.jpeg "Julianne Moore’s Children’s Book Banned by Trump Administration")
Moore, known for her roles in Far from Heaven and Still Alice, expressed shock over the ban. “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,” she wrote.
The book tells the story of a seven-year-old girl who dislikes her freckles but eventually learns to embrace them. Moore described it as a semi-autobiographical story meant to help children understand that everyone struggles with self-acceptance but is united by shared humanity.
The official synopsis of Freckleface Strawberry explains that the book encourages children to embrace their differences. It humorously suggests ways to deal with freckles, like scrubbing them off (which doesn’t work) or covering them with markers (which moms don’t approve of), before concluding that the best option is to accept them.
Moore, who attended a DoD-run high school and is the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, said she was particularly saddened that military children would not have access to her book. “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.”
She questioned why her book was considered controversial and expressed disappointment that such a ban could happen in a country that values freedom of speech and expression.
The literary non-profit group PEN America brought the ban to Moore’s attention. According to the organization, two other books were also banned: No Truth Without Ruth, a picture book about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Kathleen Krull, and Becoming Nicole by Ellis Nutt, which tells the story of a transgender girl.
The Department of Defense has not yet commented on the reason for banning these books.