Censorship

A Twitter campaign organized by #FReadom prompted authors—including Cynthia Leitich Smith, Laurie Halse Anderson, Alex Gino, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and others—to share the heartfelt messages they have received from young people who connected with their books.

Penguin Young Readers is offering an educator guide for teaching the 1619 Project’s picture book, Born on the Water, along with Change Sings and The Hill We Climb; ALA speaks out against censorship; and other industry news.

Tools for handling challenges to diverse books programs.

Pat Scales answers questions about a recommended booklist; culling biographies for "questionable behavior," and titles that might upset kids in foster care.

Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. In her speech, the author asked viewers to help ensure the stories of the LGBTQ community and people of color continue to be told and available in libraries and schools.

Authors Jerry Craft, Grace Lin, and others discuss the personal and professional impact of having parents call to remove their books from schools and libraries.

Panelists offered their personal stories, resources, and advice during the SLJ Summit session on book challenges.

Librarians are responding to a rise in book challenges as parents target titles that deal with race, racism, or social justice in even the most tangential way, as well as books that have LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

When a video of a woman speaking out against the book Out of Darkness at a school board meeting went viral, author Ashley Hope Pérez responded with a video of her own.