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Banned and Challenged: Restricting access to books in the U.S.

Perspective, ashley hope pérez: 'young people have a right' to stories that help them learn.

Ashley Hope Pérez

Author Ashley Hope Pérez wrote Out of Darkness, which is on the American Library Association's lists of most banned books. Kaz Fantone/NPR hide caption

Author Ashley Hope Pérez wrote Out of Darkness, which is on the American Library Association's lists of most banned books.

This essay by Ashley Hope Pérez is part of a series of interviews with — and essays by — authors who are finding their books being challenged and banned in the U.S.

For over a decade, I lived my professional dream. I spent my days teaching college literature courses and writing novels. I regularly visited schools as an author and got to meet teens who reminded me of the students I taught in Houston — the amazing humans who had first inspired me to write for young adults.

Then in 2021, my dream disintegrated into an author and educator's nightmare as my novel Out of Darkness became a target for politically motivated book bans across the country.

Book News & Features

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Banned books: author ashley hope pérez on finding humanity in the 'darkness'.

Attacks unfolded, not just on my writing but also on young people's right to read it. Hate mail and threats overwhelmed the inboxes where I once had received invitations for author visits and appreciative notes from readers. At the beginning of 2021, Out of Darkness had been on library shelves for over five years without a single challenge or complaint. As we reach the end of 2022, it has been banned in at least 29 school districts across the country.

From the earliest stages of writing, I knew Out of Darkness would be difficult — for me, and for readers. I drew my inspiration for the novel from an actual school disaster: the 1937 New London school explosion that killed hundreds in an East Texas oil town just 20 minutes from my childhood home. This tragic but little-known historical event serves as the backdrop for a fictional star-crossed romance between a Black teenager and a young Latina who has just arrived in the area.

As I researched the novel, I imagined the explosion as its most devastating event. But to engage honestly with the realities of the time and of my characters' lives, I had to grapple with systemic racism, personal prejudice, sexual abuse and domestic violence. As I wrote, the teenagers' circumstances began to tighten, noose-like, around their lives and love, leading to still more tragedy. I sought to show the depths of harm inflicted on some in this country without sensationalizing that history. The book portrays friendship, loving family, community and healthy relationships because they, too, are part of the characters' world. Then, as now, young people struggle mightily for joy, love and dignity.

When Out of Darkness was first published, I braced for objections. Would readers recoil from the harshness of my characters' realities? Or would they recognize how the novel invites connections between those realities and an ongoing reckoning with racialized violence and police brutality? To my relief, the novel received glowing reviews, earned multiple literary awards, and was named to "best of the year" lists by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal . It appeared on reading lists across the country as a recommendation for ambitious young readers ready to face disquieting aspects of the American experience.

So it went until early 2021. In the wake of the 2020 presidential elections, right-wing groups pivoted from a national defeat to "local" issues. The latest wave of book banning exceeds anything ever documented by librarian or free-speech groups. The statistics for 2021, which represent only a fraction of actual removals, reflect a more than 600% increase in challenges and removals as compared to 2020. (See Everylibrary.org for a continually updated database of challenges and bans and PEN America's Banned in the USA reports for April 2022 and September 2022 for further context.)

These book bans do not reflect spontaneous parental concern. Instead, they are part of an orchestrated effort to sow suspicion of public schools as scarily "woke" and to signal opposition to certain identities and topics. Book banners often cite "sexually explicit content" as their reason for objecting to books in high schools. What distinguishes the targeted titles, though, is not their sexual content but that they overwhelmingly center the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people. If you were to stack up all the books with sexual content in any library, the tallest stack by far would be about white, straight characters. Tellingly, those are not the books under attack. Claims about "sexual content" are a pretext for erasing the stories that tell Black, Latinx, queer and other non-dominant kids that they matter and belong. Beyond telegraphing disapproval, book bans serve the interests of groups that have long sought to dismantle public education and shut down conversations about important issues.

Debates about the suitability of reading materials in school are nothing new. These include past efforts by progressives to reorient language arts instruction. Concerns about racist language and portrayals might well lead communities to seek alternatives to the teaching of works like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . But de-emphasizing problematic classics does not generally entail removing the books from library collections. By contrast, in targeting high school libraries, conservative book banners seek to restrict what individual students may choose to read on their own , disregarding the judgment of school librarians who carefully select materials according to professional standards.

Rather than reading the books themselves, today's book banners rely instead on haphazard lists and talking points circulated online. Social media plays a central role in stoking the fires of censorship. Last year, a video of a woman ranting about a passage from Out of Darkness in a school board meeting went internationally viral. The woman's school board rant resulted in the removal of every copy of Out of Darkness from the district's libraries, triggered copycat performances, and fueled more efforts to ban my book.

Book banning poses a real professional and personal cost to authors and educators. For YA writers, losing access to school and library audiences can be career ending. And it is excruciating to watch people describe our life's work as "filth" or "garbage." We try to find creative ways to respond to the defamation, as I did in my own YouTube video . But there is no competing with the virality of outrage. Meanwhile, librarians and teachers face toxic work conditions that shift the focus from student learning to coping with harassment.

But book banning harms students, and their education, the most. Young people rely on school libraries for accurate information and for stories that broaden their understanding, offer hope and community, and speak honestly to challenges they face. As libraries become battlegrounds, teens notice which books, and which identities, are under attack. Those who share identities with targeted authors or characters receive a powerful message of exclusion: These books don't belong, and neither do you.

Back in 2004, my predominately Latinx high school students in Houston wanted — needed — books that reflected their lives and communities but few such books had been written. In the decades since, authors have worked hard to ensure greater inclusion and respect for the diversity of teen experiences. For students with fewer resources or difficult home situations, though, a book that isn't in the school library might as well not exist. Right-wing groups want to roll back the modest progress we've made, and they are winning.

These "wins" happen even without official bans. Formal censorship becomes unnecessary once bullying, threats and disruption shake educators' focus from students. The result is soft censorship . For example, a librarian reads an outstanding review of a book that would serve someone in their school, but they don't order it out of fear of controversy. This is the internalization of the banners' agenda. The effects of soft censorship are pervasive, pernicious and very difficult to document.

The needs of all students matter, not just those whose lives and identities line up with what book banners think is acceptable. Young people have a right to the resources and stories that help them mature, learn and understand their world in all its diversity. They need more opportunities, not fewer, to experience deep imaginative engagement and the empathy it inspires. We've had enough "banner" years. I hope 2023 returns the focus to young people and their right to read.

Ashley Hope Pérez, author of three novels for young adults, is a former high school English teacher and an assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University. Find her on Twitter and Instagram or LinkT .

Banned Books – Top 3 Pros and Cons

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

The American Library Association (ALA) has tracked book challenges, which are attempts to remove or restrict materials, since 1990. In 2020, the ALA recorded 156 reported book challenges in the United States, a significant decrease from the 377 reported challenges in 2019 perhaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2022 challenges jumped to an all-time high with in 2021 with 729 challenges, containing a total of 1,597 books. [ 22 ] [ 27 ] [ 28 ]

In 2022, attempts to ban books doubled from 2021 with 1,269 attempts to ban 2,571 unique titles, according to the ALA. The numbers also reflect a trend in which one complaint includes challenges for multiple books, whereas in the past most complaints only included one book. As of Aug. 31, 2023, there were 695 book challenges 1,915 unique titles; the ALA notes this is a 20% increase from 2022. [ 31 ] [ 32 ]

In most years, about 10% of the reported challenges result in removal or ban from the school or library. However, in 2016, five of the top ten most challenged books were removed. The ALA estimates that only about 3% to 18% of challenges are reported to its Office for Intellectual Freedom, meaning that the actual number of attempts to ban books is likely much higher. [ 1 ] [ 24 ]

In 2021, challenges were most frequently brought by parents (39%), followed by patrons (24%), a board or administration (18%), librarians or teachers (6%), elected officials (2%), and students (1%). Books were most often challenged at school libraries (44%), public libraries (37%), schools (18%), and academic libraries (1%). [ 30 ]

Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and “unsuited to any age group” are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. The percentage of Americans who thought any books should be banned increased from 18% in 2011 to 28% in 2015, and 60% of people surveyed believed that children should not have access to books containing explicit language in school libraries, according to The Harris Poll. A 2022 poll found 71% disagreed with efforts to have books removed, including 75% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and 70% of Republicans. [ 1 ] [ 3 ] [ 28 ]

As the wave of book bans increased nationwide, 2023 brought bans on book bans themselves from two states: Illinois and California. The Illinois law is focused on libraries and “protects the freedom of libraries to acquire materials without external limitations.” California’s law focuses on school administration and “prohibit[s] the governing board of a school district or a county board of education from prohibiting the continued use of an appropriately adopted textbook, instructional material, or curriculum on the basis that it contains inclusive and diverse perspectives.” [ 33 ] [ 34 ] [ 35 ]

Asking parents’ opinions provided conflicting answers for Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute. They found:

• “95% of parents believe every school should have a school library
• 93% of parents believe their child is safe using the school library
• 80% of parents trust school librarians to select age-appropriate material for the school library, while 82% trust school librarians to recommend age-appropriate material to students.
• 60% of parents believe school libraries should restrict access to books by age or require parental permission to check out a book
• 57% believe that parents should receive notifications when a child checks out a book
• 53% of parents believe they should be able to opt their children out of access to the school library while 38% believe they should have to opt their children into access.” [ 36 ]

Should Parents or Other Adults Be Able to Ban Books from Schools and Libraries?

Pro 1 Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when. Having books with adult topics available in libraries limits parents’ ability to choose when their children are mature enough to read specific material. “Literary works containing explicit [scenes, as well as] vulgar and obscene language” were on the approved reading list for grades 7-12, according to Speak up for Standards, a group seeking age-appropriate reading materials for students in Dallas, Texas. [ 4 ] If books with inappropriate material are available in libraries, children or teens can be exposed to books their parents wouldn’t approve of before the parents even find out what their children are reading. [ 16 ] Bans are necessary because “opting your child out of reading [a certain] book doesn’t protect him or her. They are still surrounded by the other students who are going to be saturated with this book,” said writer Macey France. [ 17 ] Read More

Pro 2 Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries. Books in the young adult genre often contain adult themes that young people aren’t ready to experience. Of the top ten most challenged books in 2020, one had LGBTQ+ content, two were sexually explicit, five dealt with racism and anti-police opinions, and others had profanity and drug use. [ 18 ] [ 27 ] According to Jenni White, a former public school science teacher, “Numerous studies on the use of graphic material by students indicate negative psychological effects,” including having “more casual sex partners and [beginning] having sex at younger ages.” [ 19 ] The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that exposure to violence in media, including in books, can impact kids by making them act aggressively and desensitizing them to violence. [ 17 ] Kim Heinecke, a mother of four, wrote to her local Superintendent of Public Schools that “It is not a matter of ‘sheltering’ kids. It is a matter of guiding them toward what is best. We are the adults. It is our job to protect them – no matter how unpopular that may seem.” [ 19 ] Read More

Pro 3 Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids, but doesn't stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them. Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council noted that removing certain books from libraries is about showing discretion and respecting a community’s values, and doesn’t prevent people from getting those books elsewhere: “It’s an exaggeration to refer to this as book banning. There is nothing preventing books from being written or sold, nothing to prevent parents from buying it or children from reading it.” [ 20 ] What some call “book banning,” many see as making responsible choices about what books are available in public and school libraries. “Is it censorship that you’re unable to go to your local taxpayer-funded branch and check out a copy of the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’? For better or for worse, these books are still widely available. Your local community has simply decided that finite public resources are not going to be spent disseminating them,” Weekly Standard writer and school board member Mark Hemingway stated. [ 18 ] Read More

Con 1 Parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people. Parents who don’t like specific books can have their kids opt out of an assignment without infringing on the rights of others. The National Coalition against Censorship explained that “Even books or materials that many find ‘objectionable’ may have educational value, and the decision about what to use in the classroom should be based on professional judgments and standards, not individual preferences.” [ 6 ] In the 1982 Supreme Court ruling on Board of Education v. Pico, Justice William Brennan wrote that taking books off of library shelves could violate students’ First Amendment rights, adding that “Local school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.” [ 21 ] Read More

Con 2 Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it. Robie H. Harris, author of frequently challenged children’s books including It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing up, Sex, and Sexual Health , stated, “I think these books look at the topics, the concerns, the worry, the fascination that kids have today… It’s the world in which they’re living.” [ 8 ] Many books that have long been considered to be required reading to become educated about literature and American history are frequently challenged, such as: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. [ 9 ] 46 of the Radcliffe Publishing Group’s “Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century” are frequently challenged. Banning these books would deprive students of essential cultural and historical knowledge, as well as differing points of view. [ 9 ] Read More

Con 3 Books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development. One study found that reading J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which is frequently challenged for religious concerns about witchcraft, “improved attitudes” about immigrants, homosexuals, and refugees. [ 11 ] Another study found that reading narrative fiction helped readers understand their peers and raised social abilities. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] A study published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology found that people who read a story about a Muslim woman were less likely to make broad judgments based on race. [ 14 ] Neil Gaiman, author of the frequently challenged novel Neverwhere , among other books, stated that fiction “build[s] empathy… You get to feel things, visit places and worlds you would never otherwise know. You learn that everyone else out there is a me, as well. You’re being someone else, and when you return to your own world, you’re going to be slightly changed. Empathy is a tool for building people into groups, for allowing us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals.” [ 15 ] Read More

Discussion Questions

• Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools or libraries? Why or why not?
• Have you read any of the Top 10 Challenged Books of 2021 (see the graphic below)? Should those books be banned or restricted? Explain your answers.
• Is book banning censorship? Why or why not?

Take Action

1. Evaluate the perspective of parents who would like to remove a book from a school library.

2. Consider “ 11 Banned Books through Time ” at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

3. Explore the American Library Association’s resources and efforts against banning books, including the 13 most challenged books of 2022 .

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives .

ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA

Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved

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What Should We Really Make of Book Bans?

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In recent years, book bans have soared in schools, reaching an all-time high in fall 2022 . That’s according to PEN America, a nonprofit that uses media reports, publicly available documents, and school district meeting minutes to track bans. So, just how significant are these challenges to the literature students can access in school ( or even in public libraries )?

Last year, Jill DeTemple, a religious-studies professor at Southern Methodist University, argued in Education Week Opinion that we’re having the wrong conversation about book removals—one that sets teachers up to fail: “In talking about lists of books, we’re missing the real questions: What do we value about education? How can we equip teachers, administrators, school boards, and librarians to support those values in the work that they do?” In her opinion essay, “ Let’s Build Trust Instead of Banning Books ,” she lays out some concrete steps for how to have those values-based civic and classroom conversations.

More recently, the American Enterprise Institute’s Max Eden and Heritage Foundation’s Jay P. Greene took to the EdWeek’s opinion pages to offer their own take on the conversation : “that most ‘banned’ books aren’t really banned, and that when they are, it’s mostly reasonable.” In their own research comparing 2,532 instances of banned books identified by PEN America against school library catalogs, they report that nearly three quarters of the books identified as banned were still accessible to students in school libraries.

The books that were removed, they argue, were largely done so in response to reasonable complaints over sexually explicit material. And here’s one final objection to how book removals are represented: “Contrary to the popular narrative that book bans target LGBTQ+ content, half of these books depict explicit heterosexual material.”

In her opinion essay “ Book Bans? My School Doesn’t Even Have a Library ,” Lydia Kulina-Washburn is also leery of tidy political narratives that inflate the significance of book bans, though her exact concern takes a different shape:

“At face value, the national debates over book banning may appear to be a tension between the right and left,” wrote the Philadelphia public school teacher last year. “However, a closer look at the conflict reveals the inequity that has long defined the educational landscape. Politicians, families, and policymakers who argue the finer points of book selection in schools are ignoring the low-income schools in their states that don’t have adequate literary resources.”

But not all Opinion contributors primarily see these bans as distractions from more important conversations. In July, Tyrone C. Howard, a professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the president of the American Educational Research Association, asked “ Whose Life Experiences Are Being Disappeared by Book Banning? ” Last February, EdWeek Opinion blogger Peter DeWitt, was unequivocal in his assessment of what’s fueling this trend, arguing that “ Banning Books Is Not About Protecting Children. It’s About Discrimination Against Others .”

The number of books being challenged in schools may be on the rise, but the debate is hardly new. For as long as Education Week has been in print, we’ve been covering controversies over what belongs in school libraries and reading lists—and who gets to decide. Take, for instance, this opinion essay from a specialist in teacher training back in 1990.

Decrying the removal of a book focused on slavery in his district after a parent complaint about its racist language, Joseph A. Hawkins recounted the visit to a slave castle in West Africa that solidified his philosophy for teaching his own children the horrors their ancestors endured during slavery. “I can’t think of any better protection, any better weapon, to ensure that slavery never happens again than for my children to read realistic material about slavery and be exposed to its racist language,” he wrote.

His advice for his fellow educators was just as firm: “I wish educators would stop running away from their responsibilities. Stop taking the road of least resistance. Stop hiding every time a parent complains. Stop giving in.”

The challenge of balancing parent concerns about “age appropriateness” against the imperative of preparing students to be informed citizens is still on the minds of many educators today. And for some of them, the question is not just academic. Teacher Sarah Bonner found herself driven out of the classroom by criticism over her inclusion of Juno Dawson’s young adult This Book Is Gay in a classroom activity exploring protest art. Within days of the activity, a parent had contacted a conservative local radio news station, setting off a media firestorm in her small Illinois town. By the time someone filed a police report against her for “child endangerment” later that week, Bonner recounts in an emotional essay , she knew she had to leave her classroom.

Despite the upheaval, Bonner stands by her professional decisionmaking, offering a conclusion that mirrors Hawkins’ 33-year-old call to action. “Having Dawson’s book in my classroom is a choice I would make over and over again,” Bonner wrote, “If I were a student in the LGBTQ+ community witnessing this outcry, I would feel unsafe, fearing that I could be the next target. All students need reassurance that they are supported and protected.”

Such curricular decisionmaking should be left to the professionals, argues English/language arts instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky. “Examining texts for their appropriateness is not a job that noneducators are trained to do,” she wrote last year , as the national debate over censorship resurged with the news that a Tennessee district banned the graphic novel Maus just days before Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Instead of trying to make learning frictionless for students, Plotinsky challenged adults to address our own discomfort with exposing students to hard truths about our shared history.

And what do students themselves have to say about book bans? Most of them—57 percent—don’t even notice, said school library employees in a recent national survey from the EdWeek Research Center . A third of students seem to get more interested in reading the book, while only 1 percent support the ban.

What’s the view on controversial books from your district?

How to Submit

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PEN AMERICA NEEDS YOUR HELP.

#freethebooks.

In classrooms and libraries across the country, the freedom to read is under assault by restrictions and bans on books. PEN America has documented more than 10,000 instances of individual books being banned since the fall of 2021 in our book ban research series Banned in the USA . Over the last two and half academic years, PEN America has recorded banning activity in 42 states, across red and blue districts. Join us to #FreeTheBooks by taking action below and making your voice heard. You can also support our book ban work by donating today .

DONATE    BECOME A MEMBER

We're Suing Escambia County

A federal judge in Florida has allowed our first-of-its-kind federal lawsuit against book bans in Escambia County, Florida to proceed. Our lawsuit, filed with Penguin Random House, banned authors, and parents and students in the district, claims these bans violate the First Amendment and engage in unlawful viewpoint discrimination. To give you a sense of how bad things have gotten in Escambia, we published a list of more than 1,600 of their banned books, including the dictionary. (Actually, five of them.)

SEE THE LIST

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LAWSUIT

Stand With Students: Oppose Texas HB 900

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard BookPeople v. Wong , a lawsuit against book ban law HB 900. We applaud the bookstores and bookseller associations leading the lawsuit against this unconstitutional law, and we remain in solidarity with Texas students leading the fight for their freedom to read from their classrooms to their Capitol.

All students deserve access to inclusive, representative, and culturally relevant libraries. We urge the Fifth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision in BookPeople v. Wong , and ask all Texans to stand with the students protecting their freedom to read.

SEND A LETTER

Fight for the Freedom to Read in Florida

Florida now has the highest number of book bans in the US. Join with bestselling authors to fight these censorious efforts. 

Tell State Officials to Protect the Freedom to Read

For Banned Books Week 2023, PEN America and We Believe gathered a consortium of publishers and nonprofit organizations to rally behind the freedom to read with this open letter .  Send your own letter using our form.

SEND LETTERS TO LAWMAKERS

Urge Congress to Protect the Freedom to Learn

With a 33% increase in book bans over the last two school years, we need our national leaders to join us in the fight the freedom to learn. Urge Congress to support H.Res. 733/S. Res. 372 and stand up against censorship in America’s public schools.

SEND LETTERS TO CONGRESS

Tell Florida: 'Don't Say Gay' Doesn't Apply to School Libraries

We joined free expression allies in alerting Florida schools to legal filings by the state’s Attorney General that the “Don’t Say Gay” law doesn’t apply to school libraries.  Add your voice by sending an email to the Florida Department of Education commissioner, Manny Diaz, Jr., urging him to tell schools the law doesn’t apply to school libraries.

ADD YOUR VOICE

Donations from activists like you provide the essential resources we need to defend the freedom to write worldwide. Please consider making a donation in support of this vital work. Thank you.

WE'RE SUING

PEN America, Penguin Random House, and a diverse group of authors have joined with parents and students from Escambia County, Florida, to file a federal lawsuit challenging removals and restrictions of books from school libraries that violate their rights to free speech and equal protection under the law.

• Add your name  to the growing band of activists working and striving to protect the written word.
• Stay informed of new threats and learn how you can help fight censorship by signing up for PEN America’s newsletter .
• Become a member of PEN America  and join a dedicated community readers, writers, and free speech defenders.
• Get tips on what to say at school board and public library meetings .

FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Are you a student whose school or library has proposed or already removed or restricted access to books.

• Report book bans in your community , and get in touch with our experts.
• Our tip sheet,  How to Fight Book Bans,  has steps you can take to organize readers, writers, and educators in your community and fight back against bans, gag orders, and restrictions.
• Learn more about our  Free Expression Advocacy Institutes , PEN America’s signature educational and training programs which are designed to provide students with innovative opportunities to learn about and take action on free expression issues in the United States and worldwide.
• Get advice for  what to say at school board and public library meetings .
• Help others learn about book bans by sharing our book bans FAQ.
• Learn how to plan a peaceful protest .

FOR AUTHORS

Are you an author whose book has been restricted, banned, or threatened for removal.

• Start with our tip sheet for authors,  So, Your Book Has Been Challenged .
• Reach out to PEN America’s Freedom to Read team for assistance. Reach Tasslyn Magnusson at [email protected] .
• Stay in touch with PEN America and other writers who believe in the power of free speech by  becoming a professional member today .

FOR LIBRARIANS

Are you a librarian facing threats, harassment, or pressure to remove books from your shelves.

• Start with our tip sheet for librarians, which is intended to equip librarians with strategies to navigate online abuse.
• Report a book ban to PEN America.

STAY INFORMED

Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor

Banned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools

Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools

America’s Censored Classrooms

Literature Locked Up: How Prison Book Restriction Policies Constitute the Nation’s Largest Book Ban

Stay In Touch

PEN America is hard at work fighting the the educational gag orders , book bans , and “transparency” bills that threaten free expression and academic freedom in the classroom. Sign up to receive email updates about PEN America’s vital work on these issues, including reports, legislative roundups, media coverage, and advocacy alerts.

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Home » Articles » Topic » Issues » Issues Related to Speech, Press, Assembly, or Petition » Book Banning

Book Banning

Written by Susan L. Webb, published on August 8, 2023 , last updated on April 30, 2024

Book banning, the most widespread form of censorship, occurs when private individuals, government officials or organizations remove books from libraries, school reading lists or bookstore shelves because they object to their content, ideas or themes. In this photo, Gail Sheehy, author of "Passages," reads during the "First Banned Books Read Out" in New York, April 1, 1982. The rally protested censorship by school and public libraries of certain books under pressure from right wing religious groups. (AP Photo/Carlos Rene Perez)

Book banning, a form of  censorship , occurs when private individuals, government officials or organizations remove books from libraries , school reading lists or bookstore shelves because they object to their content, ideas or themes. Those advocating a ban complain typically that the book in question contains graphic violence, expresses disrespect for parents and family, is sexually explicit, exalts evil, lacks literary merit, is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes offensive language. Other complaints have been that the book is written by or deals with sexual orientation or gay issues or brings up topics like slavery that might make individuals uncomfortable.

Children's literature is top target of book bans

Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the United States, with children’s literature being the primary target. Advocates for banning a book or certain books fear that children will be swayed by its contents, which they regard as potentially dangerous. They commonly fear that these publications will present ideas, raise questions and incite critical inquiry among children that parents, political groups, or religious organizations are not ready to address or that they find inappropriate.

Most challenges and bans prior to the 1970s focused primarily on  obscenity and explicit sexuality. Common targets included D. H. Lawrence’s "Lady Chatterly’s Lover "  and James Joyce’s " Ulysses ." In the late 1970s, attacks were launched on ideologies expressed in books.

Surge to remove books from school libraries arises again in 2020s

To counter charges of censorship, opponents of publications sometimes use the tactic of restricting access rather than calling for the physical removal of books. Opponents of bans argue that by restricting information and discouraging freedom of thought, censors undermine one of the primary functions of education: teaching students how to think for themselves. In this photo, author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. speaks to reporters on a federal court ruling calling for a trial to determine if a Long Island school board can ban a number of books, including his “Slaughterhouse Five." (AP Photo)

In September 1990, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression  declared the First Amendment to be “in perilous condition across the nation” based on the results of a comprehensive survey on free expression. Even literary classics, including Mark Twain’s  " Adventures of Huckleberry Finn " and Maya Angelou’s "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," were targeted. Often, the complaints arose from individual parents or school board members. At other times, however, the pressure to censor came from such public interest groups as the Moral Majority.

A new surge in book banning have arisen in recent years, with 4,349 recorded instances of book bans from July through December of 2023 (Blair 2024). Most book challenges have come from the ideological right, with Moms for Liberty being particularly active in challenging books (Alter 2024). Often such organizations challenge multiple books at a time. Depending on the state, librarians might have to read and respond to challenges to each book, although some might decide that it is simply easier to remove books. When such books are challenged in public meetings, those opposed to a book may cite isolated lurid passages that may or not be representative of the content of the book as a whole. 

Although challenges have occurred throughout the nation, a large majority of such challenges have been concentrated in Texas and Florida. Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, gained political notoriety with his “Don’t Say Gay Bill” restricting teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grades. He also is known for his challenge to accepting advanced credit for African American history absent certain changes in the offering, and by his attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. 

Similarly, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas supported and signed a bill in 2023 that banned books that were sexually explicit. One historian has identified laws that seek to suppress information about slavery as being based on the notion (often attributed to liberals) of “fragilism,” or the fear of “extreme sensitivity among the children they aim to protect” (Holton 2024, 202).

Censorship — the suppression of ideas and information — can occur at any stage or level of publication, distribution, or institutional control. Some pressure groups claim that the public funding of most schools and libraries makes community censorship of their holdings legitimate.

To counter charges of censorship, opponents of publications sometimes use the tactic of restricting access rather than calling for the physical removal of books. Opponents of bans argue that by restricting information and discouraging freedom of thought, censors undermine one of the primary functions of education: teaching students how to think for themselves. Such actions, assert free speech proponents, endanger tolerance, free expression, and democracy.

Community standards may be taken into account in book banning

Although censorship violates the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, some limitations are constitutionally permissible. The courts have told public officials at all levels that they may take  community standards  into account when deciding whether materials are obscene or pornographic and thus subject to censor.

They cannot, however, censor publications by generally accepted authors — such as Mark Twain, for example, J. K. Rowling, R. L. Stine, Judy Blume, or Robert Cormier — in order to placate a small segment of the community. Cormier’s  "Chocolate War " was one of the American Library Association’s Top 10 Banned Books for 2005 and 2006.

Those who oppose book banning emphasize that the First Amendment protects rights of students to receive ideas. The Supreme Court in Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico (1982) ruled 5-4 that public schools can bar books that are “pervasively vulgar” or not right for the curriculum, but they cannot remove books “simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.” In this 2007 photo, Makenzie Hatfield, a student at George Washington high school in West Virginia, holds books by author Pat Conroy that were removed English classes after parents of two students complained about their depictions of violence, suicide and sexual assault. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)

Opponents of removing books from schools emphasize student rights

Those who advocate removing books from school libraries often focus on parental rights. This becomes problematic, however, when parents of one child seek to prescribe what is appropriate for other children or when public library patrons who do not care to check out a book seeks to deny access to those who do. 

Those who oppose book banning emphasize that the First Amendment protects  student rights to receive information and express ideas, an idea that was highlighted in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), when the Supreme Court recognized the right of students to wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. 

In the one case to reach the Supreme Court over removing books from school libraries, Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico  (1982) the court ruled 5-4 that public schools can bar books that are “pervasively vulgar” or not right for the curriculum. But consistent with other rulings related to content discrimination , they cannot remove books “simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.” The Supreme Court's decision was, however, narrow, applying only to the removal of books from school library shelves.

Courts more likely to allow limits on age-appropriate material

It is important to recognize that courts are more likely to accept rules limiting school libraries to age-appropriate materials than they are to accept broad bans in public libraries that serve adults. As a practical matter, it might also be worth noting that both children and adults likely have far greater access to controversial materials through online sources than they do through public libraries. 

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documents censorship incidents around the country and suggests strategies for dealing with them. Each September, the  American Library Association , the American Booksellers Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of American Publishers, and the National Association of College Stores sponsor  Banned Books Week  — Celebrating the Freedom to Read.

Designed to “emphasize that imposing information restraints on a free people is far more dangerous than any ideas that may be expressed in that information,” the week highlights banned works, encourages citizens to explore new ideas, and provides a variety of materials to promote free speech events.

The American Library Association publishes the bimonthly  Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom,  which provides information on censorship, as well as an annual annotated list of books and other materials that have been censored.

Current laws on removing books may be challenged as too vague

In some cases, movements to ban books have stimulated counter movements to preserve access to them. Many of the current laws outlining procedures for banning books are subject to challenge for being overly vague — many, for example, use the term “obscenity” in a much broader fashion than the Supreme Court has recognized in Miller v. California (1973) — or for being overly broad or for having a chilling effect on other publications. Some proposed laws, for example, could be interpreted as allowing for the removal of medical books, or even dictionaries, that might contain depictions, definitions, or descriptions of sexual organs or conditions.

In other cases, like licensing laws that have been struck down, book banning laws may vest undue discretion in public officials. Still other laws, especially those seeking to restrain exposure to discussions of slavery or other historical issues, will likely fail the test of content neutrality . Librarians who face criminal penalties or loss of jobs for failing to remove books, might further be able to raise issues of fair notice and due process.

This article was originally published in 2009 and updated in April 2024 by John R. Vile, a professor of political science and dean of the Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. Susan Webb was an adjunct librarian at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

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Banned Book Writing Prompts

An introduction.

Susan Karwoska

In Banned Book Writing Prompts , a new series in Teachers & Writers Magazine , we aim to push back against the growing movement to censor what students can read and to show what happens when we enthusiastically embrace banned works rather than fear them.

The series is being launched to coincide with the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, which “celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.”

The news is alarming, to say the least. Book bans and challenges have surged in the last few years in state after state across the country. As teachers and writers, we have been watching this trend with distress and outrage.

School districts in at least 32 states are now enacting bans on numerous titles. According to the American Library Association, the number of attempted bans is the highest it has recorded since it began tracking this form of censorship 20 years ago.

We aim to push back against the growing movement to censor what students can read and to show what happens when we enthusiastically embrace banned works rather than fear them.

These bans are specifically targeting diverse stories. According to data collected by PEN America, the bans are disproportionately aimed at books that include LGBTQ+ characters and themes, books that feature people of color, books that address issues of race and racism, and books about sexuality and gender. This growing censorship campaign is also pushing for changes in law and policy that would make it easier to remove books from library shelves.

Proponents of book bans often justify their book challenges to individual titles by focusing on a small section of a book—taken out of context—at the expense of everything that the work has to offer. This narrow-minded approach results in students being denied access to writing by authors from Elizabeth Acevedo to Ocean Vuong, Sherman Alexie to Zora Neale Hurston, Alison Bechdel to Toni Morrison.

At Teachers & Writers Collaborative, we believe that it is essential for student writers to see themselves—their lives and dreams and struggles—reflected in the books they read. When books that feature a diversity of identities and perspectives are taken away from students, they are robbed of an essential tool for finding their own voices and denied the models that might inspire them to tell their own stories. It is equally important that students have access to books that challenge them, that introduce them to people, places, ideas, and experiences that broaden their horizons and nurture their compassion for others.

When books that feature a diversity of identities and perspectives are taken away from students, they are robbed of an essential tool for finding their own voices and denied the models that might inspire them to tell their own stories.

In this series, we have asked poets, playwrights, essayists, writers of fiction and nonfiction, spoken word artists, visual artists, and others to reflect on what a specific banned work has meant to them and what it has to offer to students, and to pair these reflections with thought-provoking creative writing prompts inspired by the book.

Whenever possible, we will include excerpts from the books and information on how to access the featured titles in digital form, so that these essays and prompts may be enjoyed by all, including those who live in places where the works have been banned or are unavailable.

In addition, in the coming months we hope to feature selected student responses to these prompts on our website to showcase the creativity that the featured books can inspire!

If you’d like more information on the current state of book bans in the U.S. and how you can defend the freedom to read, check out the links below. We’ve also included links to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned Library Card application, now available through Seattle Public Library as well. These e-library cards are available nationwide to teens and young adults, age 13 and up, and allow access to the library’s full e-book collection, where you can find many of the titles written about in this series.

It is our fervent hope that this series will call attention to what is lost when students are denied access to books, will support the push to keep diverse books accessible to all, and will champion the freedom of expression that we believe is essential to creative culture.

Banned Books Resources

• American Library Association Banned Books Week (October 1-7, 2023) – Banned Books Week offers an opportunity for readers to voice censorship concerns, celebrate free expression, and show their communities the importance of intellectual freedom.
• Brooklyn Public Library – Books Unbanned Library Card Application
• Seattle Public Library – Books Unbanned Library Card Application
• The American Library Association – ALA Information on Banned and Challenged Books
• The American Library Association – ALA Freedom to Read Statement
• PEN America – Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censure
• The New York Times Learning Network – What Students Are Saying About the Growing Fight Over What Young People Can Read

Susan Karwoska is a writer, editor, and teacher. She is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellowship in Fiction; a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace residency for emerging artists; and residencies at the Ucross Foundation and at Cummington Community of the Arts. From 2005-2014 she was the editor of  Teachers & Writers Magazine  and currently serves on its editorial board. She is also on the board of the New York Writers Coalition, and has served on NYFA’s artist advisory board. She writes and edits for a variety of publications and organizations, works as a writer-in-the-schools, and lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she is at work on a novel.

Related Posts

Unite Against Book Bans: Ways to Take Action

The New York Public Library is dedicated to free and open access to information and knowledge. We believe that all people have the freedom to read. This freedom has recently been under threat by an alarming increase in book bans over the past several years. We invite you to stand with us against book banning and censorship—learn more below about how to get involved.

Get Involved

• Visit nypl.org/booksforall to learn about opportunities and events at NYPL celebrating the freedom to read, including our Teen Banned Book Club , free toolkit, and more.  
• Make your voice heard on social media using the hashtag #UniteAgainstBookBans and tagging @nypl.   
• Check out the ALA’s Freedom to Read statement .  This landmark declaration of principles from the American Library Association (ALA) was originally written in the 1950s in response to a rise in censorship efforts during the McCarthy era.  
• Get talking points and more online at Unite Against Book Bans from the American Library Association, including a guide for how to get in touch with decision-makers.  
• See for yourself the current state of book bans using this database provided by the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC).  
• Explore more resources to help you take action with NCAC’s Action Toolkit.  
• Stay up to date on book bans and censorship using PEN America’s resource center .  
• Talk about the freedom to read with your friends, family, teachers, and community—and consider starting a banned book club using the guide below.

Start a Banned Book Club

Throughout the year, the Library will be hosting special Teen Banned Book Club events online with the authors of our book club picks. Join us there—or you can start your own!

Book clubs are a great way to talk about what you’re reading. By organizing your own Banned Book Club, you can read titles that interest you and think about why it’s important that everyone has the right to read freely.

• Research what books are being banned using resources linked above. ALA is a good starting place. 
• Check out books from your local library or download them for free using NYPL’s SimplyE app . 
• Read the book, or listen to the audiobook.

Some questions to discuss while you read: 

• Why is it important for people to be able to read this book? 
• Why do you think people don’t want this book to be read?
• Why would you recommend this book to others?

#UniteAgainstBookBans: Make Your Voice Heard

Share your support for the right to read freely on social media and email.

Share on Twitter

Share on facebook, share by email, books for all.

Stand with The New York Public Library all year long to protect the freedom to read! Discover all the Library has to offer, including our Teen Banned Book Club, unlimited access to book club titles on NYPL’s SimplyE app,  plus free programs and events, a free toolkit for you and your community, ways to get involved, and more for all ages.

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Hot Topics: Book Banning

• Extending Your Research

Finding Scholarly Articles

Use our databases to find scholarly articles addressing censorship and book banning. To learn more about searching for and citing sources, visit our guide  Library Research 101: How to Get Started.

• Check the "scholarly" or "peer reviewed" box to get academic articles
• Change the sorting method so the newest articles appear first
• Try variations on these keywords: banned books, book banning, censorship, challenged books, prohibited books, and censorship in schools.
• Other Research Guides that could help you: Race Relations , Education , Domestic Terrorism , and  LGBTQ Studies .
• Education Full Text This link opens in a new window
• ERIC-Education (ProQuest)
• LGBTQ+ Source
• Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts
• Nexis Uni Features full text news, business, and legal sources, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790
• Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)

Finding Books and Government Documents

Search the library catalog for books and government documents about banned books and censorship. In addition to the books that we've suggested on each page, there are many books in our collection that address the many subtopics and issues associated with banning books. 

The links below are subject searches in URSUS (the online catalog).  Change the "System Sorted" drop-down box to "Newest First" to find the most recent publication. Experiment with keywords, you never know what you might find.

If the book you want is not at Fogler Library, use the "Request" link to ask for it from another library - we'll quickly ship it here and you can check it out!

• Censorship -- History
• Censorship - Juvenile Literature
• Censorship -- United States -- History
• Challenged Books -- United States -- Bibliographies
• Freedom of Speech
• Libraries -- Censorship -- United States
• Public Libraries -- Censorship -- United States
• Textbooks -- Censorship -- United States

URSUS Catalog Search

• << Previous: Home
• Last Updated: Jun 13, 2024 2:44 PM
• URL: https://libguides.library.umaine.edu/bookbanning

5729 Fogler Library · University of Maine · Orono, ME 04469-5729 | (207) 581-1673

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Action Toolkit

A small but vocal group is driving the current flood of book bans in school and public libraries across the country. It's important to counter those voices by uniting in support of the freedom to read in your local community. How can you and your community unite against book bans? We've put together this action toolkit to help you get started.

Are you part of an organization? You can find additional resources to amplify and support the Unite Against Book Bans campaign in the UABB Toolkit PDF .

How to Talk About Book Bans

Below are a set of talking points which should be customized to reflect your own voice. These can be tailored to talk about a specific book that is being challenged or used more generally to oppose book bans. The points can be used for writing a letter to your local school or library board, your state legislators and governor, or as the basis of your public comments given to any elected bodies during their meetings. They can also be used to help you draft a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or in speaking with members of the media. All of these actions are important ways you can help have an impact on the issue of book bans.

Reading is a foundational skill, critical to future learning and to exercising our democratic freedoms.

We can trust individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe.

Parents have the right to guide their children's reading, but parents should not be making decisions for other parents' children. Specifically, a small group of parents should not dictate what books other people's children are allowed to read.

Books are tools for understanding complex issues. Limiting young people's access to books does not protect them from life's complex and challenging issues.

Young people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library's books.

Removing and banning books from public libraries is a slippery slope to government censorship and the erosion of our country's commitment to freedom of expression.

Please reject any efforts to ban books and allow individuals and parents to make the decision about what they can read and believe.

Visit UniteAgainstBookBans.org to learn more and to join our efforts.

Answers to Common Questions about Book Bans

Q: How do I handle difficult conversations with individuals seeking to ban books, especially parents concerned about what their kids are reading? A: We must trust individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We also believe that parents have the right to guide their children's reading and education. At the same time, individuals should not be making decisions for other readers or for other parents' children. Specifically, a small group of parents should not dictate what books other people's children are allowed to read.

Q: What if someone says that children are too young to begin reading a book that addresses sexually explicit topics? A: We recognize that there will be disagreements over certain content. However, individuals should not be making decisions for other readers or for other parents about what is appropriate.

Services, materials, and facilities that fulfill the needs and interests of library users at different stages in their personal development are a necessary part of providing library services and should be determined on an individual basis.

Reading materials available in the library are available to students for personal selection; they are not required books. Banning these materials will remove access for all members of the community.

Q: What if someone argues that they don't want their children being taught political views that they find objectionable, such as critical race theory? A: School educators and librarians are professionals who are trained to not impose their own thoughts and opinions on which ideas are right, but to make knowledge and ideas available so that people have the freedom to choose what to read. Further, librarians and educators respect the rights of parents to decide which book their children are exposed to. They work closely with parents to help them decide the best books for their children.

Libraries provide access to books that offer teachable moments for readers of all ages and expand our understanding of people with different backgrounds, ideas, and beliefs.

Attending Library and School Board Meetings

Most book ban battles are being fought on the local level at library board, school board, and city council meetings. That makes attending these meetings one of the most critical actions you can take to fend off book bans. Make sure local officials know you support the library and access to books of all kinds by attending, listening, and speaking out against censorship.

Government and board websites often post calendars and agendas for upcoming meetings, and some also livestream them. Even if book bans or collection policies aren't on the agenda, many boards and councils allow comments on issues of concern from any community member.

Our partners at PFLAG have created a helpful guide for speaking at library and school board meetings. The below has been adapted from their Plan to Testify at Local Board Meetings guide.

Things You Need to Know

Before you head to a board or city council meeting, you'll need to know the following:

• When and where will the meeting take place?
• Where do public comments fall in the agenda?
• How long do you have to speak during public comments?
• Do you have to register ahead of time to make a public comment?
• Are there any rules for the contents of comments?
• Is there a dress code or a code of conduct attendees are expected to follow?

Important Things to Consider

Safety in numbers : gather supporters and encourage them to attend the meeting.

Prepare your remarks ahead of time so you know what you're going to say. Make use of the talking points in the UABB Action Toolkit .

Be Informed

Understanding why a book is being challenged is critical to speaking in its defense. As you make a plan to attend and speak at the meeting:

• Read the book that is being challenged.
• Understand what specifically about the book is making it a target for restriction or removal.
• Research other instances where the book has been challenged in other communities and the outcomes of those challenges.

At the Meeting

Introduce yourself: Mention that you are a constituent and any ties to your community.

Introduce and discuss the issue: Raise the topic you are there to discuss (book ban, library policy, library program, etc.).

Make it personal: Why does it matter to you? Does this issue affect your child? Yourself? Your community? Make sure you relate what you are asking for to a personal experience and a local need. Use your emotion to your benefit.

Make the ask: Ask for the board to reject any proposed censorship and uphold the First Amendment.

Thank them: Thank the board or officials for listening to and considering your comments.

Be Ready for the Next Meeting

Keep track of and make a plan to attend future meetings, and make sure your local network knows about them. Consistently showing up is key!

Contact Decision Makers

Public input is very important for school and library board members, trustees, and state legislators. In almost all localities, these are elected positions and many local elected officials serve in either 2- or 4-year terms. These elected officials, therefore, take the views of residents and voters seriously, and seek to represent the voices of their community.

Find Your Officials

Local officials.

To identify who sits on your local school or library board, search online for your municipality’s or county’s name and “school board” or “library board.” From there, most websites will include the email address and/or other contact information for each of the board members, as well as a general email account for the board. You may alternatively seek to call your local library or school to ask for the contact information of these officials. We recommend that you include all of the members of the board in the email or letter that you submit.

State and Local Representatives

Many state legislatures also provide an online search tool to identify who your state senator(s) and state representative(s)/delegate(s) are based on your address. Try searching congress.gov to find your state officials.

Use the talking points provided above to customize your message to these elected officials. Your letter or comments will be strongest if you are succinct, while also demonstrating your concern over book banning efforts and your connection to this issue (i.e. as a parent, as a student, as an educator, as a local business owner, as an engaged community member, as a librarian, as a reader, etc.). 

You may also choose to attend your next school board or library board meeting to speak against book bans. Most websites of these local boards will include the agendas of upcoming meetings where public comment is allowed. Note that public comments during these meetings are usually limited to 2-3 minutes per speaker, so keep your remarks brief and to the point. Please remember to be respectful and refrain from making ad hominem or personal attacks against anyone who disagrees with you.

Candidate Questionnaire

If you're involved in a local political organization, trade union, advocacy group, or another influential community organization, a candidate questionnaire is a great tool to help assess local candidates running for office and their position on book bans. Just be sure to consult federal and state election laws that may govern or limit your organization's political activity first!

We recommend sending the questionnaire as early as possible in the election cycle to all declared candidates. Set a firm deadline for their campaign to respond (ideally a minimum of six weeks prior to Election Day).

Download our sample questionnaire!

Sample Questionnaire

Petitioning decision makers.

If a book challenge or attempted ban occurs in your community, one way to demonstrate widespread opposition to removal of that book is to petition the person or group that is responsible for deciding whether the book will stay on the shelves. This can be a school administrator or board, a library board, a town council, etc.

It's important to note that petitions alone are generally not enough to change the minds of decision makers. When combined with other activities, however, they can be powerful in demonstrating wide support for (or opposition to) a particular issue and growing your base of advocates.

Create, Circulate, and Successfully Deliver a Petition:

• Identify the decision maker(s) and address the petition to that/ those person(s).
• Keep your statement short, factual, and end with a specific request for action, e.g., We urge you to keep [title of book] in the library’s collection.
• If filing a paper petition, include your statement at the top of each page. Clearly state your concern and what you would like decision makers to do.
• Make sure that there is adequate space to sign.
• Include fields of information to show that the signer is a constituent of the petition recipient(s). This can be a zip code, address, town, school district, etc.
• Allow for 10 signature lines per page; this will make it easier to tally the number of collected signatures.

Focus on collecting signatures from the constituents of the targeted decision makers. It can be harmful to your cause if the majority of voices are from a different community.

Plan your signature gathering and ask others to assist in collecting signatures.

For paper petitions, set up in high traffic areas, e.g., near grocery stores, public transportation stops, or in front of public buildings. Use signage to identify your cause. Consider hosting multiple events at different times of day.

For online petitions, use email and social media to reach large numbers of supporters.

A large number of signatures is necessary for impact. Set a goal based on the size of the constituency.

Consider timing. Deliver the petition before a decision is made. Set an internal deadline of at least 3-5 days prior to the anticipated decision to allow for any logistical delays and for your delivery of the petitions to have the strongest impact.

There are many online tools that can make creating a petition easy, e.g., Change.org . Keep in mind, however, that it is most effective to deliver a petition to the decision makers in person, at a public event, with physical copies of your petition.

Let the local press know that you will be presenting a petition. Have a copy of your statement ready to share with them. Notify the press the day before you plan to deliver the petitions and again on the morning of your delivery.

Bring a group of supporters to join you. Identify your spokesperson and make a statement as you present the petition. Make a copy of the original document before presenting it.

Contact Media

Writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper is another way to have an impact on the conversation around book bans. Search online for the name of your local newspaper along with “submit a letter to the editor.” Those instructions should provide you with an email address, mailing address, or a web form where you can submit your letter.

Tips for Writing a Letter to the Editor:

Although not a requirement, your letter will have the best chance of being published if you:

respond directly to a related article or column recently published in that outlet;

reference local events or activity, such as efforts to ban a specific book or set of books at a public library or school in the community, or comments made by a public official; and/or...

personalize your letter by including a story that will resonate with other readers. You may discuss the impact an attempted or enacted book ban will have on you, your family, and/or your community.

Refrain from making any personal attacks or any ax-grinding comments. Use the suggested talking points at the top of this toolkit to customize your letter.

Remember that most newspapers will limit the length of letters they choose to publish. Typically, those limits are  approximately 200-300 words. Before you submit your letter, be sure to research any word limits or other submission requirements - and stick to them. When you submit your letter, be sure to include:

• The town or locality where you reside
• Your email address and telephone number
• Any other required information from the publication

After you've submitted your letter, you may choose to call the newspaper to confirm your submission has been received. If you call, ask to speak to the opinion page editor. If you're able to speak to that individual or if you leave a voicemail, be courteous and respectful.

Share Your Progress!

Once you’ve taken these steps, share your work with others! Be sure to tag #UniteAgainstBookBans on social media or email [email protected] to let us know what actions you have taken!

Grassroots Organizing

This can be a difficult issue to work on alone, so consider all of your networks and connections in your community to unite with: family, friends, organizations you're involved, etc. Research shows that opposition to book bans is widespread and you will likely find support within your community to unite against such efforts.

The talking points at the top of this toolkit can be used to have one-on-one or group conversations with organizations you belong to – parent organizations, civic groups, faith communities, book clubs, non-profits, sports leagues, and more. If you represent an organization, contact other organizations that might work in coalition with you.

Encourage fellow supporters to sign up with the Unite Against Book Bans campaign and to take the steps outlined in this toolkit.

Organizing Against Attempted Book Bans

Efforts to censor or ban books are increasing across the nation, so it's important to be prepared in case a book challenge occurs in your community. Timely action can help prevent a ban from taking place. Mobilize your community and prevent a book ban attempt at your public library or school district by following these recommendations:

The first step in responding to a book challenge is understanding the situation. Seek to understand the following:

• Which book(s) are being challenged or banned in your district?
• Why is this challenge or ban occurring?
• Who is challenging or banning these books?
• Which themes or content in the books are being challenged or banned?
• Consider the timing: when was the challenge filed, is the public school or library board currently reviewing this challenge, or has the ban already taken effect?
• Does the library or school have a written reconsideration policy to direct the review of a challenged book?
• If the ban has taken effect, when did that happen? What information about the decision to remove the material has been shared with the public? If a policy for reconsideration exists, was the policy followed?

Gather Support

Once you have a thorough understanding of the book challenge, gather support from your community members. Quickly schedule a short meeting to connect with allies and discuss the book challenge. A virtual gathering may allow for more attendees to participate in a short timeframe.

Begin the meeting by sharing what you know and your sentiments. Encourage others to share their perspectives and understandings, and avoid personal attacks on those pursuing the ban.

The goals of this meeting should be to develop a message for pushing against the particular book ban and to encourage your allies to individually voice their opposition to the ban with the school or library board that has oversight authority.

In your statement, use the UABB campaign principles and tailor your messages to the specific book ban or challenge. Submit your comment in writing to the governing board, and attend any meetings of the board where public comments will be accepted to voice your opposition.

Use our guide on how to contact and petition elected officials and submit your comments as soon as possible.

Raise Awareness

Next, Join with your network of supporters to spread the word about the book challenge.

Share your message on social media. Encourage your larger network to voice their opposition to the ban with the governing board by drafting written comments and showing up at the next public meeting of the board to provide comments.

Submit a letter to your local newspaper. Use our guide on how to write a letter to the editor and customize your letter to discuss the impact of the ban.

Your group may also want to consider performing a peaceful protest if the book ban efforts continue to progress and demonstrate signs of passage. See our section on best practices for staging a protest.

Report the Incident to ALA

As part of their longstanding commitment to defend intellectual freedom in libraries, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom maintains a database of attempted challenges and bans. If a book challenge takes place in your district, ALA may be able to provide support and more customized resources to oppose the attempted challenge or ban.

These reports also help ALA and other organizations:

• Stay aware of patterns and trends around efforts to ban reading materials
• Supply library workers and other professionals with crucial tools, resources, programs, and training to uphold the freedom to read
• Compile data and publish the Top 10 Most Challenged Books list and other censorship trend reports for public awareness.

Peaceful Protests

When organized effectively, a peaceful protest can be instrumental in gathering attention and support for your position. As such, a peaceful protest, paired with other action items, can help combat book bans in your community. Below is a set of best practices that you can use to plan a protest to combat book bans.

1) Mobilize and Organize

Reach out to people in the community who support the freedom to read and encourage them to participate in a protest to prevent a particular book ban in your district. Once you have a group of at least 5-10 allies, agree on a leadership structure for the protest details to ensure smooth communication and delivery.

2) Plan Logistics

Choose a public location, date, and time to gather that allow for maximum participation and visibility. Consider a time just prior to when the decision-making body is planning to meet and invite as many opponents of the ban as possible to attend.

3) Develop the Protest Schedule

Collaborate to develop a schedule with key action items, such as:

• A march from one point to another in the designated location
• Having an emcee lead protest chants for the attendees
• Having parents, students, and other community members provide personalized testimonies on the book challenge and their perspectives on book bans

Determine whether you'll need a microphone and speakers for attendees to hear you. Secure any necessary A/V equipment and if possible, test it in advance of the protest at your desired location.

4) Obtain Necessary Permits

Contact your local officials and obtain the appropriate permit required to protest in your designated location. The permit may outline rules, limitations, and expectations for protesting, including noise levels and crowd sizes. Every community has its own set of laws and requirements for protests; some may not require a permit.

5) Notify Officials and the Media

Notify your school, library, or community center of the protest and the details of the event to ensure safe practices. Also, invite local media to attend your protest to generate local coverage.

6) Publicize

Publicizing details of the protest on social media and around the community can help gather larger support. Include information on the issue, the purpose of the protest, and details of the date, time, and location of the protest.

7) Gather Materials

Make sure to gather and distribute your protest materials in advance to ensure smooth delivery. Some examples of protest materials include t-shirts and signs that clearly convey the purpose of the protest .

8) Remain Peaceful and Obey All Laws

A protest can be a powerful tool in exercising free speech and in advocating for issues like the freedom to read, but it’s important to remain peaceful and obey the laws along with any rules outlined by the protest permit. Avoid disrespectful language or actions, as well as directly confronting those who disagree with your protest.

After the event, develop a write-up summarizing the event and include photos/videos from the protest. For maximum visibility, we recommend sharing these with decision-makers, media, and on social media with your allies. Have others in your group do the same.

Other Tools and Actions

Resolution against book bans.

Make a powerful statement against book bans with a resolution. While they don't have the force of law, they are an official statement of a legislative body.

Download our sample resolution that your organization can customize and adopt. You may also campaign to have your local school district, library, or government adopt this resolution.

Host a House Party

Host a gathering at your home in support of the Unite Against Book Bans campaign. House parties help spread the word about the campaign and enlist family, friends, neighbors, and allies to join together to defeat book bans.

Download our party checklist and conversation guide to help you structure your event.

Social Media Tools

Spread the word to your friends and followers with our shareable graphics and posts. Download sets include graphics sized for Facebook/Twitter, Instagram, and Instagram Stories.

Don't forget the hashtag! #UniteAgainstBookBans

Shareable Graphics

Sample post

Join us: UniteAgainstBookBans.org. Follow: @UniteAgainstBookBans. #UniteAgainstBookBans

Download this social set.

Sign up at UniteAgainstBookBans.org. #UniteAgainstBookBans @UniteAgainstBookBans

Librarians respect each person's right to read what they want, but not to dictate what other people's children read. Join us: UniteAgainstBookBans.org @UniteAgainstBookBans #UniteAgainstBookBans

Branded Materials

Show the world you unite against book bans! With our free yard and rally sign templates and bookmarks, as well as official merchandise for purchase, you can help spread awareness of the UABB campaign wherever you are.

Rally Sign (18" x 12")

Download here

Yard Sign: 24" x 18"

Merch Against Book Bans

Purchase official UABB apparel and totes from the ALA Graphics Store. All purchases support the Unite Against Book Bans campaign and our efforts to fight censorship.

Is your library experiencing attempts to ban books or other resources? Report censorship to ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom and help defend the freedom to read at your library. Challenge reports are confidential and help us stay aware of current attempts to censor library materials.

For more tools and tips to help you or your organization fight book bans in your community, download the UABB PDF Toolkit.

How My Mothers Shaped Me

I was adopted by my mother, Mama Lu, on my 31st birthday. It was October 23, 2023, and we were finally being recognized legally as mother and daughter—a recognition Mama Lu and I sought for many years. Though Mama Lu and Mama Flavia had long been separated, we were finally being seen as a family.

It all happened on a video call. I was sitting in my living room in London and Mama Flavia was sitting next to me. Both of us were looking at a laptop screen while Mama Lu was sitting in the San Francisco courthouse. The whole process felt so informal that I forgot to call Judge Monica “Your Honor” in the courtroom. Judge Monica didn’t seem to mind. Who can prepare you for these moments?

During the hearing, Judge Monica gave us time for speeches. Many of our family and friends, showing solidarity on video, gave emotional speeches about us and our journey. It was healing. And it reminded me of who I am—who I had always been. I am the daughter of two migrant and queer women from Peru and Argentina: Flavia and Lucrecia. Or as I called them, Mami y Mamú. And while our journey as a family took twists and turns, they are the people that nurtured me. That shaped me.

In the early 1980s, Mami and Mamú met while working at The Women’s Building, a women-led non-profit arts and education organization in San Francisco. Located in the Mission District, the neighborhood at the time was bustling with political action, coffee houses, cinemas, theaters, and most importantly, Latinx LGBTQIA+ community spaces. The Mission was the center of my mothers’ community. It was a community that lived together and depended on one another. It was where they felt safe.

Both my mothers remember the day they met and the strength of their first initial attraction to one another. They bonded over their love for their respective countries and their fears over the oppression that had occurred across South America under military dictatorships. They were deeply involved in attending meetings, protests, and demonstrations for the political movements they cared about, both in the U.S. and in South America. It was a relationship rooted in activism, respect, debates, dancing, and rallying for the rights of women, migrants, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

In 1992, after knowing each other for more than 10 years, they decided to raise me together. While Mama Flavia was pregnant with me, Mama Lu read me books and played Latin American folklore singers like Violeta Parra. They were fierce mothers and they were also stubborn mothers. Mujeres formadas de la luna y la oscuridad y todas las estrellas más brillantes. Women formed of the moon and the darkness and of all the brightest stars .

They were fierce mothers and they were also stubborn mothers. Mujeres formadas de la luna y la oscuridad y todas las estrellas más brillantes.

There is an image of family that society built up that for many years did not include us.

While growing up, they challenged me to question what I saw, what I needed, and what I thought. Mama Lu taught me to consider the words I used before speaking; my thoughts muddled between English at school and Spanish at home. She shared her passion of politics and writing with me from Malcolm X’s biography to Jean-Paul Sartre to bell hooks. Mama Flavia also supported me in discovering what I love. She shared her strength and vulnerability with me. They both surrounded me with their cultures, language, and protection, while encouraging me to find my own understanding of self.

I fought with my parents, too—as children often do. We celebrated birthdays and went to see movies. We had pizza on Fridays and hosted family gatherings with abuelitas, cousins, pets, wine, and dancing. We were an ordinary family. And yet, while my mothers created a home wherever they could, I hid them away. While they took care of me, I lied about who was who. I hid my mothers away because society taught me to hide them away. I didn’t feel safe talking about us. 

There is an image of family that society built up that for many years did not include us. An image of a family that was built on a man and a woman and a white picket fence. A reality that was not mine. During the 1990s, in the era of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the “Defense of Marriage Act,” the systems and constructs that were in place did not represent or support family structures like ours. Not to mention, my mothers had moved from different South American countries to a city where they both never truly felt at home. We were amongst very few families who resembled ours and it was new terrain for my mothers. And while they loved each other, those pressures affected us as a family.

When I reminisce about my childhood, it is tricky for me to remember the time before my mothers separated. It is difficult to remember them together. Foggy from what I feel I remember and what actually occurred. Foggy from the many moves due to financial stress. Foggy in the distant way childhood memories can become. I know my moms’ relationship was equally difficult and loving. They were protesting for their lives and the lives of others. They were trying to live.

My parents’ sexuality and their gender had little to do with who I became. It was their knowledge, their personalities, their ways of being, and the community they gave me that mattered so much more.

In 1996, they separated because of their own conflicts. Issues that were rooted in what many couples might struggle with: how we love, how we argue, and how we come back together. The separation affected me like any parental separation will inevitably affect any child. And yet, they continued to be my parents while living apart and raising me under the pressures from both anti-migrant and anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination.

For so long, I struggled from the internalized stigma that grows out of society’s idea of what the perfect family should be—of a family that I’ve found does not exist and perhaps never did. My family is not heteronormative or conventional. Still, we are a family. A family that is steeped in stories, challenges, joy, and differences. A family whose relationships transform over time. A family that keeps giving. I am grateful for having what I have always known I had: two mothers who loved me and gave me what they could.

Read More: The Love Story of My Chosen Family

My parents’ sexuality and their gender had little to do with who I became. It was their knowledge, their personalities, their ways of being, and the community they gave me that mattered so much more. This community of women, Latinas, queers, activists, and artists I grew up around—they became my guides, my support, and my family. Above all, they gave me the space to stand up on my own. A space where I felt safe and seen. 

Today, I return to these guides who are now in their late 60s and 70s, and they still hold me. Their support and my mothers’ courage is what brought me to this moment, acknowledging who we became despite all the cracks. And I am proud of us. Proud of the people we are. My mothers are more than mothers, more than women, more than migrants, more than queerness. They’re more. And they will always be.

It took five years for the legal system to accept our paperwork and bind us as mother and child. Maybe it took five years because of the pandemic. Or maybe it was something else. Mama Lu would call the lawyer, and then other lawyers, and then the family court, and then she began to represent herself. For the past five years, with the little money I had, I traveled home during the summer in hopes of finalizing and confirming a court date. 

Every year, we were told something new. The paperwork would be lost, or it was on hold or forgotten. Mama Lu felt agitated. I tried to calm her down. I told her that she will always be my mother no matter what. A piece of paper would never change that. Society cannot define who we truly are to one another. She knew that, too. And yet, I felt deep down that she had her heart set on this moment since the day I was born. 

After years of stress and thousands of dollars later, on that fateful October day, Judge Monica announced we were now legally mother and child. Every time a child is adopted in this courthouse, the child receives a teddy bear. Mama Lu decided to mail me the bear from San Francisco to London along with the paperwork declaring our legal bond.

This small brown bear now symbolizes one of my mothers finally becoming my mother. The mother she has always been. 

My mothers are more than mothers, more than women, more than migrants, more than queerness. They’re more. And they will always be.

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Florida parents sue the Board of Education over banned book laws for ‘violating rights’ of children

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H.B. 1069 focuses on restricting what teachers can say or teach about gender, sex, sexual orientation, and critical race theory, and includes banning books on such topics.

By Abi Berwager Schreier June 14, 2024

Three Florida parents are fighting back against Florida law H.B. 1069, suing Florida’s Board of Education, because they allege it violates their rights by not having a process to object to the removal of certain “banned books” from school classrooms, while protecting parents who request the banning of these books.

While Florida law H.B. 1069 —also known as the “ Don’t-Say-Gay ” law—focuses on restricting what teachers can and cannot say or teach about gender, sex, and sexual orientation in the classroom, it also pertains to books that focus on these topics, including topics such as critical race theory, race, racism, and characters of color. The bill allows parents—namely conservative parents and people associated with Moms for Liberty—to demand these books be taken off the shelves and banned from schools.

Related: Students across Florida stage walkouts in protest of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the plaintiffs state their First Amendment Rights are being violated by not having a formal process in place to overturn a decision when their school board removes these books, per TIME .

The lawsuit says, “The statute only provides a mechanism for a parent to object to the affirmative use of material; it does not provide a mechanism for a parent to object to the lack of use or discontinued use of material,” according to TIME.

One plaintiff, Stephana Ferrell, a parent of two kids in Orange County Public Schools, told TIME, “Neither one of my children had classroom libraries because of the fear of being found out of compliance for a book on the shelf.”

According to TIME, books that have been banned include Slaughterhouse-Five , A Stolen Life , and Freedom Writers Diary , to name a few.

In an interview with TIME, Ferrell said, “I’m a very concerned parent. Over the last few years, with the different legislation that has passed, I’ve seen not only my children but my friends and communities impacted by the rise in censorship.”

Per the Associated Press , a PEN America report said Florida is responsible for 3,135 of the 4,349 school book bans in the United States as of April 2024. That is 72% of the books that have been pulled from schools around the nation, per the outlet. 

“I’ve seen far too many books be labeled as completely unlawful,” Ferrell continued. “I know people are hesitant to use the word ban, but once you’re talking about labeling a book as unlawful, there’s no way—no matter how much a student wants to read it, no matter how much a parent supports it—that a district can bring that book back into the community, in our schools.”

“That long term impact on my children’s education and access to what should be protected speech has been a growing concern of mine,” she said.

One of the books that was being removed from a Florida classroom was Shut Up! By Marilyn Reynolds, which covers the sexual assault of a minor and written from the perspective of an older brother, who is distraught for not catching warning signs. This topic, according to Ferrell, could save lives, and the banning of this book was the catalyst for the lawsuit.

Related: A Florida teacher is under investigation for showing a Disney movie to her class

“The overall reason for my concern was not specifically about the book, but just the process itself. I want a process that allows thoughtful discussion,” Ferrell said. “We have that in our policy in Orange County— it didn’t happen. And if I think if it had happened, the book would have been retained because the initial objection was its use in curriculum, and not actually questioning whether or not it should be in the library.”

“While that book might not be appropriate for every child—and I do believe that parents have to set restrictions on their own kids—that could be a very valuable book and tool that could help save lives,” Ferrell said.

How banning books can deeply impact children’s learning

According to experts in education, book bans limit children’s exposure to different ideas, viewpoints, and information. This can hinder their ability to think critically, form their own opinions, and gain a well-rounded understanding of the world.

• Books often introduce children to complex themes, challenging concepts, and new vocabulary. Removing these resources can impede their intellectual growth and limit their exposure to diverse literary works.
• Books have the power to ignite curiosity, stimulate creativity, and encourage children to explore different perspectives. Banning books can suppress these crucial elements of child development.
• Many book bans target works that represent marginalized communities, diverse cultures, or controversial topics. This can reinforce a narrow worldview and prevent children from seeing themselves and their experiences reflected in literature.
• Book bans can create a climate of fear and self-censorship among educators, who may avoid discussing certain topics or introducing challenging materials to avoid controversy.

An American Library Association (ALA) survey found that  70% of parents  oppose banning books in public libraries, with most parents having a high level of confidence in librarians to make decisions about age-appropriate book selections. First Focus On Children , a bipartisan advocacy organization working to make children the priority in federal policy and budget decisions, reports that nonetheless, there has been an uptick in restrictions on books in school libraries, with the ALA noting more than  1,200 requests  to restrict book access in 2022.

This is the highest number of requests ever analyzed by the ALA. A small number of parents have propagated the book bans.  A Washington Post analysis  found that the majority of 1,000+ book bans were reported by just eleven people.

Amid all of these policies and school board decisions, it seems children and their needs have been utterly lost in the conversation surrounding their own education while also deepening the divides in the United States.

“Public education is not only the great equalizer, but it helps unite us from state to state, community to community, across the country,” Ferrell told TIME. “If we have certain states teaching certain things, and certain viewpoints, and others teaching something totally different, it will further divide us as a country.”

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Banned Books — Banning Books is Banning Freedom

Banning Books is Banning Freedom

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Published: Apr 11, 2019

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Alex Jones Seeks to Liquidate His Assets to Pay Damages to Sandy Hook Families

But money to the families would fall far short of the more than $1.4 billion they were awarded by juries for Mr. Jones’s lies about the 2012 school massacre.

By Elizabeth Williamson

Reporting from Washington

The Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is seeking permission from a bankruptcy court to liquidate his personal assets and deliver the proceeds to the Sandy Hook families who are owed more than $1.4 billion in damages for his lies about the 2012 school shooting.

Mr. Jones also filed a separate bankruptcy for his company, Free Speech Systems, and in a hearing next Friday a judge is to rule whether the company will also be liquidated, an outcome favored by a majority of the families. That would shutter Infowars, effective the day of the ruling. It would also place assets from Infowars’ studios and potentially Mr. Jones’s popular social media accounts in control of the families.

Silencing Mr. Jones, who for years has broadcast lies ranging from denying the Sandy Hook shooting to denying the results of the 2020 election, would be a definitive win for the families.

“For too long, Alex Jones has profited from the lies and fear that he peddles every day on Infowars, his corrupt business platform,” said Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the families who sued Mr. Jones in Connecticut. “The Connecticut families, driven by the principle that Jones must not be allowed to hurt or profit from the pain of others, are now on the brink of stripping him of his ability to inflict mass harm.”

Mr. Jones could not immediately be reached for comment.

The financial outcome for the families is far less certain. It will likely be years, if ever, before they receive any meaningful share of the financial damages they won.

Mr. Jones’s personal and company financial assets combined are worth $10 million to $12 million, nowhere near the more than $1.4 billion juries in Texas and Connecticut awarded the families in late 2022.

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