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Joanna How and Caroline Kusin Prichard had arrived to speak about their book The Day the Books Disappeared when they were asked to alter their presentation; Maryland state school board overrules Harford County’s decision to remove Flamer; Utah bans 19th book from all schools; and more.

Ryan Thames, one of the plaintiffs in Amanda Jones’s defamation suit in Louisiana, posted an apology admitting that his previous statements about Jones “were not true”; an annotated Gender Queer to be published in 2026; and more.

The Arkansas district instructed staff on how to block student access to 50 titles; the Alabama Public Library board wants to ban books that “positively” depict trans lives; Texas district reopens school libraries; and more.

A district court judge said removing the picture book about two male penguins raising a penguin chick did not violate the authors’ or students’ First Amendment rights; the South Carolina Association of School Librarians filed suit against the state superintendent; and more in censorship news this Banned Books Week.

The five titles honored by the National Book Foundation include three novels in verse.

Erica Sikma explains what led her back to school for her MLIS degree.

Some students in North Carolina will no longer have access to their public library through their school ID; Florida appeals Penguin Random House v. Gibson decision; book ban debates in Nevada and Iowa; and more.

Book bans continue at school libraries, and at an Arizona county public library system, children's books on puberty and sex ed were moved to the adult nonfiction section.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, and over the last half-decade, YA adaptations have brought even more excitement to her work.

Des Moines (IA) Public Schools students can use their student IDs as library cards and avoid school library book restrictions; North Carolina district changes book policy to meet new state law and changes to Title IX; Maryland community protests removal of Flamer from district; and more.

The nine picture books cited in Mahmoud v. Taylor are not pornography. Nor are they obscene. What is obscene is a Supreme Court decision that denies the basic humanity and equality of LGBTQIA+ people.

Lavonnia Moore lost her job after including the Kyle Lukoff book in a summer reading display at the request of a young patron; new law gives school boards in Texas authority over collection development; Ohio governor vetoed bill that would have restricted public library access to titles "related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression."

It will now be up to educators and local school districts to stand up for intellectual freedom, book access, and LGBTQIA+ rights in the face of parental opt outs and political pressure, according to PEN America staff attorney Elly Brinkley.

Freedom to read advocates ask Florida legislators to probe books removed without review in Florida; an audit finds Utah school librarians preemptively removed titles in fear; and more of the latest in censorship news.

In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Leon Egan shares about Lover Birds in this latest installment.

Even a so-called "narrow" ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor would undermine the First Amendment and access to diverse viewpoints in public education and lay the groundwork for even more serious ramifications, a Georgetown law professor explains.

This diverse list of titles includes prose novels, novels in verse, and graphic novels. It has solid middle grade books as well as selections more suited for upper middle grade or younger YA tastes.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a legal dispute that started when a Maryland district added books with LGBTQIA+ characters and themes to its curriculum and did not allow parents to opt out of instruction. Here are SLJ's reviews of those books.

Twelve students are suing the Department of Education Activity—the federal school system that runs schools for children of U.S. military members—and the Secretary of Defense for the removal of books from school libraries; Mississippi has removed race and gender databases accessed by public schools and libraries; and more.

PEN America, the National Education Association, and student advocacy organization SEAT are among those who have filed amicus briefs in support of the school district in the upcoming Supreme Court case; Harry Lerner has died; applications open for Banned Books Week programming grants; and more.

The American Library Association released its data on 2024 censorship attempts, but don't let the lower numbers fool you. The strategy may have changed, but the organized efforts to remove books from shelves remains.

The George M. Johnson memoir is No. 1 for the first time after Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer held the top spot the last three years. Two Ellen Hopkins titles made the list.

The author of Joyful Song, Heather Has Two Mommies, and Hachiko Waits shares the questions, anxiety, and outcome of a planned school visit in Missouri.

The judge ruled in favor of the ACLU of Colorado, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of two students in the Elizabeth School District; Texas bill that gives school boards authority over school library book selection passed the state senate; Oregon high school removed Flamer by Mike Curato after a student complaint.

Lifting up transgender voices in literature has always been important, but now it's more vital than ever. Share these 14 books by trans creators and/or about trans characters ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 and all year round.

While winning the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz awards often leads to a bump in sales and a spot on school library shelves, censorship legislation, librarians afraid of challenges, and the growing anti-diversity movement could change that this year.

