St. Johns County Schools Deliberate on Removal of ‘The Lovely Bones’ and ‘The Sun and Her Flowers’ Amid Content Concerns

In a recent meeting of the St. Johns County Schools, significant time was dedicated to the review of objections to two books, “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold and “The Sun and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur, based on concerns that their content may not be suitable for school-age children. The meeting, facilitated by Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Don Sapp, involved discussions centered around Florida law House Bill 1069, which restricts books in school libraries from containing certain content. Despite the debates, the committee did not reach a majority decision on “The Lovely Bones,” while they recommended “The Sun and Her Flowers” be retained for grades nine and up.

The objections to “The Lovely Bones” were brought forward by parent Jean Moore, who cited specific passages from the book that were deemed not appropriate for children. Moore referenced the work of Brook Stevens from ratedbooks.org to support the argument against the book’s suitability. The committee employed the school library media material evaluation checklist to assess the book’s content, discussing whether it could be considered pornographic or prohibited under Florida statute 847.011. Some members noted the book’s literary and artistic value, while others emphasized its cautionary tale despite the objections. However, a clear consensus could not be reached.

In contrast, the discussion about “The Sun and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur led to a more conclusive outcome. Moore raised concerns over the book’s depiction of sexual activity, sexual assault, nudity, and abortion commentary. After reviewing the specific pages and professional and crowd-sourced reviews, the majority of the committee determined that the material did not meet the criteria for being considered pornographic or prohibited. Some members voiced their support for the book, citing its themes of self-acceptance, loss, injustice, depression, and abuse as discussions for students. Based on these considerations, the committee advised Superintendent Tim Forson that the book should be retained for grades nine and above.

The meeting also dealt with technical difficulties, particularly during the voting process for “The Lovely Bones,” which necessitated some members to rejoin the meeting to cast their votes.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Superintendent:
Tim Forson
School Board Officials:
Beverly Slough, Anthony E. Coleman Sr., Jennifer Collins, Kelly Barrera, Patrick Canan, Sarah Wilcox (Executive Secretary/Bookkeeper), Frank D. Upchurch, III (School Board Attorney)

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