What’s Going on In Texas

Aug 26

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What’s Going On in Texas‍ ‍

A Featured Conversation About Books, Schools, and the Freedom to Read

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The Central Tension

Texas has become a major focus of the national debate over school library books. The current controversy centers on which books should be available to students, how those books should be reviewed, how much control parents should have over their own children’s access, and how much authority should rest with librarians, local school boards, and state government.

The debate is often described simply as a fight over “book bans,” but that phrase can blur together several different actions: a formal challenge, a temporary review, a grade-level restriction, a local district removal, and a statewide legal requirement are not the same thing. Understanding what is actually happening in Texas requires separating those categories.

Three tensions run through nearly every part of the discussion:

· Protecting students: Supporters of stricter restrictions argue that adults have a responsibility to shield children from sexually explicit, graphic, or age-inappropriate content.

· Preserving access: Opponents and free-speech advocates argue that broad removals can limit student access to diverse perspectives, difficult history, and literature with substantial educational or literary value.

· Determining authority: Parents, librarians, educators, school boards, and state lawmakers all have an interest in the process—but they do not always agree about who should make the final decision.

A separate political question has also emerged. Texas leaders have criticized some districts for retaining books they believe violate existing standards, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has proposed stronger penalties for districts that do not comply. Those proposed accountability penalties are not part of SB 13 as it currently exists; they are part of the ongoing political debate about what Texas should do next. ‍

The purpose of this article is to examine the law, the way districts are implementing it, the books at the center of the controversy, and the arguments being made on both sides. The goal is not to reduce the issue to a slogan, but to give readers enough context to decide what they think the right balance should be.

SB 13 in Plain English ‍

What is Texas SB 13?

‍Senate Bill 13 (SB 13) is a 2025 Texas law governing public school library materials, library catalogs, parental access, book challenges, and the process districts use to acquire library materials. It applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. The Texas Education Agency issued implementation guidance in August 2025. (Texas Legislature) (Texas Education Agency)

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What does SB 13 require school districts to do?

At a practical level, SB 13 requires districts to create a more formal and public process for acquiring and reviewing school library materials. Among other requirements, districts must:

· Adopt a library materials acquisition policy and procedures for purchased and donated materials.

· Allow public review of proposed library materials for at least 30 days before final approval, subject to statutory exceptions. ‍

· Have the school board approve or reject proposed library materials in an open meeting.

· Give parents access to the school library catalog and a way to restrict their own child’s access to specific materials.

· Provide a formal process for challenging library materials ‍

· Follow statewide collection-development standards for school library materials.

‍The law defines “library material” broadly, but it specifically distinguishes library materials from instructional materials used to teach the required curriculum. That distinction matters because a novel available for voluntary checkout is treated differently from a textbook or other required instructional resource. (Texas Legislature)

What kinds of materials are prohibited under the statewide standards?

‍The school library collection-development standards referenced in the law require districts to prohibit the possession, acquisition, or purchase of certain materials, including harmful material, material rated sexually explicit by a selling library-material vendor, material that is pervasively vulgar or educationally unsuitable, material containing indecent or profane content, and material that directs students to prohibited content through an internet link or QR code.

‍Those standards apply across school library collections, including physical collections and certain online library catalogs or applications. (Texas Legislature)

‍What control does the law give parents over their own child’s library access?

‍Parents must be given access to the school library catalog and may submit a list of materials that their own child may not check out or otherwise access outside the school library. If the district uses an online portal or learning-management system, parents must also receive records of their child’s library use outside the library when applicable. (Texas Legislature)

‍Who decides which books are added to a school library?

‍The local school district’s board of trustees has a central role. The board adopts the acquisition policy and approves or rejects proposed library materials in an open meeting. A district may also establish a Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC), and it must establish one if the required number of parents petitions for it. The council can make recommendations, but the local board remains part of the decision-making process. (Texas Legislature) (Texas Education Agency)

‍Who can challenge a book, and what happens next?

‍A parent, district employee, or person who lives in the district may submit a written challenge. Texas requires the Texas Education Agency to provide a standardized challenge form, and districts must make that form available on their websites. If a district has an LSLAC, the council receives the challenge and may make a recommendation; the school board then considers the challenge at an open meeting and makes the district’s decision. (Texas Education Agency)

‍Does a challenge automatically mean the book is removed?