The New York City–based initiative is holding strong, even as book bans in schools surge nationwide and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation expands.

The Supreme Court will hear the case of Maryland parents who want their kids to be able to leave the classroom when materials with LGBTQIA+ characters are used by educators, an Idaho public library system creates "adult only" room and ends the ability for children to access other branches in the system, and more in censorship news.

An attempt to add Angel of Greenwood to the high school language arts curriculum was rejected by the Pine-Richland School Board, Florida's censorship attempts move to public libraries, and more in censorship news.

“The law deputizes librarians and booksellers as the agents of censorship," judge Timothy Brooks wrote in the ruling. Plus, more news about book removals and community pushback on censorship attempts around the country.

A bill in Ohio would criminalize teachers and librarians for having "obscene" books in their collections; New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu pulls state librarian nomination after pressure from conservative groups; districts in Kansas and Tennessee remove and restrict titles; and more in censorship news.

Book challenges overwhelm members seeking to follow library policy and address other district issues.

The new law in New Jersey aims to limit book removals and protect librarians from criminal prosecution; in Illinois, some school districts are choosing to lose state grants instead of complying with its Freedom to Read law; additional titles removed in Oregon and Tennessee; and more in censorship news.

In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. In the latest installment, Rebecca Stafford shares about Rabbit & Juliet.

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. 

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.

Documents show the high cost of book challenges and legal battles over censorship in Utah and Florida school districts; challenged books stay on shelves in Watertown, NY, and Buncombe County, NC; and more.

And Tango Makes Three is one of three dozen books that will be back on school shelves in Nassau County, FL, thanks to a settlement of a lawsuit against the district. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed against a Texas public library is headed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

The censorship-related legal battles continue as Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Club, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, The Authors Guild, Julia Alvarez, John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jodi Picoult, and Angie Thomas sue Florida; and the Department of Justice files a brief in support of the lawsuit against the Cobb County (GA) School District.

The Francis Howell School District in O'Fallon, MO, passed a new policy to allow the removal of certain books and restrict gender identity conversation. Meanwhile in Texas, one district is considering banning books about gender fluidity and another seeks to alter its policy after Advanced Placement titles are removed from libraries.

Iowa schools will start the year without some books in the libraries and classrooms; titles removed from schools in Texas, Colorado, and Indiana; angry accusations and arguing over book banning mar Florida county school board meeting; judge orders Alaskan district to return books to the shelves.

Kate Lindley spoke to SLJ at ALA Annual, sharing the original goal of her Gold Award project, the reason fighting book banning is so important to her, and what's next for her after an extraordinary year.

A bill to arrest librarians because of the content of books in the library failed to pass in Alabama, but a new, amended one is now filed for the next legislative session; Escambia County (FL) School Board wants to depose a seven-year-old in a banned books lawsuit; and a federal court will review its on decision in Llano County (TX) book removal case.

In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. In the latest installment, Matthew Hubbard shares about The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge.

Public library access will be restricted for minors in Lafayette Parish, LA; new laws require changes for librarians in South Carolina and Tennessee; and Crank stays on shelves in Virginia.

As we find ourselves at the midway point of June, amidst the celebrations of Pride Month, it's an opportune time to reflect on the rich tapestry of narratives within the LGBTQIA+ community with 15 noteworthy graphic novels that can help us celebrate Pride this month, and year-round.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the state's board of education, which wanted to remove books from a district library; proposed Ohio legislation could defund public libraries; Utah to release list of books banned from all public schools; and more news.

They are politicians and artists and athletes. They are young people, and people with a few years of life under their belts. And their stories can inform and encourage young readers in June and throughout the year. These books can change lives—and even save them.

If the proposed legislation passes, librarians and their fellow educators in Ohio could be charged with felonies for handing out books and materials deemed “obscene”; challenges and restrictions continue in Florida and Texas; and Montana librarians speak out.

Organizations file federal complaints against the Cobb County, GA, and Moore County, NC, schools; Alabama bill to criminalize librarians for "obscene" content fails in state's senate; and advocates file lawsuit against Alabama public library board for restricting materials.

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by And Tango Makes Three authors and a student against a Florida school district can proceed; civil rights icon Ruby Bridges speaks out against censors; and more news on legal battles and library-related legislative actions continue across the country.

