This book had the closest vote - eight people voted to keep it at high schools, seven voted to allow it in middle and high school libraries and three people voted to remove it from all public-school libraries. The same panel also voted on “Almost Perfect” by Brian Katcher, about a boy falling in love with a girl he finds out is transgender. One person said the book, written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shalagh McNicholas, should be kept at middle and high school libraries only, while two people voted to remove it from all school libraries. The majority of one panel - 15 out of 18 people - said the illustrated book “I am Jazz,” about a transgender child and aimed at elementary age children and their parents, should remain at all grade levels. LAKELAND - The committees reviewing books that have been targeted by a conservative group for removal from Polk County Public School libraries voted on three more of them Thursday, approving keeping the books at age-appropriate levels.Īll three deal with transgender topics, with one book also detailing the lives of gay teenagers.
