This controversial decision has drawn condemnation from anti-censorship advocates and Penguin Random House, who argue it undermines freedom of expression.

A petition initiated by the National Campaign for Justice has gained over 34,000 signatures, demonstrating widespread opposition to the reclassification.

The reclassification was made without input from librarians and followed a challenge from a local resident, raising concerns about the lack of due process.

Rightwing activists influenced the decision, which has sparked fears of further censorship of nonfiction books that present unpopular perspectives.

Kasey Meehan from PEN America emphasized that restricting access to this book limits young readers' understanding of America's true discovery story.

PEN America and other advocacy groups have criticized the reclassification as a threat to freedom of expression and a dismissal of Indigenous perspectives.

Montgomery County, Texas, is facing significant backlash after reclassifying Linda Coombs' nonfiction book 'Colonization and the Wampanoag Story' as fiction in its libraries.

Antonio Diaz of the Texas Indigenous Council criticized the state's history of 'whitewashing' Indigenous narratives, highlighting the biased policies enacted by government entities.

Coombs' book, published in September 2023 as part of Penguin Random House’s Race to the Truth series, offers a historical perspective on colonization from the viewpoint of Native Americans.

Notably, major libraries, including the Houston Public Library and the Library of Congress, recognize the book as nonfiction, contrasting sharply with Montgomery County's stance.

Texas parents are concerned that this reclassification could set a precedent for further censorship of nonfiction literature.

As a historian from the Wampanoag Tribe, Coombs aims to document the Indigenous perspective on European colonization, making the reclassification particularly contentious.