Arthur’s Birthday Faces Florida Ban For “Spin the Bottle” Game Reference

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Bruce Friedman, a member of the Clay County School District community and a conservative activist, has apparently filed a complaint against the book Arthur’s Birthday (1989) on July 12, as per The Daily Beast. With this action, it’s likely that the book might end up being banned from Florida schools. When asked about the reason behind the complaint/challenge, Friedman said that he took such action for the mention of the popular game “Spin the Bottle” in the book. He also mentioned that by his action he wants to protect the children.

Written by Marc Brown, the storyline of the book concentrates on the plot where Arthur discovers that his birthday falls on the same day as one of his friends, Muffy’s party. Due to the clash, Arthur comes up with an idea, where he decides to combine both events. At the end of the book, Arthur receives a bottle with “Francine’s Spin the Bottle Game” written on it from Francine, although they don’t play the game.

Friedman talks about the section in his note indicating how “It is not appropriate to discuss ‘spin the bottle’ with elementary school children”. He further wrote how the game is not suitable for K-5 kids. When asked about what he believed might be the result of students using the material, Friedman wrote how it could cause “damaged souls”. He further attached some images from the book that he believed were unsuitable for the audience.

This is not the first time Friedman has made a complaint about a book. Last month, he challenged several books for miscellaneous reasons. As for Arthur’s Birthday, the book is still pending oversight committee review.

Reagan Miller, who’s a member of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, told The Daily Beast how book banners are turning the education system into chaos. “I think it’s more to keep feeding a narrative,” she further added. Miller also mentioned that the next target could be Barney & Friends.