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In Connecticut towns, book banning has become a key issue for school board candidates; a Michigan judge ruled 14 titles had literary merit and dismissed a lawsuit to remove them from a district's library; and as one South Carolina district retains five challenged titles, another removes an LGBTQIA+ history book and restricts other books.

For the second year in a row, SLJ's censorship reporting has won an Eddie Award for best overall series of articles, and the magazine was honored with an Ozzie for cover design.

Alachua County (FL) Public Schools media specialist Patty Duval created code to help librarians and classroom teachers check books against new state laws; a fired Colorado librarian wins settlement; parents in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin speak out against district book bans; review panel keeps Sold and Nineteen Minutes on shelves in South Carolina district; and more. 

Acclaimed authors Angeline Boulley and Cynthia Leitich Smith discuss Indigenous representation, craft, and the future of Indigenous kid lit in a webcast conversation moderated by Dr. Debbie Reese. Join the live program Nov. 1.

Coverage of Scholastic, wartime resources, and Jeff Kinney is trending. A librarian’s analysis of the publishing business also drew the attention of readers.

Museums centered on the Black experience are seeing more visitors and expect numbers to climb as books about race continue to be banned and teaching about history and race is restricted. In other censorship news, Alabama state superintendent mandates a library review policy in all school districts, open records requests reveal books removed in Iowa schools, and more.

Banned Books USA is offering free books to Florida residents; We Need Diverse Books issues a condemnation of Scholastic Book Fairs; it's time to register for LibLearnX; and more in this edition of News Bites.

As educators seek to discuss the Israel-Hamas war with students, SLJ has curated related resources and books.

Two principals in a Maine district remove and restrict six books after challenges; a Florida district proactively pulls 31 titles based on complaints in other counties; teens speak out for the right to read in North Carolina and California; and more in the latest Censorship News.