No. A challenge is a request for a book to be reviewed; it is not automatically a permanent removal order. The board considers the challenge under the applicable standards and determines what action to take. A book may be retained, restricted, reclassified for older students, or removed depending on the district and the outcome of the review. (Texas Legislature)

‍Does Texas have one official statewide list of banned books?

‍No. SB 13 establishes statewide standards and procedures, but it does not create one master list declaring particular books banned from every Texas public school. Individual districts make decisions about the materials in their own catalogs under the state framework.

‍This is why reports about “thousands of banned books” need context. Large totals may combine books that have been challenged, reviewed, restricted, removed, reclassified, or tracked by outside organizations across many districts. A book removed in one district is not automatically prohibited in every Texas school.

‍What does SB 13 not automatically require?

‍SB 13 does not automatically create a statewide banned-book list, require every district to remove the same titles, make every challenged book permanently unavailable, give the state government direct authority to select every individual book in every school library, or treat required instructional materials exactly the same way as library materials.

‍The simplest way to understand the law is this: Texas sets the framework, while local districts and their boards make many of the individual decisions that determine what appears on their library shelves.

‍From State Law to Local Decisions

‍SB 13 establishes statewide requirements, but implementation can look very different from one district to another. The law does not require every district to conduct a complete review of every book already on its shelves. Some districts have chosen broad collection reviews, while others have focused more narrowly on the policies and procedures required by the law.

‍The outcomes also vary. A title may be removed in one district, restricted to older students in another, retained after review somewhere else, or returned to shelves after a challenge is resolved. Two districts operating under the same state law can therefore end up with noticeably different collections.

‍That distinction is essential when a headline says that “Texas banned” a book. The more precise questions are: What happened to the title? In which district? Was it challenged, restricted, reclassified, or removed? And who made the decision? State law establishes the framework; local implementation determines much of what students actually encounter.

‍The Law vs. the Political Conversation

‍The debate has moved beyond the requirements of SB 13 itself. State political leaders—particularly Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—have argued that some districts are not doing enough to remove books they consider sexually explicit, vulgar, or otherwise inappropriate. That makes it important to separate current law from proposals for future enforcement.

‍THE LAW CURRENTLY SAYS: School districts must follow statewide library standards and maintain local procedures for acquiring and challenging library materials, with significant roles for parents and school boards. SB 13 does not create a single statewide list of titles that must be removed from every district.

‍SOME LEADERS ARE ADVOCATING: Stronger enforcement, additional removals, and new penalties for districts that retain materials state leaders believe violate existing standards.

‍In August 2026, Patrick said, “We’re coming for the books,” while calling on districts to remove books he considers inappropriate. At the same press conference, he announced plans to pursue legislation that could lower a district’s A–F accountability rating if prohibited books remain on its shelves.

‍The proposed A–F penalty is not part of SB 13 as it currently exists. It is a proposal for additional legislation in a future session. Patrick has also argued that his position is not a ban because people remain free to buy the books themselves; his argument is that public schools should not use taxpayer funds to provide material he considers obscene or sexually explicit. (Texas Tribune)

‍So what does “We’re coming for the books” mean in context? It reflects Patrick’s political position: he wants districts to remove books he believes violate current standards and he wants stronger penalties for districts that do not. It should not be presented as though the statement itself created a new statewide book ban.

‍This distinction matters because public statements, enforcement demands, and proposed legislation can sound like existing law when they are repeated in headlines. Readers need to be able to see what the Legislature has already enacted, what individual districts are choosing to do, and what state leaders are asking lawmakers to do next.

‍What Books Are We Talking About?

‍There is no single kind of book at the center of the Texas debate. The titles include classic literature, contemporary young adult novels, memoirs, books about race and history, LGBTQ+ stories, and books dealing with sexuality, violence, abuse, trauma, and other difficult subjects. Some have been challenged or removed in Texas districts; others appear on national challenge lists and are part of the broader controversy.

‍The examples below are meant to show the range of the debate—not to suggest that every title has the same status in every Texas school.

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Beloved — Toni Morrison

‍Typical readership: Older teens and adults.

‍Why critics object: Challenges have focused on depictions of slavery, sexual violence, child abuse, and other traumatic material.

