Yes, Dear Martin Is Banned!
📖 Why You Should Read This Book
Stone wrote Dear Martin in response to the killings of Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin. It's short, devastating, and exactly the kind of book that should be in every high school. The students who need it most are the ones losing access.
Nic Stone wrote Dear Martin in direct response to the killings of Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin. The novel follows Justyce McAllister, a Black honor student at a predominantly white prep school, who starts writing letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after being handcuffed by police while helping his drunk ex-girlfriend into a car. Justyce is doing everything “right” by society’s standards: top grades, debate team, Ivy League prospects. The novel asks whether any of that matters when the world sees his skin color first. It’s short (just over 200 pages), devastating, and written with the urgency of someone who couldn’t wait any longer to say this.
Dear Martin has been challenged 10 times across Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, targeted for its treatment of race and racism. The challenges are revealing: in a country where Black teenagers are being killed, the controversial act is apparently writing a book about it. Stone has said she wrote it for kids like Justyce, the ones who play by every rule and still get treated as threats. Removing this book from schools doesn’t make racism disappear. It just ensures students can’t talk about it in a classroom where a teacher might help them process what they’re seeing on the news every week.
Why Was It Banned?
Where Was It Banned?
Read It Anyway
The best response to a book ban is reading the book. Here's where to get it:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dear Martin banned?
Yes, Dear Martin by Nic Stone has been banned or challenged in 10 documented instances across 8 states in the United States, including Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.
Why was Dear Martin banned?
Dear Martin has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Race and Racism. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.
Where is Dear Martin banned?
As of 2025, Dear Martin has been banned or challenged in Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Wisconsin. Notable bans include Clay County School District (2022), School District of Pickens County (2022), Frisco Independent School District (2022).