Two Books Attempted To Be Removed From Mountain View Elementary Book Fair

Two books at a book fair were attempted to be censored by some members of the elementary’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) back in March, first reported by City News Service.

During a book fair at Mountain View Elementary , parents of students took to social media to claim they witnessed members of the PTA hiding two specific books and asking to have them removed altogether from the fair due to having content that were not “age-appropriate.”

Rachel Villanueva, president of the Santa Clarita Valley PTA Council, said in an email to KNX that she plans to issue a full statement on the incident and said, “It is not the policy of the PTA to censor book fairs.”

The books were alleged to be “The Insiders” by Mark Oshiro and “Fighting Words” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

“The Insiders” is a queer coming-of-age story that follows Héctor, who feels like he doesn’t fit in and discovers a “magical” room that connects him with two other students his age from across the country. The book is rated for children 8 to 12. The book is a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and an ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Title for Young Readers.

“Fighting Words” is a coming-of-age story that follows two sisters who are separated in the foster care system and must find their voice before they can find each other. The book tackles serious issues, including surviving child sexual abuse and suicide. The book is rated for children 10 to 13. The book is a Newbery Honor Book Award winner and has been recognized as a Boston Globe Best Book of the Year, Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year, and School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

“Once the council and district PTA were alerted to the situation, actions were taken to fix the situation,” Villanueva said in the email response.

There was no response as to what actions were taken.

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