A Florida school district has decided to place a book in the Arthur series back on its bookshelves after a lone parent complained it was “NOT APPROPRIATE” for children, who would have “DAMAGED SOULS” if they read it.
On Tuesday, the Clay County School District Oversight Committee found that Arthur’s Birthday does not violate any state school board laws, and it will remain in the district’s libraries.
“Arthur will go back on the shelves,” Clay County School District spokesperson Terri Dennis told The Daily Beast in an email Wednesday morning, which also included an updated list on the status of all 45 books that had been challenged ahead of the 2023-24 school year.
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Of the 45, 22 will be removed from libraries, including Carrie by Stephen King, Sophie’s Choice by William Styron, and 21 Proms by David Levithan.
Arthur’s Birthday, a book based on the lovable aardvark, who also had a cartoon series for over 20 years on PBS, was about the titular character finding a solution to having his birthday party on the same day as one of his classmates. (Spoiler: They have a joint birthday party and a game of Spin the Bottle is discussed.)
However, the children’s book about problem solving was not a fan favorite for everyone.
As The Daily Beast first reported, local conservative activist Bruce Friedman submitted a challenge to Arthur’s Birthday in July, instructing the district to “PROTECT CHILDREN!”
“IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS ‘SPIN THE BOTTLE’ WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. THIS BOOK IS FOUND IN ALL/ALMOST ALL [DISTRICT SCHOOLS]!” he wrote in all caps on the book challenge form.
“‘SPIN THE BOTTLE’ NOT OKAY FOR K-5 KIDS!”
The debacle caused quite an uproar on social media, with many people confused with how the animated aardvark could be banned.
“NOW THEY ARE AFRAID OF AN A[A]RDVARK,” a social media user on Twitter, now known as X, wrote. “WT actual F!”
“You've gotta fvcking be kidding me...Get a freaking grip, people,” another person wrote. “If this ‘damages your kid’s soul,’ you've utterly failed as a parent.”
“Please pray for my soul as it was one of the many left ‘damaged’ by the Satanic children's book ARTHUR'S BIRTHDAY,” another user tweeted. “Food no longer tastes the same after reading that book. I have sought solace in the church during this trying time. Lord, give me strength…”
Friedman, who once bragged about creating a list of over 3,600 books that he felt contained “concerning content,” is believed to be responsible for 95 percent of the book challenges in Clay County. He declined to provide a comment to The Daily Beast on Wednesday.
“Again, no thank you,” he wrote in an email.
