HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Hollidaysburg Area School Board tabled a motion regarding payments for two books for the district library after a member raised concerns that they included inappropriate content.

Board member Ying Li said that Aaron Reynolds’ 2017 children’s picture book “Creepy Pair of Underwear!” contained passages indicating anti-Asian sentiment, which could inspire students to hold bigoted beliefs about Asian people.

According to Li, a character in the book says that another character should “send (the creepy underwear) back to China!” in a disparaging manner.

Li said that Lucy Knisley’s 2025 graphic novel “Sugar Shack” includes “LGBTQ content.”

District staff paid $17.29 for a new copy of “Creepy Pair of Underwear!” and $22.23 for “Sugar Shack” in December, both of which were included in a 64-page list of financial disbursements across the five-school district.

The motion, which was ultimately tabled to allow district administrators to review both books in depth, was to accept and approve the full list of payments made in December 2025.

Board member Joseph Antonowicz said that “Sugar Shack” was a “quite benign” story about a young girl who meets a mentor figure who is gay.

“It’s a really sweet story about life on a farm; it’s not objectionable,” he said.

Publisher Penguin Random House recommends the book as appropriate for readers age 8-12, or grades three through seven.

Simon & Schuster, the publisher of “Creepy Pair of Underwear!,” said the book is suitable for readers ages 3-8, or preschool through third grade.

Assistant Superintendent Tracy Boone said that the payment for “Creepy Pair of Underwear!” was to replace a “well-loved” copy of the book that is falling apart from heavy use.

The district has a policy governing the acquisition of new resource materials that requires district administrators to review all incoming media to ensure they are age-appropriate, factually accurate and of genuine literary or artistic value.

“Wherever possible, materials that are considered controversial shall be vetted by the Assistant Superintendent/Superintendent and opposing views be presented so that students may develop critical reading and thinking skills,” according to Policy 109.

This policy encompasses library books and allows individuals or groups to flag specific works for reconsideration by a Review Committee composed of district administrators, library media specialists, teachers and a board member.

Antonowicz said that this type of review may be beyond the scope of the board’s authority, and that other historically significant books in the school library like Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” may be subject to removal under the standard set by the proposed objection.

Antonowicz said that the board should trust the judgment of Boone and other literary specialists within the district and should subject the books for additional review to determine if they are objectionable.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.