Roberto Clemente among Florida books of the month, falsely claimed to be banned
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. launched the Commissioner’s Book of the Month for K-12 schools, with one of the books on the list previously claimed to have been banned by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.
The Commissioner’s Book of the Month is a monthly reading challenge to promote literacy and reading engagement in K-12 schools. Each month, Diaz will highlight four recommended books, one for each selected grade range.
On the first list of Diaz’s book of the month recommendations, he chose Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates, for grades 3-5.
In February, senior officials from the governor’s office pushed back against certain narratives, including articles about the removal of the book on MLB legend Roberto Clemente, being tied to a bill DeSantis signed into law last year.
Florida lawmakers passed HB 1467 in mid-2022, which requires media specialists go through approved training to brush up on Florida laws in order to approve books for classrooms and libraries. The training was formally approved in January 2023.
NBC News reported that Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates and other “books about Latino figures” have been “covered or stored and paused for student use” in Duval County schools. Videos have surfaced of one Duval County school library without any books on the shelves.
Officials from the governor’s office told Florida’s Voice the administration never dictated the removal of books like Roberto Clemente or wanted shelves wiped of books, calling it political theater. They expressed frustration that the book of Clemente had taken eight months to review.
DeSantis addressed the situation at a press conference, saying that the concerning books are those containing pornography, not a biography by Clemente.
“Having young kids engaging in sex acts, you’re going to compare that to a biography of Roberto Clemente?” DeSantis said. “Give me a break.”
Diaz’s book recommendations for March include:
- Grades K-2 – “The Lion and the Mouse,” by Aesop.
- Grades 3-5 – “Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates,” by Jonah Winter.
- Grades 6-8 – “Lifeboat 12,” by Susan Hood.
- Grades 9-12 – “The Raft,” by S.A. Bodeen.
“The Commissioner’s Book of the Month will be an opportunity to highlight authors and titles, offering students rewarding opportunities for classroom and at-home discussion,” Diaz said. “This new initiative will add to Florida’s ever-present focus on providing students access to challenging books that increase critical thinking skills and deepen understanding.”
Under DeSantis, Florida has made investments aimed at promoting grade-level reading and literacy achievement, including:
- Securing more than $202 million in literacy-based initiatives in the 2022-2023 Freedom First Budget.
- Observing the 15th annual Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida – an annual weeklong event designed to raise awareness about the importance of reading and to inspire students and families to make reading part of their daily routines.
- Signing the New Worlds Reading Initiative into law in June 2021, which created Florida’s first statewide book distribution program.
- Initiating the revision and implementation of the B.E.S.T. Standards for English Language Arts in 2020, which included a 350-book recommended reading list to serve as a sample text guide for educators to incorporate into their teaching.
