Game of Thrones, Neil Gaiman Books Banned by Texas School Districts

Two school districts in Texas raised eyebrows when they started banning books from school libraries. In the Frisco Independent School District of Frisco, Texas, in particular, banned titles like George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series and books by Neil Gaiman like "American Gods," "Anansi Boys," and "The Ocean at the End of Lane."

According to Comic Book Resources, Gaiman's bestselling American Gods novel was removed from all school libraries in Frisco because it contained "obscene content." Meanwhile, Anansi Boys and The Ocean at the End of the Lane were deemed inappropriate for school campuses.

George R. R. Martin's novels in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, better known as "Game of Thrones" were also classified as adult-only reading material and thus must be removed from schools.

Another iconic book, "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, which served as a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" series, was age restricted for children in sixth grade and above.

Comic Book Resources also noted some comic books were also banned or restricted. These include Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda's "Monstress" series, which was banned for obscene content. Some Japanese manga was also restricted, such as Jojo's "Bizarre Adventure" and "Spy x Family." They were deemed appropriate for only older kids, grades nine and above.

Axios reported that another school district, the Keller Independent School District in North Texas, voted to remove all books that describe or depict any form of "gender fluidity." The school district is known for its staunch right-wing beliefs, including voting in whether to arm teachers and other district employees with guns. This vote will happen on December 12.

Neil Gaiman Reacts to Book Banning

Author Neil Gaiman, who is also responsible for the "Sandman" graphic novel series for Vertigo Comics (part of DC Comics), reacted to his and his fellow fantasy icon and George R.R. Martin's books being banned.

He described the move by the Frisco Independent School District as "astonishing."

The British author is considered a fantasy icon, penning novels and comic books alike. His critically-acclaimed "Sandman" series recently received a live-action adaptation by Netflix. He is also behind the novel "Coraline," which has since received a critically-acclaimed and beloved animated feature film adaptation.

Americans Largely Disagree With Book Banning

With the recent wave of book banning, especially among more conservative school districts in Texas and Florida, CBS News and data company YouGov conducted a poll from February 15-18 earlier this year. It sampled 2,494 adults from a variety of backgrounds.

According to the poll, an overwhelming majority of the respondents, around 83%, felt that books should never be banned for criticizing U.S. history.

The poll also asked them whether books showcasing political ideas they disagreed with should be banned, and 85% said they should not be banned.

Another question asked respondents if books depicting slavery or discussing ideas around race should be banned. Around 87% of respondents disagreed.

The poll also showed that 68% of all respondents said that teaching race in America helped students "understand what others went through."

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Rick Martin

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