Another day, another inexplicably ridiculous decision by the Trump Administration. This time, we’re talking about children’s books. As a part of their attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Department of Defense has been “restricting access” to “books and learning materials” that have anything to do with subjects like immigration, psychology, and a host of different subjects “trigger words” that scare the administration. While they haven’t gone full DeSantis and banned these books from all public schools yet, they are no longer permitted at any Pentagon-run schools.
One of these “restricted” books is Julianne Moore’s 2007 children’s book, “Freckleface Strawberry.” Julianne’s book tells the story of a little girl who is conscientious about having freckles, but in the end learns to accept them because everyone is different. Naturally, Julianne is upset and spoke out about it on Instagram over the weekend.
“It is a great shock for me to learn that my first book, Freckleface Strawberry, has been banned by the Trump Administration from schools run by the Department of Defense,” Moore began her Sunday Instagram post. “Freckleface Strawberry is a semi-autobiographical story about a seven year old girl who dislikes her freckles but eventually learns to live with them when she realizes that she is different ‘just like everybody else.’”
She continued, “It is a book I wrote for my children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle, but are united by our humanity and our community.”
Moore, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran and graduate of the Department of Defense-run Frankfurt American High School, added she is particularly devastated that “kids like me, growing up with a parent in the service and attending a [DoDEA] school, will not have access to a book written by someone whose life experience is so similar to their own.”
The first of Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry books hit shelves in 2007 and followed its 7-year-old protagonist as she learns to accept herself, red hair, freckles, and all. “The things that make you different also make you, YOU,” reads the official synopsis. The pre-school level picture book has spawned several sequels, including Freckleface Strawberry: Loose Tooth and Freckleface Strawberry and the Really Big Voice.
“I can’t help but wonder what is so controversial about this picture book that causes it to be banned by the US Government,” Moore continued in her post. “I am truly saddened and never thought I would see this in a country where freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right.”
The actress went on to thank PEN America, a nonprofit that seeks to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide, for “bringing this to my attention.”
Last week, the organization condemned the Trump administration for purging books — such as Moore’s — from Department of Defense schools that serve 67,000 children around the world. Other banned books include the Ruth Bader Ginsburg picture book No Truth Without Ruth and transgender activist Nicole Maines’ memoir, Becoming Nicole.
“The removal of these titles is yet another indicator of the new Administration’s flippant and autocratic approach to K-12 education,” read a Thursday post from PEN America.
I want to say that this is truly the stupidest timeline, but it’s actually a pretty sad one. We know that the DOGE firings blanket-targeted anyone labeled “probationary,” while the NSF and NIH funding cuts targeted any research that used words like “diverse” and “women.” I have no doubt that Julianne’s book was just caught in the crossfire, but this is ridiculous. It’s just really sad when an 18-year-old picture book about accepting yourself is deemed too woke. And also, not for nothing, but like Julianne said, she wrote it from her experience as a military child. Military children tend to move around a lot, which can be difficult on school-aged kids. It’s cruel to ban books that may help them fit in more with their peers. Hopefully, Julianne speaking out about this as a public figure will make people more aware of what’s going on.
Photos credit: Avalon.red, James Warren/Bang Showbiz/Avalon, JGM, PacificCoastNews.com/Avalon