Censorship

After a challenge, Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs was moved to fiction at the Montgomery County (TX) libraries; Kokila won't back down from its mission to empower children and publish diverse titles; and more news.

Penguin Random House has a lobbyist; NYU studies impact of book bans; South Carolina district removes Assassination Classroom; and more.

The new California law prohibits public libraries from banning books based on "race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or political affiliation of a book’s subject, author, or intended audience"; New Jersey legislators move "Freedom to Read Act" forward; and more. 

Picture book creator Todd Parr's work has been the target of censorship attempts for more than a decade. This Banned Books Week he wants people to spotlight the purpose of the books being attacked.

A group of parents in Montgomery County, MD, has asked the Supreme Court to review their school district's decision not to allow them to opt their children out of seeing books with LGBTQIA+ characters; and Sarah J. Maas books and other titles removed in Cobb County, GA, and Rutherford County, TN.

A week-long school visit from Messy Roots creator Laura Gao highlighted the need for students to see the work of marginalized communities and hear from the creators themselves.

Julia Garnett writes about the events that led her to speak at a school board meeting and why it was important to continue to use her voice and organize against censorship.

In time for Banned Books Week, NCTE and SLJ have partnered again to provide professional reviews of banned curriculum staples. We highlight 18 acclaimed works by celebrated authors, including Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

PEN America released a memo with preliminary book banning numbers, showing a huge increase in banned titles from the previous school year; Carole Boston Weatherford is the 2024 Young People's Poet Laureate; We Need Diverse Books honored by Library of Congress; and more.