Orange Beach City Schools is considering whether eight books, most featuring LGBTQ characters, should be kept in libraries.

The challenged books are “The Year I Stopped Trying” by Katie Heaney, “Fangirl” by Rainbow Powell, “Tomboy” by Liz Prince, “Rick” by Alex Gino, “One Life” by Megan Rapinoe, “Dare to Disappoint” by Özge Samanci, “Bad Girls of Fashion” by Jennifer Croll and “Just Like Mother” by Anne Heltzel, according to superintendent Randy Wilkes. According to The Alabama Political Reporter, the books were identified in December.

The first five books feature LGBTQ+ characters. Several of the books are available in the teen or juvenile sections of the Baldwin County Library Cooperative’s public libraries. “Just Like Mother” is classified as an “adult fiction” novel in Publisher’s Weekly but isn’t in the Baldwin County catalog. AL.com reached out to the books’ authors or publishers for comment.

When AL.com asked the school district for comment about the book challenge, an official responded, “Please know that our board policy defines the process for challenged materials and we are adhering to that process.”

According to the “challenged materials” policy in the Orange Beach City Schools board manual, school or community citizens can register concerns with a principal.

“A committee of teachers, educational media specialists, parents, and other qualified personnel shall be appointed by the principal to evaluate the challenged materials and to make recommendations for any changes,” the policy stated. The books are read and evaluated but only removed when the committee makes a final decision.

“The committee’s review shall be treated objectively and in a business-like manner and shall be conducted in the best interests of students, the schools, and the community,” the policy continued. “Efforts shall be made to meet with citizens who register concerns to consider their objection.”