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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged public schools to remove nearly 2,200 titles from libraries, prompting concern among librarians and educators about job risks and student access. Separately, librarians say Senate Bill 13’s review process has slowed purchasing in some districts; Lubbock ISD reported no book orders from August 2025 through February 2026 because the district was implementing the law.
Texas school librarians and teachers say they are becoming more cautious about buying, discussing and recommending books after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged schools to remove nearly 2,200 titles and districts began applying a new state review process. The dispute has raised concerns about educators’ job security and students’ access to books, though the full effect of Patrick’s call on school collections is not yet clear.
Among the titles named is I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez, a coming-of-age novel that English teacher Frank Strong says is popular with students at his Austin charter school. Strong stocked 20 copies in his classroom library seven years ago; two remain, which he attributes to students borrowing the book and becoming attached to it. He now worries he may not be able to keep copies available.
Patrick urged schools in August to remove books from a list compiled by Recover America, a Christian conservative activist group. He characterized the listed materials as “filthy” and “so pornographic.” Educators interviewed in the report said the list ranges from books they consider unsuitable for school shelves to works used in lessons or widely read classics, including Hatchet, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Flowers for Algernon.
Librarians say the pressure is compounded by Senate Bill 13, which gives school boards authority to approve or remove books following complaints. Carolyn Foote, co-founder of Texas FReadom Fighters, sought purchasing information from nearly a dozen districts. Lubbock ISD reported that it made no book orders from August 2025 through February 2026, saying the pause was “because of the implementation of SB 13.” That example documents one district’s response, not a statewide purchasing total.
How Review Pressure Affects Access
School libraries and classroom collections are where students encounter fiction and nonfiction beyond assigned reading. When educators hesitate to order books or recommend titles, students may have fewer opportunities to find works that address identity, grief, racism and history—subjects represented in some of the disputed books.
The consequences may extend beyond which titles are ultimately removed. Foote and other educators describe a more time-consuming process of cataloging and procuring books, as well as concern that a complaint or listing could threaten a teacher’s position. The Lubbock purchasing pause offers a concrete example of how uncertainty around implementation can affect access even before a particular title’s status is resolved.
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Texas Rules Behind the Dispute
The current conflict is part of a broader, years-long fight over what Texas students may read. Public schools have faced repeated book lists, many focused on queer stories and books about racism, as Republican lawmakers and conservative activists seek greater influence over school materials.
Texas adopted SB 13 last year, establishing a process for school boards to handle challenges to library books. The source report also notes other education changes: the State Board of Education revised required reading lists to include some Bible stories, and state laws required public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. These developments form the policy setting for Patrick’s latest demand; they do not establish that every listed title has been removed.
““Am I willing to lose my job over this particular book?””
— Frank Strong, an English teacher at an Austin charter school
classroom library organization shelves
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Which Books Will Schools Remove
The report does not establish how many of the nearly 2,200 listed titles have been removed from Texas schools, how many districts are acting on Patrick’s call, or whether the list has the force of a statewide removal order. Patrick urged schools to take action, while the reported list came from Recover America; those facts do not confirm that every district adopted it.
The long-term effect of SB 13 on purchasing is also unknown. Lubbock ISD’s reported pause covers one district and a specific six-month period, and the source does not provide a statewide comparison of book orders. The status of individual challenges and the timing of any further district decisions remain unclear.
educational books for middle school students
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District Reviews And Book Orders
School boards and district administrators will continue handling book complaints under SB 13, while educators await clarity about which titles local schools will retain, remove or make available. District purchasing patterns may show whether the pauses reported by librarians continue, but the material provided does not give a date for a statewide review or a final decision on Patrick’s requested removals.
In Lubbock, the reported purchasing pause and a board discussion over challenged books show that the issue is already being addressed locally. The next developments to watch are board decisions on specific titles and whether districts resume ordering books as they apply the state process.
books about identity and history for teens
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Key Questions
What did Dan Patrick ask Texas schools to do?
In August, the lieutenant governor urged schools to remove nearly 2,200 titles from campuses, referring to a list compiled by the activist group Recover America.
Have all the listed books been removed?
No. The report does not say that every district removed the titles or provide a count of books taken off shelves. Patrick’s call and a list of titles do not confirm a statewide removal.
What is Senate Bill 13’s role?
SB 13 gives school boards authority to approve or remove books following complaints. Librarians say the process adds work and uncertainty to selecting and purchasing books.
Why is Lubbock ISD part of the report?
The district told Carolyn Foote in response to a public information request that it made no book orders from August 2025 through February 2026 because of SB 13’s implementation. The report does not present that period as a statewide trend.
Which kinds of books are at issue?
The list includes a range of titles, from works educators say have been taught or widely read, such as Hatchet and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, to books they say schools would not carry. The report also identifies novels about identity, racism and other contested subjects among titles facing scrutiny.
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