DeSantis is trying to build on the popularity he amassed when he resisted Covid-19 restrictions, particularly in schools. Proponents of the restrictions say their aims are to protect students from inappropriate materials and to give parents more control over their children’s education. DeSantis’s supporters and are part of the platform from which he is expected to run for president. Among the books removed from circulation in one of the state’s school districts are Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Ron DeSantis, a Republican-controlled Legislature and a rapidly growing network of conservative groups aligned to pass three state laws last year aimed, at least in part, at reading or educational materials. The shift is particularly evident in Florida, where Gov. With that came an increase in legislation and regulations in some states and school districts that affected which books libraries could offer. But over the past year, access to books, particularly those touching on race, gender or sexual orientation, became increasingly politicized. As bans in schools and libraries began increasing nationally in 2021, efforts were largely local, led by a parent or a group.

Historically, books were challenged one at a time. Two years into a surge of book bans across the United States, Florida is a hot spot in the clash over what reading material is appropriate for children, with laws that have greatly expanded the state’s ability to restrict books.

Alexandra penfold books