Edmonton’s public school board is removing over 200 books, including "The Handmaid’s Tale," from libraries due to a provincial directive on inappropriate sexual content. The leaked list was verified Friday.

Edmonton Public seems to be practicing "vicious compliance" with the directive, according to Premier Danielle Smith.

The province earlier requested school boards to use discretion in identifying age-inappropriate books for students. By October 1, 2025, all school boards must remove explicit sexual content from library materials under a July 10 ministerial order.

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On Thursday, Public School Board chair Julie Kusiek announced that "several excellent books will be removed" this fall, advising those displeased to contact Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides. 

Edmonton Public's book list includes "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," "Brave New World," and works by Alice Munro and Ayn Rand. Many more books, such as "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and "The Great Gatsby," will be inaccessible to K-9 students.

Minister Nicolaides announced a review of the board's book list, seeking clarification on book removals. Alberta Education will ensure policies are implemented to prevent young children's exposure to sexually explicit books.

BREAKING: Alberta cracks down on sexually explicit books in schools with new library standardshttps://t.co/Z8k9uJtBvp

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) July 10, 2025

When asked Friday if she had issues with books barred by the Edmonton public system and what steps she'd take, Premier Smith revealed age-inappropriate material her government considers graphic pornographic literature.

“We are trying to take sexually explicit content out of elementary schools … [if it] is inappropriate for me to show on the television news at night, it is inappropriate for seven year olds to see,” Smith said. 

Edmonton Public Schools previously stated its existing rules support teaching and learning resource selection. A CBE spokesperson claimed to have "rigorous processes" for age-appropriate library resources and mechanisms for community concerns.

Nicolaides clarified this isn’t a book ban. “I asked my staff to gather information on books that show explicit sexual content and if they were in schools in Alberta,” he told the Investigative Journalism Foundation, referring to Edmonton Public and Calgary Public schools.

Nicolaides also clarified that new standards aren't meant to silence identities. However, conservative groups Parents for Choice in Education and Action4Canada, as first reported by the IJF, gave the minister lists of books from Alberta school libraries.

10/ The media had embargoed access to these explicit books found in Alberta school libraries and still tried to paint removing these books as "banning" and censorship. What gaslighting weirdos. https://t.co/cNRugCDGhy

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) May 26, 2025

“We are trying to take graphic pornographic images out of elementary schools so that kids are not exposed to age inappropriate material,” Smith said, briefly describing the explicit content.

Minister Nicolaides announced new rules earlier this year after four graphic novels with explicit sexual content were found in school libraries. A freedom of information request revealed their titles: Gender Queer, Fun Home, Blankets, and Flamer.

“This is simply about ensuring young students are not exposed to content depicting oral sex, child molestation or other very inappropriate content,” Nicolaides said last month.

“I don't know how much more clear we could be,” Smith added. “That's our objective.” 

Alberta boots graphic smut from school libraries—media cries 'book banning'

This isn't censorship. It's protection. It's sanity. It's Alberta saying: Not our kids. Not anymore.

It's not censorship to keep dick-wagging, gender-wang books out of the hands of little kids.

And if… pic.twitter.com/KHmdqqZAqY

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 28, 2025

As 115,000 Edmonton public school students return, a potential provincewide strike by 51,000 teachers looms.

"The government's priorities are wrong," said NDP education critic Amanda Chapman on Thursday, arguing the province should focus on preventing a strike instead of "keeping the works of prolific Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood out of the classroom."

The province says it was compelled to act following widespread concern from parents and an online public survey that drew nearly 80,000 responses. Stakeholder consultations and polling showed strong support for a more consistent, age-appropriate approach to school library collections.

The order doesn't restrict content on puberty, menstruation, and breastfeeding for any grade level, nor does it apply to school municipal libraries or teacher-selected materials.