Another day, another book banned.

Why would they want to ban a book about being "different?"

Guess.

It's not hard to figure out.

Disclosure: I have freckles. :)

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https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/17/a-great-shock-julianne-moores-childrens-book-under-review-by-trump-administration

Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry, a story about a girl who dislikes her freckles but learns to live with them, is among the books caught up in the blanket review, according to a list obtained by the Guardian. However, it is not known whether the title was selected for further review or for withdrawal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2025 11:40AM by anybody.

It's been withdrawn from DOD (Department of Defense) schools. I've been following the situation. DOD schools are for dependents of U.S. military families who are serving overseas. They are under direct Federal control. The schools have been ordered to abandon any DEI initiatives, and I suppose this book fell into that net.

Here's one description -- "First released in 2007, the 40-page children's book tells the story of a little red-haired girl with freckles, who learns that the best way to embrace her differences is by accepting them. After all, as the book description reads, 'the things that make you different also make you YOU.'"

The book was written by Julianne Moore and is semi-autobiographical. Despite being written by a celebrity, it is well respected among educators and is found in many school and community libraries.

And yes, the entire situation is dystopian.

From what I understand, anti-DEI letters have been sent to every state Department of Education, threatening loss of Federal funds if schools and school systems do not fall into line.

https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-sffa-v-harvard-109506.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawIgeJ9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHb6Tz3_N7SW0qtdNX-_WmHs_exN2nJcdSn5KMpxX5JqKh-Iw9eNnzo8thA_aem_-MCLzG8EcufEx0uBG8CSFA

Or maybe it is the opposite? To have freckles, you must have a pale complexion.

Isn’t it obvious, this girl has red hair. That means she is of the devil because Judas Iscariot and that evil seductress Bathsheba had red hair. Thus the Bible condemns red heads to the fiery puts of hell. Thus this satanic literature has no place in this godly Christian society. Or they have gone completely batshit nuts. I suspect a little of column an and column b.

But what do I know, I read banned books.

I'm sure you're right, but I had never noticed that Bathsheba had red hair... and I'm not going to read it again to find out ;-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2025 10:20AM by Soft Machine.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2025 02:56PM by anybody.

Just for fun I looked up the red hair bit. My father had bright red hair as do my three younger sibs. I got my mother's dark hair as did my older sister.

AI tells me (as much as I vowed not to use it online it's the first response that comes up for every question) that Bathsheba did *not* have red hair. She was a blonde. Of course she was.

AI also spills the fact that she had high breasts and broad hips - apparently the ideal of feminine beauty.

King David, according to various 'Net sources, was red-headed. I've never noticed that in artist's renderings of him that I've seen.

I wonder how we would ever actually know for sure about personal details such as that.

Meanwhile, a pox on AI. I'd much rather consult the good old established dictionaries and encyclopedias for verified information. There's a limit to how much newfangled stuff one human can take.

I have no idea what Bathsheba’s hair color supposedly was. I was just making up a crazy satirical “rational” juxtaposed against batshit crazy.

Oh. Sorry. I missed that part.

I tend to be a bit on the literal side.

Carry on. :)

Well, looks like I’ll be checking this out of the library just because of this ridiculous ban. At least it’s not banned at the library.

TG

I’d do that, except middle aged men hanging out in the children’s section of the library without an accompanying child tend to get suspicious looks or worse having some explaining to do to the cops.

Lol! Just say you’re checking the book out for your niece or something.

TG

Elementary school teachers hang out in the children's section regularly. There were many, many, times where I took full advantage of my library's policy of allowing teachers to check out up to 99 books. I knew the children's section so well that I did not even have to consult the catalogue.

I’m not an elementary school teacher. I fear my presence would be associated with a banned word rather than pedagogy.

The children's section is always busy. It's not just kids, there are parents, teachers, etc.