TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. “Forever” by Judi Blume. “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.

All were pulled from school shelves in Florida, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education tally cards disposed of by local school districts.

Recent changes to state law have empowered parents and residents challenge required school library books and districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing which books were restricted in their schools. Florida continues to lead the nation in removing books from school libraries, according to analysis by the American Library Association and the advocacy group PEN America.

“A restriction on access is a restriction on the freedom to read,” said Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students are losing the ability to access books that reflect their own lived experiences, to access books that help them learn and empathize with people who … have different life experiences.”

The list released for the 2023-2024 school year includes titles by American literary icons such as Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, as well as books that have become top targets for censorship across the country because they feature LGBTQ+ characters, discussions of gender and sexuality and depictions of sexual encounters, such as George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer.” Conservative lawyers have labeled such content “pornographic”.

Also on the list of books removed from libraries are accounts of the Holocaust, such as “The Diary of Anne Frank: The Graphic Adaptation” and “Sophie’s Choice.” So is a graphic novel adaptation of “1984,” George Orwell’s seminal work on censorship and surveillance.

“Everywhere from Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ George Orwell,” said Stephana Farrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book challenges in the state. “If you take the time to look at that list, you’ll recognize that there is a problem with … this movement.”

In a statement to The Associated Press, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Education said there are no books banned in Florida and defended the state’s efforts to remove “sexually explicit material” from schools.

“Once again, far-left activists are extending the farce of banning books on Floridians. The better question is why these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit material,” said spokesperson Sydney Booker.

The list shows that book removals vary widely from state to state, with some districts reporting no restrictions and others counting hundreds of titles pulled from shelves. Farrell of the Florida Freedom to Read Project said that based on the group’s review of public records, the department’s report is an undercount because it does not include books removed following an internal staff review, only those removed following a complaint from to a parent or resident. .

Farrell believes most Florida parents want their children to have broad access to literature.

“We live in a state where parental rights should be recognized, heard and answered,” Farrell said. “We demand accountability and an accurate record of how these laws affect our children and influence what is available to them.”

Schools have restricted access to dozens of books by Stephen King, a master of the horror genre known for bestsellers such as “It” and “Pet Sematary.” Clay County officials also ruled his book “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” unsuitable for students.

King, who spends part of the year in Florida, talked about efforts to get his books out of students’ hands, urging readers to run to the nearest library or bookstore.

“What the—?” King posted on social media in August reacting to the decision by some Florida schools to pull the books from their shelves.

Several Florida school districts have drawn legal challenges to restricting student access to the books, including Escambia County, which is being sued by PEN America and Penguin Random Housethe largest publisher in the country.

In September, the Nassau County School District established a lawsuit brought by the authors of “And Tango Makes Three,” a picture book based on the true story of two male penguins who raised a chick together at New York’s Central Park Zoo. Under the terms of the settlement, the district had to return three dozen books to the shelves.

___ Kate Payne is a member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercover issues.