Pittsburgh-area school district will keep 14 library books challenged by community members

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pine-Richland School District will keep more than a dozen books in its library after they were challenged by community members. 

Superintendent Dr. Brian Miller said the district will keep all 14 books. Miller said he read all of the titles and they were reviewed by a 10-person committee. 

"Because library books are optional for students, the stance that I have taken is that every book in the library should be suitable for some students but no book in the library has to be educationally suitable for every student," Miller said, pointing out the differences in age and maturity between an incoming freshman and a graduating senior. 

Books challenged included "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, who has won the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood and "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson, which is a young adult memoir about growing up Black and queer that has become one of the most banned books in the U.S. 

Miller said the library isn't the classroom, and there is room for discussions between parents and their children about these books at home. 

"There's opportunity with this topic and many other topics for ongoing conversation at home between parents and their children," Miller said. "Nothing prevents parents and their children from engaging in discussions at home about library book selection. In this regard, parents can impart their values and beliefs to their children and establish expectations for library book selection."