Houston Teacher Stocks Secret Bookshelf with Banned Books, Empowering Students with Representation, US

A courageous teacher at a public school near Houston, Texas, has created a secret bookshelf in her classroom, bringing banned books to her students who need them the most. With the aim of providing literature about people like them, the bookshelf holds books that have been challenged or banned due to their themes related to race, racism, and LGBTQ+ identity. The teacher, who requested anonymity to avoid backlash from far-right groups, began stocking the shelf in response to then-Texas Rep. Matt Krause’s efforts to ban 850 books from schools. Expressing her belief that discomforting books fuel critical thinking, the teacher enlisted help from friends and a student, using her own credit card to purchase the titles. This act of defiance not only exposes students to diversity and representation but also helps them feel seen and hopeful. However, the teacher remains concerned about potential repercussions due to Texas’ restrictive laws, which have previously led to the firing and pressure to leave of other teachers who introduced banned or controversial books. Despite these challenges, the teacher intends to continue adding more books to the secret bookshelf, while eagerly awaiting a time when book banning will become a thing of the past.