The Katy ISD board voted unanimously on Monday to revise a book policy that banned any book that showed or implied nudity.
Books that were most recently banned included "Draw Me a Star" by Eric Carle, "Wacky Wednesday" by Dr. Seuss, and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume. Some of the books are still listed as removed on the Katy ISD website.
Katy ISD Trustee Morgan Calhoun said the revised policy will add more clarity for implementation so books like those written by Dr. Seuss will not be banned.
"I am glad that we are taking the time to make sure that the clarification is there," Calhoun said. "That ‘No, David!' and that ‘Dr. Seuss' will be put back on the shelves. But ‘You Be You' will not."
Calhoun described ‘No, David!' by David Shannon as a “cute” book.
"The little boy is mischievous and runs around with his bare bottom because he's just a little defiant and it's funny and it's cute," she said.
‘You Be You' by Jonathan Branfman is a book about gender identity, sexual orientation, and family diversity. Calhoun said the book is banned because it shows frontal male and female nudity.
Anne Russey is a Katy ISD parent who has been in opposition to many of Katy ISD's book bans. Russey said she wasn't familiar with “You Be You” until the board meeting on Monday.
"[‘No, David!' and ‘You Be You'] are different books written for different audiences and different purposes," Russey said. "But the full context should be considered. And not every book is for every student. And that's okay."
"You Be You" is written for children aged five and up, according to a letter to parents, guardians, and educators near the beginning of the book.
"[You Be You] encourages children at the age of five... they check it out, and they are encouraged, or they're helped, a five-year-old would be helped to know that you can have surgical options if you are transgender if you identify as transgender," Morgan Calhoun said.
Anne Russey said she felt an older student might still benefit from a book like “You Be You.”
"Perhaps an older elementary school-aged student in 4th or 5th grade that's already begun puberty and is going through their own gender identity or sexual orientation," Russey said. "Questioning those parts of themselves or exploring those parts of themselves. That may find value in being able to read about these different concepts."