A proposal in Nevada would move all LGBTQIA+ books into their own section of public libraries; Florida makes principals responsible for book restrictions; Utah schools removing books ahead of a new law going into effect on July 1; and more.

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.

From elementary books to young adult titles—across various genres and formats—these 12 recent releases elevate voices and showcase the multifaceted experiences within the trans and nonbinary community.

District employees drew clothes on Maurice Sendak characters in one Florida district, while students, legislators, and library workers fight back against censorship in Virginia, Oregon, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

In Florida, governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for an adjustment to his law that created a mass of book challenges, as bills on both sides of the fight for intellectual freedom are debated in Oregon and Utah, while West Virginia and Georgia seek to strip librarians' legal protections.

The interim library director in Lafayette, LA, lifted the ban on certain book displays; Florida county gets new, restrictive library cards for kids; legislation to change book review policies moves forward in Idaho and South Carolina; and more news.

Advocates rally against legislation in Georgia; students protest book removals in Virginia; The Curse of King Tut's Tomb taken off shelves in South Carolina; and more.

Mostly realistic fiction, these recent YA novels (and one picture book) cover first love, found family, and living authentically. Each shines a light on queer & trans stories in both past and present settings, proving that LGBTQIA+ youth have always been here—and are not going anywhere. 

The director of the Florida Freedom to Read Project discusses expectations for 2024, plus a look at new book-related laws for 2024, a Massachusetts police chief apologizes for an officer searching for a book at middle school, and the story of a Russian librarian who called out the fascism of removing LGBTQIA+ books.

A complaint to the police sent a plainclothes officer to the school in Great Barrington, MA, but Gender Queer was not there; hundreds of books get removed in a Florida district; and Books Save Lives Act was introduced in Congress.

Review committees decided to keep challenged books on the shelves in districts in Maryland, Tennessee, and North Dakota; two new grassroots organizations to fight book banning were started by Texas parents and grandparents across the country, respectively. 

Central Bucks County School Board president Karen Smith took her oath on books including Night by Elie Wiesel and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; authors Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Malinda Lo, and Jodi Picoult join lawsuit in Iowa; and more.

Colorado conservatives are calling on prosecutors to remove books from school libraries and take legal action against those promoting and possessing "obscene material"; a federal lawsuit has been filed against Iowa for its "don't say gay" law that includes removing books; author Robert Samuels writes about having his book kept from students during a school visit in Tennessee; and more.

The lawsuit against the Mat-Su (AK) School District claims the protagonists in the challenged books are people of color or LGBTQ+ characters. In other censorship news, a public library in Kansas was forced to remove all LGBTQIA+ children's books in order to keep its lease, PEN America names director of Florida effort to fight book bans, and MTV's new documentary, The ABCs of Book Banning, is now available to stream on Paramount+.

There is confusion over who placed the restrictions on Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, authors of His Name Is George Floyd; Pink to distribute banned books at Florida concerts; and more.

Leah Johnson, author of You Should See Me in a Crown, has opened Loudmouth Books, a bookstore in Indianapolis dedicated to the titles often targeted by bans; former Central  York, PA, students get a book deal to tell their stories; a video on the mental health impact of book bans; Kentucky district returns more than 100 books to the shelves; and more.

In Connecticut towns, book banning has become a key issue for school board candidates; a Michigan judge ruled 14 titles had literary merit and dismissed a lawsuit to remove them from a district's library; and as one South Carolina district retains five challenged titles, another removes an LGBTQIA+ history book and restricts other books.

Alachua County (FL) Public Schools media specialist Patty Duval created code to help librarians and classroom teachers check books against new state laws; a fired Colorado librarian wins settlement; parents in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin speak out against district book bans; review panel keeps Sold and Nineteen Minutes on shelves in South Carolina district; and more. 

Museums centered on the Black experience are seeing more visitors and expect numbers to climb as books about race continue to be banned and teaching about history and race is restricted. In other censorship news, Alabama state superintendent mandates a library review policy in all school districts, open records requests reveal books removed in Iowa schools, and more.

Two principals in a Maine district remove and restrict six books after challenges; a Florida district proactively pulls 31 titles based on complaints in other counties; teens speak out for the right to read in North Carolina and California; and more in the latest Censorship News.

