Banned Wagon to distribute banned books in Houston

Why it matters: Texas continues to lead the nation in the number of attempts to restrict or ban books, per preliminary 2023 data from the American Library Association.

• There have been 30 attempts to restrict access to 1,120 book titles in Texas this year.

Details: The Banned Wagon is making a stop at Kindred Stories, a Black-owned bookstore in the Third Ward, on Saturday, Oct. 7 during Banned Books Week.

• The wagon will hand out 12 frequently banned books, including Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," which was the most-challenged book in Texas in 2022.
• The book focuses on an African American girl growing up after the Depression who is seen as "ugly" due to her dark skin.

Reality check: Most of the bans are happening in the state's suburbs, like Conroe and Katy.

The latest: Katy ISD has banned 14 more books this school year — including several elementary school titles — after adding "nudity" to the definition of inappropriate material.

• Earlier this week, the district board amended the policy to clarify that only "explicit frontal nudity" is grounds for a book's removal, the Houston Chronicle reports.
• It is unclear if the revised policy will bring back previously banned books.