News & Features

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.

During this Banned Books Week, Jerry Craft and Kelly Yang saw their books challenged by parents, and authors discussed what it means to have their books "banned."

Pat Scales answers questions about kids who want challenged books; a parent who objects to fairy tales due to religious beliefs; and a principal sympathetic to students who protest assigned novels. 

Books are being challenged across the country; districts in Pennsylvania and Texas dominate the news with their decisions to remove materials. 

Save the date and register to join us “In Community” for a full-day, virtual program on Oct. 28.

Pat Scales answers readers' questions about library staff deselecting materials, the most challenged booklist, and parental complaints about an "offensive" article.

Pat Scales takes on a student teacher who thinks Captain Underpants is inappropriate, parent complaints about comics and horror, and a teacher who is using markers to alter problematic illustrations in picture books.