CBSD reviewing dozens of books that could be banned
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The Central Bucks School District is reviewing dozens of books that could be banned from school libraries.
Many students expressed fear of their freedom being under siege.
Author George M. Johnson's book, "All Boys Aren't Blue" is a New York Times bestselling memoir.
"Please know that this book was crafted with care and love and most importantly to give a voice to marginalized communities," Johnson said.
The novel gives a voice to the queer community, which speaks to his own childhood.
"It's a really beautiful thing when you can be transparent and vulnerable," Johnson said.
But despite all of its success, this month the New Jersey native's memoir was added to a list of about 60 books, majority on race and gender, that are under review by the Central Bucks School District.
Zandi Hall, a senior at Central Bucks School District, said she considers it a book ban.
"I think everything the district is saying about the book ban is lies," Hall said.
CBSD isn't calling this policy a book ban, but wrote in a message to staff and students:
"Policy 109.2 was written to ensure that books are appropriate for the subject area and for the age, intellectual development, and ability level of the students for whom the material is selected and that salacious, graphic, explicit sexual content that is age-inappropriate is not on library shelves."
The district says each book was reported to the school board by parents and community members, which requires the individual to:
Read the book
Present concerns in writing
Then, the material is reviewed by a district committee who will report their findings to the school board within 60 days.
Now, it's up to the school board to decide whether to keep the book in the library or have it replaced with another from the same genre or with a similar educational purpose.
Students express they're disappointed by the policy
"We don't have the most diverse student population and if those students are only exposed to that perspective in their life, they won't understand a lot of what happens outside of this small town," Leo Burchell, a senior at CBSD, said.