'Freckleface Strawberry' Promotes Self-Acceptance — So Why Is It Banned in Some Schools?

In February 2025, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) updated its list of school reading assignments classified as "do not use" resources by the Pentagon’s school system (i.e. books that aren't allowed in classrooms serving U.S. military families). Among them is a reading titled A Nation of Immigrants, part of a fourth-grade lesson on "the peopling of the United States," according to Stars and Stripes. However, it is not connected to John F. Kennedy's A Nation of Immigrants.

It's pretty ironic that Donald Trump's administration, through its crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, affects readings like A Nation of Immigrants considering his wife, Melania Trump, was born in what is now Slovenia (formerly Yugoslavia).

What's even more shocking is that actress Julianne Moore’s first children’s book, Freckleface Strawberry, is said to be another added to the "do not use" list is. Yes, really! But why would Freckleface Strawberry be banned?

Freckleface Strawberry has reportedly been banned in schools, Julianne Moore shared in a Feb. 16, 2025, Instagram post. "It is a great shock for me to learn that my first book, Freckleface Strawberry, has been banned by the Trump Administration from schools run by the Department of Defense," she wrote.

The ban of Freckleface Strawberry may be tied to the book’s message, which embraces differences, as it follows 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 explained.

Julianne Moore explained that Freckleface Strawberry is a "semi-autobiographical story" she wrote "for my children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle, but are united by our humanity and our community." Her personal connection to the U.S. military is significant, her father is "a Vietnam veteran and spent his career in the #USArmy," and she graduated from "Frankfurt American High School, a #DOD school that once operated in Frankfurt, Germany."

The actor said she is not only "stunned" by the ban but also "can’t help but wonder what is so controversial about this picture book that [caused] it to be banned by the US Government." She added, "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."

Julianne described feeling "saddened" by the decision, adding, "I never thought I would see this in a country where freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right. Thank you to @penamerica for bringing this to my attention."

It’s shocking, to say the least, to see certain titles banned in schools. The reality is we’re all the same yet different at the same time. We’re human, but we vary in looks, personalities, and traits.

A lack of acceptance for diversity has led to some of history’s most horrific moments, like the Holocaust and slavery. Yet here we are in 2025, witnessing efforts to dismantle programs that promote diversity and inclusion. It’s unsettling, and it’s clear many people feel the same.