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Subcommittee to review 11 books that could be banned from South Carolina high school libraries

The list of books under review by the Instructional Materials Review Committee include a few that are commonly taught in schools, like "To Kill A Mockingbird."

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A subcommittee of the South Carolina Department of Education is holding a meeting on Thursday to review 11 books that could be banned from South Carolina high school libraries.

The list of books under review by the Instructional Materials Review Committee (IMRC) include a few that are commonly taught in schools, like "To Kill A Mockingbird," "1984" and "Romeo and Juliet."

But the committee has given a preliminary recommendation that these three books be kept on the shelves.

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As for the other eight books under review, the committee recommends they be removed. This is because the books contain sexual content that is considered not age and developmentally appropriate.

Under South Carolina law, materials containing any descriptions or visual depictions of sexual conduct are not allowed in South Carolina schools.

Although a sexual assault is part of the plot in "To Kill A Mockingbird," it isn’t depicted or described in the book. The romantic relationship in "Romeo and Juliet," according to guidelines in the state law, doesn’t include anything that is deemed age and developmentally inappropriate.

The full list of books under consideration includes:

  • "Damsel" by Elana Arnold 
  • "Ugly Love" by Colleen Hoover
  • "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
  • "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
  • "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas
  • "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas 
  • "A Court of Thrones and Roses" by Sarah J. Mass 
  • "A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas
  • "1984" by George Orwell
  • "Romeo & Juliet" by William Shakespeare
  • "Normal People" by Sally Rooney

Thursday’s meeting is online at 1 p.m. and it is the first since the book ban went into effect this fall.

The committee will discuss these materials and bring a final recommendation to the South Carolina Board of Education for a vote. The board’s next meeting is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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