‍Why it matters: Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel examines the psychological legacy of slavery, memory, motherhood, identity, and freedom.

‍Challenge status: Beloved has been challenged and removed in some Texas districts and has also appeared on national lists of frequently challenged books.

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The Hate U Give — Angie Thomas

‍Typical readership: Young adult readers, generally high school.

‍Why critics object: Challenges have cited profanity, drug use, violence, sexual references, and concerns about its portrayal of police violence and racial injustice.

‍Why it matters: The novel gives young readers a perspective on racism, police violence, activism, identity, and finding one’s voice.

‍Challenge status: The book has been challenged and restricted in schools and has appeared on national banned- and challenged-book tracking lists.

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Gender Queer: A Memoir — Maia Kobabe

‍Typical readership: Older teens and adults.

‍Why critics object: Critics have objected to illustrations and discussions of sexuality and gender identity, particularly several sexual images and passages.

‍Why it matters: The graphic memoir explores gender identity, sexuality, family, and self-understanding.

‍Challenge status: The book has been challenged and removed or restricted in Texas districts, including Spring Branch ISD, and has been among the most frequently challenged books nationally.

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Sold — Patricia McCormick

‍Typical readership: Young adult readers, generally older teens.

‍Why critics object: The novel depicts sexual exploitation, trafficking, rape, poverty, and abuse.

‍Why it matters: Sold exposes readers to the realities of human trafficking and exploitation while exploring resilience, poverty, and the search for freedom.

‍Challenge status: The book has been challenged and banned in school settings and was the most challenged book nationally in 2025 according to the ALA; this draft does not identify a specific Texas district example for this title.

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The Kite Runner — Khaled Hosseini

‍Typical readership: Older teens and adults.

‍Why critics object: Challenges have cited sexual assault, violence, profanity, and disturbing depictions of war and trauma.

‍Why it matters: The novel introduces readers to Afghanistan’s history and explores guilt, friendship, betrayal, class, ethnicity, war, and redemption.

‍Challenge status: The book has been challenged and removed in some districts. In Abilene ISD, it was retained but reclassified for grades 11–12 following a challenge.

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Out of Darkness — Ashley Hope Pérez

‍Typical readership: Young adult readers, generally older teens.

‍Why critics object: Challenges have focused on sexual content, depictions of abuse, racial violence, and mature themes.

‍Why it matters: Set against the 1937 New London school explosion, the novel examines racism, segregation, interracial relationships, grief, and historical injustice.

‍Challenge status: The book has been challenged and removed or restricted in Texas districts. Spring Branch ISD listed it among books that went through its challenge process and were no longer in its media centers.

‍These examples show why “banned book” is not a single category. A title may be challenged, temporarily reviewed, restricted to older students, retained, reclassified, or removed. The more useful question is not simply whether a title appears on a list, but what happened to it, where it happened, and why.

‍Why Supporters Say Restrictions Are Necessary

‍Supporters of school library restrictions generally frame the issue around age appropriateness, parental rights, and the responsibility of public schools. They argue that parents—not schools—should have the greatest say in determining what material their own children encounter, especially when books contain sexual content, graphic violence, or other mature themes.

‍They also argue that literary or educational value does not automatically make a book appropriate for every age group. A title may be important and well written while still being unsuitable for younger students. From this perspective, moving a book to an older grade level, requiring parental permission, or restricting access can be a reasonable middle ground rather than an attempt to make the book disappear entirely.

‍Supporters further distinguish school libraries from public libraries. Public libraries serve entire communities, while school libraries serve children at particular developmental stages inside a publicly funded school system. They therefore believe taxpayers and elected school boards have a legitimate role in setting boundaries around what school collections provide.

‍For supporters, the central question is not necessarily “Should this book exist?” but “Is this particular book appropriate for this particular school, age group, and setting?” They see parental choice and school-board oversight as safeguards. The harder questions are who defines “inappropriate,” which standards should be used, and whether those standards are applied consistently.

‍Why Critics Say This Crosses Into Censorship

‍Critics agree that protecting students and respecting parents can be legitimate goals, but they question how those goals are being carried out. Their concern is that broad standards, political pressure, and large-scale collection reviews can move beyond age-appropriate selection and into censorship—especially when books are judged primarily by isolated passages rather than as complete works.