Responding to book challenges takes a financial toll on school districts, some Iowa Little Free Libraries now come with disclaimers, author Ashley Hope Pérez talks to NPR about how sexual content is used as a scapegoat to target books addressing race, gender, and other identity-based topics, and more in the latest Censorship News.

It's Banned Books Week 2023. While there are many in-person events in libraries and bookstores across the country, these virtual events will allow everyone to hear important conversations at this critical time.

As the governor of California signs a law to protect books and materials at schools, public records requests reveal librarians in one Florida county were told to remove all books with LGBTQ characters, a survey from EveryLibrary and BookRiot shows how parents and guardians really feel about public libraries, and more in the latest Censorship News.

Banned Books Week 2023 Youth Honorary Chair Da'Taeveyon Daniels writes about his journey to self-acceptance and advocacy, and the importance of the fight against censorship.

Ariana Grande, Guillermo del Toro, Padma Lakshmi, Roxane Gay, Gabrielle Union, Sandra Cisneros, Amanda Gorman, Margaret Cho, and Ron Perlman are among the upwards of 175 public figures who signed an open letter calling on creative communities to leverage their voices to stop book bans. 

A Minneapolis metro library system will keep Gender Queer on the shelves after a challenge; Senators clash during a Congressional hearing on book bans; Osceola County, FL, students will no longer automatically get public library cards in response to new Florida law.

The author of the most challenged book in the country praises librarians and calls on people to support them; Alabama governor questions whether public libraries are family-friendly; South Carolina Board of Education severs ties with South Carolina Association of School Librarians; and more.

Explore the latest resources for education's hottest topics: banned books and artificial intelligence.

Books were removed in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee, but libraries in Colorado and Maine retained challenged titles. Plus, Rutherford County, TN, may change library cards to keep limit access for minors, and updates on the lawsuit over And Tango Makes Three and a fight in Iowa over Friday Night Lights.

In Saline County, AR, a judge can now hire and fire the county’s public librarians; authors discuss having their books pulled from shelves; Illinois libraries face bomb threats; and more. 

An Iowa school district asked ChatGPT to find books in its collection that had sexual content, Fort Worth ISD closes libraries for inventory after board removes three titles, "Heartstopper" books pulled in Mississippi, and John Green's 'Fault in Our Stars' may return to YA section in Indiana.

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. 

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.

A school librarian participated in a Human Library event and answered questions about her identity. Here's what she experienced.

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.

The Digital Public Library of America has launched The Banned Book Club, offering free access to e-books and audiobooks in areas where the titles have been restricted or banned.

Music mogul Jay-Z is working with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to combat book bans; Ta-Nehisi Coates attended a school board meeting to support a teacher told to stop using his book; President Obama joins public library Tik Toks to spread the message about the importance of access to books; and more.

For Lee, author and illustrator of In Limbo, the path to a starred graphic memoir debut began with a minicomic.

The Florida teachers' union has its case against the state dismissed, and book banning battles in New Jersey, South Carolina, and Nevada are highlighted in this week's Censorship News.

Laws going into effect in July are creating issues around the country: In Texas, school vendors must now rate sexual content in books sold to districts; Iowa public libraries that share space with school libraries struggle to adapt to new restrictive legislation meant for schools; and large book reviews forced by new law begins in Florida.

In Katy (TX) ISD, a content review for "explicit" materials will stop book purchases and leave already-bought titles in a warehouse; a Florida mom claims I Am Billie Jean King harmed her daughter; and book banning battles in Connecticut and California.

In Wake County, NC, 189 book challenges filed by Moms for Liberty in one recent week were rejected. Illinois governor signs law to protect book access, while Texas, Indiana, and Iowa get new legal restrictions. 

EveryLibrary and GLAAD teamed up to offer practical advice for fighting censorship in your community; the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) announces its 2023 Best Book Awards; and publishing news from Baker & Taylor and Nosy Crow in this edition of News Bites.

The federal government is appointing someone to address the increase in book banning; publishers file brief in support of Llano County, TX, plaintiffs; Utah district removes Bible; and more in Censorship News.

School librarians can extend their efforts further with policies and practices that let LGBTIA+ students and their families know their school library supports them.

This collection of true life stories will certainly provide comfort and guidance to anyone trying to articulate and express their identity, but may also broaden the horizons of those around them and perhaps help the world become a more positive and inclusive place where everyone may feel valued.