Books

The Escambia school board voted 5-0 to remove hundreds of books without review. The books in question come from the Florida Department of Education's book removal list.

Escambia County has been a battleground in recent years as school districts in various parts of Florida have removed or restricted access to books.

Tampa Bay romance novelist Alicia Thompson and South Florida bookstore owner Melissa Saavedra share stories from the world of "Steamy Lit."

The longtime activist was hailed as a champion for Black culture and a “powerhouse in the community” that brought passion, empathy and historical knowledge to all her roles.

On "The Florida Roundup," Stephen Hall, author of "Slither: How Nature's Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World," talks about the cultural significance of the slinky reptiles.

On "The Florida Roundup," we chatted with three authors who have written in or about Florida.

Most on the American Library Association's list include explicit descriptions of sexual enounters, along with LGBTQ+ themes and characters, sexual abuse, and references to drug addiction, racism and slavery.

Under the legislation, school district committees reviewing a challenged book wouldn’t be able to consider literary or artistic merit when deciding to remove it.

On this episode of Florida Matters, we speak to three people with different perspectives on Florida Noir, and find out why the Sunshine State makes a great setting for shifty characters and sinister deeds.

It is one of a series of lawsuits stemming from a 2023 education law and related decisions by districts to remove from library shelves or restrict access to books deemed “pornographic” or describing “sexual conduct.”

The Trump administration has dismissed 11 complaints against school districts for removing books from libraries, calling the concept of "bans" a "hoax." as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done for years.

Forty-seven percent of third to tenth graders in Florida read below grade level.