This is appalling. Scholastic giving the option for schools to opt out of diverse books at book fairs. Diversity and inclusion should be part of education, not erasure and supremacy. Deeply concerning. Strange to publish books and then help to prevent children from reading them #BookSky #Diversity - ThreadSky

paulaknight.bsky.social • 537 days ago

This is appalling. Scholastic giving the option for schools to opt out of diverse books at book fairs. Diversity and inclusion should be part of education, not erasure and supremacy. Deeply concerning.
Strange to publish books and then help to prevent children from reading them
#BookSky #Diversity

Reposted from Donnell Wyche

Scholastic asks, "Do you want to opt out of 'diverse' books at your school's next book fair?" Your participation in white supremacy has never been easier, just uncheck the 'diverse' books box– poof, no problems. 🙄

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janeladyofbooks.bsky.social•536 days ago

I didn't even notice how far to the right my family leaned as a kid, thinking the best of them, books opened my eyes to the fact I was actually being raised by Boggis, Bunce, and Bean... and The Daily Mail did not express the views of very nice people! Sad news Scholastic.

mrslower.bsky.social•529 days ago

I ran a Scholastic book fair last year. On the plus side our town doesn't have a bookstore and the kids were super excited, on the downside it took a lot of bureaucratic work with Scholastic, they didn't have regional titles and had undisclosed limits on what the school could do with our credits

paulaknight.bsky.social•537 days ago

Also the idea of diverse books being something separate is problematic in itself. It skews the meaning of the word diverse.

nydiawriter.bsky.social•536 days ago

Ugh.

supersaiga.bsky.social•536 days ago

Can you imagine the meetings:
Giraffe the peli and me:
In favour of it being "diverse": Giraffes, pelicans, and English children, come from vastly different backgrounds and the book shows them living in harmony
Against it being "diverse": R.D was apparently antisemitic

Which pile do we put it in!?

supersaiga.bsky.social•536 days ago

I was trying to think of a children's book that wasn't in some way "diverse" and all I could think of was Meerkat Mail. First I thought "Say Please, Louise" because it's just about how you should say please... but then I realized Louise isn't white, and is therefore automatically diverse...so warped

barberchicago.bsky.social•536 days ago

Yep. Literally the antithesis of inclusion.

torrleonard.bsky.social•536 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/neilhimself.neilgaiman.com/post/3kbkjuvfp6d2o

barberchicago.bsky.social•536 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/neilhimself.neilgaiman.com/post/3kbkq6dlcgb2n

torrleonard.bsky.social•536 days ago

Yep, I agree with Neil.

jennyalexandra.bsky.social•536 days ago

Absolutely disgraceful behaviour from Scholastic. I used to love the book fair when it came to my primary school and to think that such an opportunity for kids be so easily influenced by authoritarian political posturing is gross beyond words

dunplayin.bsky.social•536 days ago

Unfortunately, it's about the bottom line. The magatt right would go after Scholastic hammer and tong if they stood their ground to always include diversity and inclusion literature. It makes my blood boil that they did what they did, but endangering their mission is risky.

rds773.bsky.social•536 days ago

There’s more of us than them.

dunplayin.bsky.social•536 days ago

That is what is encouraging. But as long as corporations bend to the minority crazies, we have to live with their decisions.

ginniesdaughter.bsky.social•536 days ago

I grew up in a very pale (read: white) rural area. Books were my only introduction to other cultures & viewpoints. Without them, I probably would have ended up with the same narrow perspective as my family & friends. Books gave me a world I didn't know existed. I think that's what book-banners want.

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