Another book has been added to Utah’s growing list of titles banned from all public schools in the state.
The new entry is “Like a Love Story,” by Iranian-American author Abdi Nazemian. The historical, young adult queer novel follows Reza, an Iranian boy, as he grapples with his homosexuality in 1989, amid the AIDS crisis in New York City.
The novel was among Time Magazine’s ″100 Best YA Books of All Time” in 2021.
(HarperCollins) The cover design of Abdi Nazemian's young-adult novel "Like a Love Story," which has become the 16th book to be banned from Utah public schools.
“I am committed to telling diverse stories that reflect the breadth of human experience,” Nazemian wrote on his website. “As a child, stories meant everything to me.”
The addition brings the total number of books banned from Utah public schools to 16. Women are the authors of all but two of them.
The state released its initial list of banned titles on Aug. 2, in accordance with a law passed by the Utah Legislature last year. The law went into effect July 1.
The law requires a book be removed from all public schools in the state if at least three school districts (or at least two school districts and five charter schools) determine it amounts to “objective sensitive material” — pornographic or otherwise indecent content, as defined by Utah code.
Since the law applied retroactively, school districts and charters were asked to reevaluate the books that they had already decided to ban before July 1 using the state’s new “objective sensitive material” criteria, a standard that did not exist before.
The Utah State Board of Education recently issued guidance recommending that schools prohibit students from bringing “objective sensitive material” onto campus.
“These titles should not be brought to school or used for classroom activities, assignments, or personal reading while on school property,” the USBE’s guidance reads.
A USBE spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune that the recommendation is not legally binding or an official administrative rule, allowing schools to implement it at their discretion.
“Like a Love Story” was officially banned Jan. 28 after the Davis, Jordan and Washington County school districts removed the title.
The 15 other banned titles are:
“Blankets” by Craig Thompson.
“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 Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas.
“A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas.
“Damsel” by Elana K. Arnold
“Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas.
“Fallout” by Ellen Hopkins.
“Forever” by Judy Blume.
“Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott.
“Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur.
“Oryx & Crake” by Margaret Atwood.
“Tilt” by Ellen Hopkins.
“What Girls Are Made Of” by Elana K. Arnold.
