Overview

• Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides told school boards to halt book restrictions until further notice while revised guidance is prepared.
• Edmonton Public Schools drafted a list of more than 200 titles for removal, including The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, Brave New World, The Color Purple and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
• Premier Danielle Smith accused the Edmonton board of “vicious compliance” and said the pause would be brief as the order is rewritten to focus on pornographic images.
• Margaret Atwood mocked the removals with a satirical short story posted on social media, intensifying public criticism of the policy.
• Bookstores in Alberta report a sales spike for the targeted titles since the July announcement of the school library restrictions.