In recent years, a book ban has been implemented in schools across the state of Florida, resulting in the removal of over 700 books, including those with themes or content that are sexually explicit, use profanity, or address controversial topics such as violence, challenging authority, or drug use. John Green’s “Looking for Alaska,” a novel of adolescence, is on a list of books people wanted banned from school libraries.

These bans have raised concerns among some students, parents, and teachers, as they worry that removing these books will strip away essential lessons and perspectives.

However, in August 2025, a federal judge, Carlos Mendoza, ruled that Florida’s most recent book-banning law, HB 1069, violated students’ First Amendment rights. He also decided that more than 20 books on the list, including “Looking for Alaska,” were not inappropriate and should not be banned. Previously, under the law, if a book was challenged as unacceptable, it had to be removed from schools, even before trained librarians and educators could review it themselves. Now, after the ruling, they decided that any book considered for banning would have to undergo the Miller test, a legal test used to determine whether a book is obscene. However, Florida still has one of the highest rates of book bans in the nation, and a book’s status can vary by district and library system.