Censorship

In our last round of reviews of banned classics, SLJ and NCTE cover two of Jane Austen's works, the timely Fahrenheit 451, and the heartbreaking I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

Teens signing up for the Books Unbanned program at Brooklyn and Seattle Public Libraries shared their reasons for wanting the library card, while some of their peers discussed the impact of blocked websites, and an expert panel in Pennsylvania discussed the harm caused by restricting access to books.

Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks have joined Penguin Random House and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the state of Iowa. 

The report released today examines more than 4,000 book bans in 52 public school districts in 23 states from July to December 2023. 

Emily Drabinski shares the impact of personal attacks and those on libraries across the country; librarians fear new, punitive laws; Alaska school book removal lawsuit goes to federal court; and more in Censorship News.

The Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 has seven repeat titles from the 2022 list, including Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe at No. 1 and All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson at No. 2.

In Nebraska, a bill that would criminalize librarians did not get enough votes. Meanwhile, in Georgia, educators worry about legislation aimed at ALA funding; and in one Texas county, a citizen review board will now decide what stays on public library shelves.

An oak tree's willingness to be called he or she canceled a district read in Floyd County, VA; themed book displays are banned in Louisiana parish; and more.

Extending Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned initiative to young kids and parents.