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Julianne Moore is speaking out after her children’s book, Freckleface Strawberry, has reportedly been banned in schools.
In a Feb. 16 Instagram post, the Oscar-winning actress, 64, wrote that the book had been banned in Pentagon-run schools. Per a memo obtained by The Washington Post, the Department of Defense has started to restrict access to books and other learning materials in its school system for U.S. military families, as a response to the Trump administration’s recent diversity, equity and inclusion program crackdown.
Freckleface Strawberry, which was first published in 2007 and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, follows a young girl who learns to embrace her freckles, as well as the differences of others. The book was loosely based on Moore’s own childhood experiences.
“Freckleface Strawberry is a semi-autobiographical story about a seven-year-old girl who dislikes her freckles but eventually learns to live with them when she realizes that she is different ‘just like everybody else,’ ” Moore wrote on Instagram. “It is a book I wrote for my children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle, but are united by our humanity and our community.”
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The actress, whose father served in the U.S. Army, also stated that she is a graduate of Frankfurt American High School, which was run by the Department of Defense in Germany.
“It is galling for me to realize that kids like me, growing up with a parent in the service and attending a @dodea_edu school will not have access to a book written by someone whose life experience is so similar to their own,” Moore wrote. “And I can’t help but wonder what is so controversial about this picture book that cause it to be banned by the US Government. I am truly saddened and never thought I would see this in a country where freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right.”
The memo obtained by The Washington Post listed a section of books that have been removed from the school’s system, with “their return uncertain while pending a compliance review” by staff. Removed material included Nicole Maines’ memoir, Becoming Nicole, about the actress’ experience coming out as transgender, a lesson for fifth graders about the effects of U.S. immigration and instructional materials for sixth-grade students about Black History Month.
“DoDEA is reviewing its current policies and DoDEA-adopted instructional resources to ensure compliance with applicable Executive Orders and Department of Defense guidance,” Will Griffin, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), said in a statement.
The news also comes at a time when book banning continued to increase around the country. Per a PEN America report, there were 10,046 documented instances of book bans across U.S. public schools during the 2023-2024 school year, a 200% increase from the previous school year.
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