Julianne Moore Reacts to Book Review and Ban by the U.S. Defense Department

Julianne Moore recently shared her disbelief on Instagram upon hearing that one of her books has been flagged and possibly removed from schools serving children of U.S. military personnel and defense employees. The reaction comes after a Department of Defense memo revealed that library books were being reviewed under a policy scrutinizing materials associated with gender ideology, with a brief suspension of access to assess the titles.

In the list of items under review, Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry—a story about a young girl who learns to embrace her freckles despite initially disliking them—was noted. Moore indicated that the book, which was written with the intent of reassuring children they are not alone in their struggles and that community ties unite everyone, was written partly for her own children.

Moore, known for her acclaimed roles in films like Boogie Nights and Mary & George, expressed personal anguish over the situation. As someone who attended a Defense Department-operated school and with a family history tied to military service—her father being a Vietnam veteran—she found it particularly disheartening that the ban could impact children who share similar backgrounds and experiences.

The review forms part of a wider effort by the Defense Department to assess instructional materials following recent executive orders aimed at ending what is seen as radical or extreme approaches to gender ideology in schools. Other titles under review include works like Kathleen Krull’s book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, highlighting the scope of the evaluation, with removed books now placed in a restricted professional collection for further scrutiny.