Share
NEW YORK — Not everyone was amused by the John Oliver send-up of a picture book by the wife and daughter of Vice President Mike Pence.
Oliver’s book, credited to staff writer Jill Twiss, was a response to the Pences’ “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo” and to the family’s conservative social viewpoint. The Pences themselves did not publicly object, and daughter Charlotte Pence has even said she purchased a copy of the “Last Week Tonight” book, noting that proceeds were going to charities for AIDS and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth.
The library association announced Monday that Alex Gino’s “George,” a middle-grade novel about a transgender child, was No. 1 on its list. Others included Angie Thomas’ best-seller about a teen girl whose friend is shot by police, “The Hate U Give” (drug use, profanity, “anti-cop” bias); and Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” series (same-sex couple, “encouraging disruptive behavior”).
The report also includes Raina Telgemeier’s “Drama,” Jay Asher’s “Thirteen Reasons Why,” Sherman Alexie’s prize-winning “”The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Mariko and Jillian Tamaki’s “This One Summer” and Judy Schachner’s “Skippyjon Jones” series. Books included on the list in previous years range from “To Kill a Mockingbird” to the “Harry Potter” series.
Gay Content Reflected a ‘Pushback’
The ALA usually lists 10 books, but included 11 this year because two tied for 10th place: Gayle E. Pitman’s and Kristyna Litten’s “This Day in June,” and David Leviathan’s “Two Boys Kissing,” both cited for LGBTQIA+ content and both among those burned last October in Orange City, Iowa, by the director of a “pro-family” group called Rescue the Perishing.
The list is part of the association’s “State of America’s Libraries Report” and comes at the start of National Library Week, which begins Wednesday. The ALA defines a “challenge” as a “formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.” The list is based on news reports and on accounts submitted from libraries, although the ALA believes many challenges go unreported. The association tracked 347 challenges last year, compared to 356 in 2017.
“The number has been fairly steady over the past few years,” Stone said.
The ALA did not have a number for books actually pulled from library shelves or moved to an adult section.
RELATED TOPICS:
Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’
4 hours ago
The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance
4 hours ago
Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond
5 hours ago
Warner Bros. Discovery Sues NBA for Not Accepting Its Matching Offer
6 hours ago
Will Bonta Election Lawsuit Reverse the Will of Fresno County Voters?
6 hours ago
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26170645/Gage-Mason-20-was-sentenced-to-29-years-in-state-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-multiple-children-and-a-dog-and-will-also-be-required-to-register-as-a-sex-offender-1024x538.jpg)
Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26161707/Tommy-Hopfe-with-the-Colorado-Rockies_1280X720-1024x576.jpg)
Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26145457/image-2024-07-26T145350.189-1024x576.jpeg)
Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26154603/Republican-vice-presidential-candidate-Sen.-JD-Vance-R-Ohio-speaks-at-a-campaign-rally-July-22-2024-in-Radford-Va.-Vance-introduced-himself-to-the-world-in-2016-when-he-published-his-bestse-1024x538.jpg)