ASHEBORO, N.C. (ACME NEWS) — The Randolph County Public Library Board of Trustees will decide this week whether to uphold or overturn a challenge to the children’s book Call Me Max.
Published in 2019 by former school librarian and Newbery Honor author Kyle Lukoff, Call Me Max tells the story of a young transgender boy who helps his classmates understand why he has a new name. The book was included on the American Library Association’s 2021 Rainbow Book List and has been widely praised by library and education journals for its age-appropriate storytelling and for helping families talk about gender identity and inclusion. It is held in the collections of several North Carolina public libraries.
A library patron filed a formal request for reconsideration earlier this year, arguing that the book’s subject matter was not suitable for children. On Sept. 23, Library Director Ross A. Holt sent a written response to the patron recommending that Call Me Max remain in the collection.
A copy of the letter was shared publicly on Oct 5 by Randolph County Commissioner Lester Rivenbark on his Lester Rivenbark for Randolph County Commissioner Facebook page, where he wrote that the book “has no place in our public library.”
Holt said in the letter that the book was added in 2021 after parents asked for materials that reflect transgender experiences and that it had been checked out five times since. He noted that Call Me Max received favorable reviews from major professional publications, including Booklist, School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.
Under the library’s Reconsideration Policy, adopted in October 2023, any cardholder in good standing may ask that an item be reviewed for possible removal or relocation. The process requires the challenger to have read the book in full and to complete a Statement of Concern form explaining their objections. The library director reviews the request against the Collection Development Policy, which emphasizes professional standards, community representation and protection of intellectual freedom.
If a patron disagrees with the director’s decision, they may appeal to the Library Board of Trustees, which has final authority under county ordinance. No further challenges to the same title can be made for five years once the review process concludes.
Thursday’s meeting marks the final step in that process. The Board of Trustees will meet at 4 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Randolph County Historic Courthouse in Asheboro, with the appeal on the agenda. The timing coincides with Banned Books Week 2025, which runs October 5–11 under the theme “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.” The annual campaign highlights ongoing efforts to restrict or remove books in libraries and schools across the United States.
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