On “The Cover-Up: Under Pressure, Some School Librarians Alter Illustrations to Avoid Book Challenges,” readers had a lot to say.

Sad story, great cover.
— @skeetervm

Never do this. If it’s not appropriate for your library, don’t carry it. But don’t censor. 🙄
— @starlinglibrary

Because they want to arm us, but don't trust [us] to choose books. Apparently, books are more dangerous. 😢
— @arp363

Curious- what about potty training books? Are those indecent?
— @stephaniepaul10

I've been sharing this story with all my students, it's really added to the conversations about censorship we've been having. Students aged 3-11 just don't get it..."why would you put pants on David? That's the funny part."
— @barefootlibrarian

“They don’t want us to read it because they don’t want us to laugh.”

I tell my kids this book is banned, and they guess why. I had one kindergartener say “Butts are funny, and they don’t want us to read it because they don’t want us to laugh.” #outoftthemouthsofbabes
— @readonmanatee

I'm an Oklahoma school librarian, too, and I will never be censoring books to kowtow to genitalia-obsessed state leaders.
— @mcdonaldreads

🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️
—@fillbuchanan

As a librarian all this business is exhausting and unfair. As a mom, it breaks my heart to think that the very innocence that makes a child laugh, giggle and connect to a book is being taken away. Why aren't these people worried about the phone they put into their child's hand full of inapproprpriate content and people looking to connect and influence their minds.
—@bookmama78

I’d never deface a book. As librarians and library workers, we’re supposed to weed or store away books that don’t meet the Selection/Collection Policy. Defacing a book is censorship which is supposed to go against every fiber of what a librarian stands for. I sympathize with this librarian, I really do. But if you alter a book so the kids can “enjoy” it, it’s no longer the same book that the author intended. At that point, you’re not altering/censoring for children, you’re doing it for yourself because *you* like the book and somehow believe the feelings and emotions *you* got from the book will still stand even with the content altered. I hope this librarian and others doing the same defacing have the opportunity to rethink how to handle these laws. 😔
—@lenapresents

YIKES. This is terrible I understand the tough spot librarians are in and the pressures they are un-der to keep the books we love in their libraries... but defacing and editing makes them instantly NOT those books.
—@ajsmithnet

My students love this page. And guess what? Even the youngest of kids have a laugh and then move on. The only people making it a big deal are adults 🙄
— @500daysoflauren

About those “kid porn books”

THE current kid porn books are why people are concerned!
The books mostly support and encourage lesbian and homosexual behaviors. Also “trans” even though it’s totally impossible for humans to be any gender they like.
The profanity and vulgar illustrations are totally unnecessary and inappropriate.
I’m a teacher.
— Rhoni Harding

Rhoni Harding Okay, teacher. There are not porn books in school libraries. I'm a librarian.
— Raquel K. W. Donahue

Rhoni Harding science disagrees with you. And acknowledging and supporting homosexuality isn’t encouraging “homosexual behaviors.” How sad for your students that their teacher doesn’t believe in validating ALL students.
— Angela Gilbert

Rhoni Harding Interesting how you seem to have a thing against queer literature and not heterosexual literature that has the same content
— Joshua Fizer