JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While adults debate book challenges in Florida school districts, one Duval County student decided to do something about it. Mya Smith created a short documentary called “Words on Trial” to explore the national impact of book removals in school libraries — and she started by looking in her own backyard.
“About two years ago I really got into reading and I wanted to be able to check out books from my school and I realized that I wasn’t able to,” Smith said.
The state-mandated book review process in Florida began in 2022. For Smith, the issue hit close to home quickly…