09-05-2025
Utah bans more books from schools — including bestseller "Water for Elephants"
Utah has banned two more women-authored books from public schools statewide.
The latest: The state Board of Education this week added Sara Gruen's bestselling 2006 novel "Water for Elephants" to a list of 18 titles forbidden in public schools.
In March, the board banned "Tricks" by Ellen Hopkins — the author's third book to appear on the state's list of "objective sensitive materials."
By the numbers: Utah has banned 18 titles from schools since state lawmakers in 2024 ordered schools to remove any book or other content if at least three districts deem it to be inappropriate.
16 of those books were written by women.
How it works: Per guidance drafted by the state board of education, districts forward complaints of "sensitive materials" to a committee where parents outnumber educators, to determine whether the content should be restricted.
To decide what counts as "sensitive material," districts use criminal statutes that define "pornographic," "indecent" or "harmful" material for children.
Those laws allow for content with "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors," taking into account the children's ages.
But the book-banning law requires districts to "prioritize protecting children from the harmful effects of illicit pornography over other considerations" as they decide which books to forbid.
Zoom in: "Water for Elephants" was targeted by Davis, Tooele and Cache school districts.
"Tricks" was flagged by Davis, Tooele and Washington districts.
The intrigue: Davis School District — which briefly banned the Bible in 2023 — has been one of the contributing districts for all 18 banned books.
"Water for Elephants" chronicles the memories of a fictional veterinarian who works for a traveling circus during the Great Depression.
It was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller.
A 2011 film adaptation starred Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, and a Tony-nominated stage musical opened on Broadway last year.
Zoom out: It's not the only Utah-banned book to get Hollywood treatment. Judy Blume's "Forever" inspired an 8-episode Netflix series that launched this week.
The 1975 novel, which describes a teen couple's "first time," was considered controversial by late 20th-century standards.
Catch up quick: The state has banned four books from schools so far this year.
"Like a Love Story" by Abdi Nazemian was listed among "The 100 Best YA Novels of All Time" by Time Magazine in 2021, along with "Forever."
"Damsel" is the second book by Elana K. Arnold to be banned in schools.
Both books were added to the "sensitive materials" list in January.
Here are the other books on the list:
