling authors condemned Scholastic on social media, accusing them of caving to political pressure with the 'opt out.' One middle school librarian in Louisiana even threatened to cancel the annual book fair over the controversy.
There are about 60 books in the collection, according to media reports. The New York Times reported that some books in the collection deal with history, such as 'I Am Ruby Bridges,' about school integration, and 'Because of You, John Lewis,' about the civil rights leader’s role in the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Scholastic spokesperson Anne Sparkman told the outlet that schools in every state have included titles from the collection at their fairs.
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