Censorship

The most viewed stories: recommended titles for the return to the classroom, fiction and nonfiction, and ways to make books available in a time of rampant censorship. Meanwhile, M.T. Anderson calls us to what counts: love. 

In Florida, access to the book about a male penguin couple has been restored in a school district's libraries; a teacher provides banned books at a Ben & Jerry's; and a district limits Shakespeare. Author John Green criticizes Indiana libraries for moving his book from the YA section; a Virginia library director is forced to resign, and the ABA passes a resolution against book bans.

Getting books to kids who are denied them elsewhere is a critical piece in the ongoing fight for intellectual freedom. 

School librarians Amanda Jones and Martha Hickson, EveryLibrary executive director John Chrastka, and PEN America's Kasey Meehan are among the experts offering practical takeaways during the three-session virtual town hall.

Book sanctuaries—where “endangered” books, the right to read, and intellectual freedom are protected—are popping up in cities, libraries, churches, and schools across the country.

Moving forward with her appeal, 2021 School Librarian of the Year Amanda Jones posted an update on her legal case on her website, where she vowed to take the case to the Louisiana Supreme Court if necessary.

A continuing narrative links these two cover stories on stacking school boards and censorship lawsuits.  Illustrations from Juhasz offered a visual connection as well.

A law that would open librarians up to criminal charges is on hold in Arkansas; the Michigan Library Association is rallying residents against censorship; nearly 400 books are removed from an Iowa school district; and there are claims of concerns about Arthur damaging souls in Florida.

Lawsuits are becoming an important tool to fight back against censorship. SLJ spoke with plaintiffs in four cases about what led them here, why they pursued this path, and the goal of the legal action.