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Welcome back to Once Upon a Ban and special hello to those who are joining us for the first time! We’re excited to introduce you to this month’s featured book, Sofia Valdez, Future Prez written by Andrea Beaty and Illustrated by David Roberts.

Sofia Valdez is a young do-gooder and resident of Blue River Creek. After an accident at the local landfill leaves her Abeulo injured, Sofia decides it’s time to clean up her community and turn the landfill into a park. She might only be a kid, but Sofia won’t let that stop her. She summons the courage to take her idea to City Hall.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is a story of inspiring activism that shows us that anyone can make a difference - even a kid in grade two. All it takes is the courage to speak out. We loved how the book’s dedication reaffirms this simple yet powerful idea: “This book is dedicated to you. You are braver than you know and mightier than you can ever imagine. Be bold.”

So, why would a story about a young girl organizing to improve her community be banned? Let’s just say this one is hard to spot.

The Story Behind the Ban

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez made PEN America’s List of “The 23 Most Banned Picture Books of the 2023-2024 School Year” after being banned twice in Florida. The Clay County and Indian River County School Districts pulled the book from their shelves due to the illustrations below.

Can you see why? Here’s a clue. It has to do with what the characters are wearing.

The answers are circled below. Sofia Valdez, Future Prez was banned in these districts because the illustrations include a LGBTQ+ pride pin on Abuelo’s hat, a transgender pride pin on Sofia’s bag, and a character who has both a beard and nail polish.

Illustrations are increasingly being scrutinized by those seeking to ban books. In an article by Popular Information that examines this trend, it was pointed out that the person who challenged Sofia Valdez, Future Prez admitted in their challenge form that they had never actually read the book.

So, how does someone decide to challenge a book they’ve never read?

In the 2022-2023 school year, PEN America found that 74% of book ban cases were connected to organized efforts. One of the most active groups in the effort to ban books is Moms of Liberty, which was founded in Florida, the same state where this story was banned. Along with BookLooks, a second organization created by a former Moms of Liberty member, they provide printable summaries of books that they deem to be inappropriate, often taking content out of context.

These guides are designed to help individuals challenge a book, even if they have never read it themselves. We found the BookLooks guide for Sofia Valdez, Future Prez and it is a list of all the LGBTQ+ symbols contained in the illustrations with the corresponding page numbers.

At the very end of the book, you’ll find a note from the author that shares the inspiration for the story. It goes on to say that this book was inspired by “not one person, but many. Some small. Some tall. Some young. Some old. People from every part of the world.” We think the inclusivity of the illustrations in Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is part of what makes the story so beautiful and is something to celebrate.

Get Your Copy

Now it’s time for you to take action! Request Sofia Valdez, Future Prez at your local library or purchase a copy at your local bookstore. You can also purchase online through our affiliate Bookshop.org store. Once Upon a Ban earns a commission from sales through Bookshop.org. All proceeds will be donated to charities fighting to preserve our freedom to read.

Discussion Questions

Here are a few questions to help kick-start the conversation at home.

• If you could build a park, what would be in it?

• Sofia saw a problem in her community and came up with a solution to fix it. What is something you would like to improve in your community and why?

• When Sofia was told she couldn’t build the park because she’s a kid, how did it make you feel? Why do you think she kept trying?

What’s Next

Following Sofia’s example, our next newsletter will focus on activism. In addition to highlighting more titles written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts, we’ll share more about efforts to fight censorship in Florida.

We will be back in your inbox later this month! In the meantime, feel free to send us a note at [email protected] to share your thoughts on this month’s story.

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