Scholastic's Book Fair Sparks Controversy Over Diverse Titles

Scholastic, the children's book publisher, has announced that it will separate books on race, gender, and sexuality for its elementary school book fairs, allowing school districts to include or exclude the titles. This decision comes in response to the numerous state laws restricting discussions on these topics in schools. Scholastic's new catalog, called Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice, includes diverse titles such as biographies, memoirs, and disability-positive books. The publisher stated that it created the separate catalog to continue offering diverse books in a hostile legislative environment. However, this move highlights the challenges faced by publishers in states with restrictions on diverse titles. Scholastic's decision has drawn criticism from PEN America, which called on the publisher to explore alternative solutions.