Books

Florida education leaders are trying to fend off a lawsuit filed by major publishing companies and authors over the removal of books from school libraries, disputing allegations that a controversial state law violates the First Amendment.

A Fort Myers high school student has published a book. And it’s not her first foray into the publishing business.

Some of the nation’s largest book publishers joined authors and parents of high school students in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday challenging a 2023 law that increased scrutiny of school library books, arguing that the law unconstitutionally violates speech rights. Penguin Random House LLC; Hachette Book Group, Inc.; HarperCollins Publishers LLC; Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC; Simon & Schuster, LLC; and Sourcebooks LLC alleged in the lawsuit that their books “have been targeted for removal or removed from school libraries” throughout the state following last year’s passage of the law (HB 1069).

The South County Regional Library is getting more than a makeover, it’s getting an $11 million facelift.The library, just north of Corkscrew Road on Three Oaks Parkway, is closing at 5 p.m. September 7 for the facelift. The work is expected to take as long as a year.It’s the first major renovation since the library was converted from a bank data processing center in 1996.

Three parents on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit challenging a controversial 2023 Florida law that increased scrutiny of school-library books and instructional materials, alleging the process for removing books unconstitutionally discriminates against parents who disagree with “the state’s favored viewpoint.”The law (SB 1069), in part, made the process of objecting to books and instructional materials easier — and came amid legal and political fights in Florida and other states about removing books from school shelves.

The battle over books in Florida schools continues. WGCU’s Cary Barbor took a closer look at the guidance offered from the state’s Department of Education.

After more than 1,200 objections were filed to school-library books and other materials last school year, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill that will limit challenges by some people.The wide-ranging bill (HB 1285) also includes making changes designed to ease the process of charter schools taking over operations at traditional public schools that lag in performance.

Award-winning author Raymond Arsenault, on his latest book, "John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community"

Thirty-six authors—from Scott Turow to Margaret Atwood to R.L. Stine—collaborated to create a new, suspense-filled book.

NPR released its much-anticipated year-end “Books We Love” list this week.