SALT LAKE CITY — Two of Stephen King's most beloved stories are included in a book that has been removed from some Utah schools under the state's book ban law.
"Different Seasons," the acclaimed collection of stories that inspired "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand By Me," was added to the Utah State Board of Education list of sensitive materials that have been removed from libraries in the Davis, Jordan, Tooele, and Washington Districts.
The total number of books banned from Utah schools, with the latest addition, now stands at 40.
A 2022 Utah law allows for books to be removed from school libraries if at least three local school districts, or at least two school districts and five charter schools, claim their content contains "objective sensitive material."
In January, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah filed a lawsuit on behalf of the estate of Kurt Vonnegut and other authors, claiming the state of Utah is "trampling on the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment" by removing books from public schools.
Previously, Different Seasons would have been available to Utah students in grades 7-12. The book was first published in 1982.
Other books banned in Utah schools include A Clash of Kings, the second book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
