Cory Doctorow's YA Book Little Brother Banned in Florida School

Posted on June 12, 2014

The principal of Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola, Florida, has canceled the One School/One Book summer reading program after he decided he didn't like the chosen book: Cory Doctorow's YA novel, Little Brother. The teachers had worked hard to create a study guide for the novel, which focuses on a group of teen hackers who use their skills to regain civil rights for citizens after a terrorist attack hits San Francisco and civil liberties are severely curtailed for U.S. citizens. The same school also banned Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Cory and the teachers are not taking this lying down. He's made a video explaining the situation and his response to it. He says its clear the principal doesn't like the politics of the book, because there is no inappropriate content or even swear words in the book. Cory says he's hoping that the fact than an adult thinks the book will harm them will make the students want to read it, in a form of the Streisand Effect. Tor is now donating 200 paperback copies of the book directly to the students. Cory is also donating a signed copy of the limited edition hardcover with two of the amazing Litographs posters that are created using every word of the book to be used to auction off for charity.

Cory says that anyone is welcome to go download his book for free right now at Craphoud.com/littlebrother. He says you are free to download as many copies of Little Brother as you like, so long as you don't sell the ebook later. Cory is very unhappy at being censored, as the book discusses an important issue: civil liberties. He notes that no high school student today have never known what it's like not to have to be searched at an airport.

On the bright side, he notes that he finally has a book that made the list for Banned Books Week which is pretty exciting. Take a look: