Following plenty of controversy, Osceola County Schools has pulled certain books off library shelves. 

The following books have been removed from school libraries in Osceola County and are pending review by a Book Review Committee. The committee will make a recommendation to the Osceola County School Board on whether their content matter violates state statutes:

"Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez 

"Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews 

"All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson 

"Looking for Alaska" by John Green

In light of recent parent complaints about these books, Osceola County parents will now have library options when it comes to what books their kids can check out. 

Deanna Clover from St. Cloud has been teaching dance to children for 21 years. But before being a teacher she said she’s a parent, and she wants to have a say in the reading material her kids consume.

“I mean, my child is at a very different maturity level compared to other students,” Clover said. “And I am not trying to keep him under a rock or anything like that … and I know they’re going to learn things, but why are we going to throw everything at them right now?” 

The Osceola County School District is putting a new process in place that will allow parents to go online and choose how much access their child has in the school media centers each year: 

  • Unlimited: Full access, including mature content

  • Limited: May check out books in the media center, but nothing involving mature content

  • No Access: Student is not permitted to check books out of the media center

Parents can access the form to tell the district their preference at www.OsceolaSchools.net/MediaCenterAccess. The parents' choice will be recorded in Destiny, the district’s library book circulation system.  In addition, the district will add a label to any book in the media center with mature content.  

The following are links for parents and community members wishing to challenge a book or submit concerns for the Curriculum Review Committee to examine in the Osceola School District: