Judy Blume, Margaret Atwood Books Among 13 Utah Schools Ban

Thirteen books will no longer see the light of day in public schools across Utah as the state implements the first wave of book bans under a new law, reported the Boston Herald.

The law allows books to be banned if three of the state's 41 school district boards claim they contain "indecent" material.

"The state's no-read list will impose a dystopian censorship regime across public schools and, in many cases, will directly contravene local preferences," said Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America.

Meehan said allowing a small group of districts to make decisions for the entire state of Utah is "antidemocratic." She said the law will result in "less diverse library shelves for all Utahns."

Utah's first round of banned books includes young adult series "A Court of Thorns and Roses" and books by Judy Blume and Margaret Atwood.

Utah joins Tennessee, Idaho, and South Carolina in involving the state government in book-banning, according to PEN America.

Tennessee law states that an individual complaint to a school board could be elevated to a textbook commission that could vote to ban the book in school libraries statewide.

Idaho law requires books that could potentially be "harmful to minors" moved to adults-only sections in both public schools and libraries. Under Idaho law, "obscene materials" include any act of homosexuality.

Meehan said it's likely more books will follow the original wave of banned tomes.

Under Utah's new law, banned books may not be sold or distributed.

"You have to actually throw out books," Meehan said. "That, I think, is just an alarming image for where we're at."

Board member Natalie Cline said banning the 13 books still falls short.

"Removing only those 13 books when there are hundreds more that are just as explicit, that also need to go, is problematic," she said.

According to ABC News, the banned books are:

• "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Empire of Storms" by Sarah J. Maas
• "What Girls are Made of" by Elana K. Arnold
• "Milk and Honey" by Rupi Kaur
• "Forever" by Judy Blume
• "Tilt" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Fallout (Crank, Book 3)" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood
• "Blankets" by Craig Thompson

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