Texas advocacy group includes Holocaust memoir on list of inappropriate school books

A Christian advocacy group, Recover America, has included Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir, Night, on a list of nearly 2,200 books it deems inappropriate for Texas public school libraries. The list, which has received support from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, also features titles such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Bonnie Wallace, a representative for Recover America, explained that Night was included due to its graphic depiction of violence against infants during the Holocaust. While acknowledging the historical significance of the memoir, Wallace stated that the imagery is unsuitable for children and that she prefers to exercise caution regarding school library content.

Recover America assigned the book a score of 3 on a 5-point scale, with 5 representing the most sexually explicit material. Wallace defended the inclusion of both Night and the graphic novel version of The Giver, arguing that these works contain disturbing scenes of violence against children that are inappropriate for younger readers.