Banned Books 2019 – The Best Man

Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.

2019

Avid Bookshop owner Janet Geddis shut down the annual book fair it holds at Athens (GA) Academy after a school administrator told booksellers to hide a book that features gay characters. Administrators told Avid staff to remove The Best Man by Newberry Medalist Richard Peck from display after “several parents raised concerns over a book that contained situations they were not yet prepared to discuss with their young children.” Later the school requested that all of Avid’s books be reviewed by the administration for objectionable content, and that books designated by the administration as objectionable be removed as well. Afterwards, the head of the school sent out an apology for the way the event was handled, but did not apologize for the decision to remove books. Avid announced that for a period 10% of the book sales from its children’s, middle grade, and young adult sections would be donated to the Athens LGBTQ Youth Group.

On These Pages

A Banned book has been removed from a library, classroom, etc.
A Challenged book has been requested to be removed from a library, classroom, etc.

For additional information contact

Ron Titus, titus@marshall.edu
304-696-6575

Last updated

July 25, 2019