‍One concern is the breadth of terms such as “indecent,” “profane,” or “educationally unsuitable.” Critics argue that subjective standards can encourage districts to remove controversial titles preemptively or avoid purchasing them at all. A related concern is context: a novel may contain profanity, violence, or sexual material while still having substantial literary, historical, or educational value.

‍A second concern is political pressure and its possible chilling effect on professional judgment. Texas has seen large-scale book investigations initiated by political figures and organized groups; in 2021, for example, then-State Representative Matt Krause circulated a list of 850 books and asked districts to investigate whether they were present in libraries or classrooms. Critics argue that librarians and administrators may begin choosing the least controversial option simply to avoid complaints or political consequences.

‍A third concern is the pattern of which books are challenged. National data cited by the ALA and PEN America show that books involving LGBTQ+ identities, people of color, race and racism, sexuality, and other marginalized experiences are heavily represented among challenged titles. PEN America’s analysis of books banned in two or more districts during the 2023–24 school year found that 44% featured people or characters of color and 39% included LGBTQ+ people or characters.

‍That pattern does not mean every challenge involving one of those subjects is discriminatory. A parent may have a genuine concern about sexual content, violence, or age appropriateness regardless of a book’s themes or characters. Critics’ concern is about the cumulative effect and whether particular perspectives or identities are being disproportionately removed from school collections.

‍Finally, critics worry about what students lose when books disappear: historical perspective, representation, exposure to experiences different from their own, and opportunities to discuss difficult subjects with the guidance of educators. Their central question is not simply whether a book contains objectionable material, but who gets to decide, what standards are used, and whether the full work is considered in context.

‍What Educators, Librarians, and Free-Speech Organizations Are Saying

‍Professional organizations do not all make the same argument about Texas’s policies. Their priorities differ, but together they show why the process used to evaluate a book matters as much as the final decision.

‍American Library Association (ALA): The ALA frames challenges through the principle of intellectual freedom and distinguishes a challenge from a ban. In its 2025 data, the organization documented 4,235 unique titles challenged and reported that 92% of challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials, or decision-makers rather than individual parents. It argues that libraries should provide access to a broad range of ideas while allowing families to make choices for their own children.

‍Texas Library Association (TLA) and Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL): These organizations have focused heavily on implementation and professional library practice. They have provided guidance on SB 13 while emphasizing that Texas has more than 1,200 school districts and that implementation will vary locally. They have also argued that professional librarians bring expertise in children’s literature, student development, curriculum, and the needs of individual school communities.

‍PEN America: PEN America has been more openly critical of large-scale reviews and what it calls “overcompliance.” It has argued that some districts have gone beyond what SB 13 requires by closing libraries or removing large numbers of books during collection reviews, potentially limiting access to classic literature, biographies, history, and works featuring LGBTQ+ experiences.

‍National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): NCTE approaches the issue from the perspective of teaching and literacy. It argues that students benefit from literature that allows them to examine different perspectives, identities, historical experiences, and difficult subjects, and that mature content should be considered within a work’s broader literary and instructional context.

‍National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC): NCAC emphasizes professional review procedures and the free-expression implications of removing books because of objections to their content or ideas. It encourages schools to evaluate challenged works according to established, viewpoint-neutral criteria rather than political pressure.

‍The common professional concern is not that every book belongs in every library. It is that decisions should be made through clear procedures, with attention to age, context, educational value, and professional expertise—not simply because a title has become politically controversial.

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Age Appropriateness vs. Educational Value

‍One of the most important points to acknowledge in this debate is also one of the simplest: not every book belongs in every school library or at every grade level. A book can be important, beautifully written, and educationally valuable while still being inappropriate for some students. The challenge is determining where that line should be drawn and who should make that determination.

‍Age appropriateness is not a new consideration. Librarians and educators routinely consider reading level, subject matter, maturity, developmental appropriateness, and the needs of the students they serve. A book that may be inappropriate for an elementary student may be entirely appropriate for a high school student.

‍This raises two separate questions. First, whose access should be restricted? If one parent believes a book is inappropriate for their child, should that decision apply only to that child or to every student in the school? Second, whose expertise should carry the most weight? Parents know their children and their family’s values; librarians are trained to evaluate literature and build collections; teachers understand instructional needs; school boards are accountable to their communities.

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Appropriate for whom? Appropriate for what age? Appropriate in what setting? And according to what criteria?

‍A related question is whether difficult content automatically cancels a book’s educational or literary value. Many important works address racism, sexual violence, abuse, war, trauma, sexuality, addiction, poverty, or drug use. Sometimes those subjects are uncomfortable precisely because the author is asking the reader to confront something painful or historically significant.

‍Consider Beloved. Toni Morrison’s novel contains slavery, sexual violence, abuse, and psychological trauma. Those elements are disturbing, but they are also inseparable from the novel’s examination of the lasting effects of slavery and the trauma carried across generations. The difficult content is not incidental to the story; it is part of what the book is trying to communicate.

‍The same principle can apply to literature about the Holocaust, human trafficking, racism, war, poverty, or abuse. That does not mean every book containing difficult material belongs in every school library. Context still matters. A mature subject may require an older readership, careful placement within a collection, or guidance from an educator.

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“This book contains material that may not be appropriate for this age group.”

‍ is not the same claim as

‍“This book has no educational value because it contains difficult material.”

‍ A thoughtful review should therefore consider the work as a whole: what the material is doing within the story, why the author included it, the age of the intended readership, and what literary, historical, or educational purpose the book may serve. Educational value does not erase age concerns, but age concerns should not automatically erase educational value either.

‍ Perhaps the most productive goal is not to create libraries containing only books that everyone finds comfortable, but libraries in which books are selected thoughtfully, placed appropriately, and evaluated in their full context. Sometimes the books that make us uncomfortable are also the books that help readers understand history, humanity, and experiences beyond their own.

My Perspective‍ ‍

Commentary — The following reflects my personal perspective and is not presented as a statement of law or fact.

‍ I believe concerns about age appropriateness are legitimate. Parents should have a meaningful voice in what their children encounter at school, and educators and librarians have a responsibility to consider students’ developmental needs. Not every book belongs in every school library or at every grade level, and acknowledging that does not automatically make someone anti-literature or pro-censorship.

‍ Where I become uncomfortable is when the conversation moves from “Is this book appropriate for this particular student or age group?” to “This book should not be available to anyone.” A challenge deserves to be examined, but a challenge should not automatically become a removal.

‍ I believe books should be evaluated individually and in their entirety. What is the purpose of the book? Who is the intended audience? What is the context of the material being questioned? What literary, historical, or educational value does the work offer? Is there a legitimate reason to restrict it for a particular age group? Those questions seem far more meaningful to me than simply counting objectionable words, scenes, or subjects.

‍ I also believe strongly in parental involvement and transparency. Parents should know what materials are available to their children and should have meaningful opportunities to express concerns and make choices for their own children. But there is an important difference between saying “I don’t want my child reading this” and saying “No child should be allowed to read this.”

‍ Most importantly, I believe in what happens when students read, question, discuss, and think critically. Books can introduce them to lives they have never lived, histories they have never experienced, and perspectives they may never encounter outside literature. Sometimes those books are uncomfortable. Sometimes they force difficult conversations. I do not see discomfort by itself as a reason to remove a book; I see it as a reason to examine the book carefully and teach students how to think about what they read.

‍ So where do I stand? I support parents having a voice. I support age-appropriate collections. I support transparency and thoughtful review. But I do not support blanket book bans. I believe the better answer is individual evaluation rather than sweeping removal, parental choice rather than universal restriction, and conversation rather than censorship.

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Join the Conversation

After looking at the law, local decisions, challenged books, competing arguments, and professional responses, the issue ultimately comes back to authority and process. Parents, educators, librarians, school boards, state government, and students all have legitimate interests—but those interests do not always point in the same direction.

‍ What do you think?

‍ Should parents be able to restrict books for their own children without restricting access for everyone else’s children?

‍ Are there books that genuinely do not belong in a school library—and who should make that determination?

‍ Should older students have access to difficult or mature books when those books also have significant literary, historical, or educational value?

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When does age-appropriate selection become censorship—and who should decide where that line is drawn?

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Read. Think. Question. Discuss.

Sources & Further Reading

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The sources below are consolidated from the research used throughout this draft. Whenever possible, they link to original legislation, agency guidance, school-district materials, organizational reports, and news reporting.

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