Hundreds of books would be banned in Urbandale schools, providing the first full scope of just how many titles could be removed from schools under a new Iowa law that forbids teaching about gender identity and prohibits publications that depict sex acts. The Des Moines Register obtained a list of 374 books that the Urbandale Community School District believes could violate Senate File 496, which, among other changes, requires teachers and administrators to review their libraries and classrooms for books that depict sex acts and prohibits them from buying them in the first place. The law also prohibits schools from providing instruction about gender identity or sexual orientation before seventh grade, which Urbandale officials believe includes books. Teachers in the school district of about 4,000 students northwest of Des Moines have been instructed to remove those books, which include children's picture books, titles with LGBTQ+ themes, and classics like "Ulysses," "The Catcher in the Rye" and "The Color Purple." Dena Claire, spokesperson for the Urbandale district, said the list is meant to provide guidance to K-12 teachers about books that might violate state law. The list does not necessarily represent current books in the district system. But if a book on the list is present in a classroom or library collection, Claire said, it must be removed. #Queer Up Education