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Banned Books Week

The Free Expression Educators Handbook

By |2020-12-19T16:54:19-05:00November 19th, 2020|Resources|

The Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators.  It offers guidance for educators developing inclusive and viewpoint-neutral instructional material policies, including sample [...]

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Banned Books Week: Author Tanya Lee Stone on Why Censorship is Heartbreaking

By |2017-09-28T15:20:20-04:00September 28th, 2017|Banned Books Week, Resources|

Tanya Lee Stone In 30 years, Tanya Lee Stone has written more than 100 books.  Her latest, Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time, is emblematic of the tales she enjoys telling: stories from the perspectives of marginalized groups in society. Her award-winning novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, is about [...]

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Banned Books Week: YA Author Alan Gratz on Giving Kids the Tools to Resist Censorship

By |2017-09-26T16:28:01-04:00September 26th, 2017|Banned Books Week, Blog|

Alan Gratz Alan Gratz has written over a dozen award-winning books for young readers. His latest YA novel, Ban This Book, tells the story of Amy Anne Ollinger, an avid reader who organizes a campaign of resistance when her favorite book and several other titles are removed from the school library. It’s funny, uplifting, enlightening and above all, [...]

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Sherman Alexie: “I love to scare the already terrified assholes”

By |2020-01-03T13:49:38-05:00October 12th, 2012|Blog|

Guernica magazine featured a great interview with frequently challenged and banned author, Sherman Alexie. Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has appeared on the ALA's most challenged list in both 2010 and 2011; the Kids' Right to Read Project has defended the book in Missouri, Oregon and Washington state, to name just a few. In the interview, Alexie answers [...]

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YA Author Keith Gray’s Wise Words on Book Censorship

By |2020-01-03T13:49:36-05:00October 11th, 2012|Blog|

During Banned Books Week last week, the PEN American Center featured an essay on the topic of book censorship and young adult readers by author Keith Gray. In his article, Gray talks about how he is frequently worrying about, not his teen readers, but the gatekeepers. Gatekeepers are basically any adult who might be on the road between the teen [...]

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A Lesson in Irony: Chicago Author Banned From Banned Books Talk

By |2020-01-05T23:15:55-05:00October 10th, 2012|Blog|

Last week, in the midst of the media derecho catapulting the celebration of Banned Books Week, we came upon this article in the Chicago Tribune written by author James Klise.   Klise manages a high school library in Chicago and is the author of Love Drugged, which Booklist called “An excellent novel for classroom and GSA discussion."Love Drugged was also an ALA Stonewall Honor Book in 2011 [...]

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Remembering Banned Book Crusaders: Barney Rosset

By |2019-02-25T12:37:25-05:00October 4th, 2012|Blog|

 “If you have freedom of speech, you have freedom of speech,” publishing legend Barney Rosset was quoted as saying. Rosset was responsible for the publication of many celebrated works of American literature, especially those that pushed the envelope in terms of sexual content. A staunch defender of the freedom to read, Rosset risked his reputation, business, and life on his [...]

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Video: Adorable Children Reading From Banned Books

By |2020-01-05T23:18:54-05:00October 4th, 2012|Blog|

On September 23, we brought our Banned Books Library to the Brooklyn Book Fest and let passersby read to us from some of their favorite titles. Better than cat videos, that's for sure! Check out the whole playlist on our YouTube channel. Want to participate in the Banned Books Week Virtual Readout? Shoot your own video! Click here for more [...]

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Banned Authors Speak: Matt Loux

By |2019-03-07T23:32:02-05:00October 4th, 2012|Blog|

School is back in session, and that means censorship attempts are back en force as well. Kids' Right to Read has tackled several challenges to summer reading selections recently, including on to Sidescrollers, a graphic novel by Matt Loux (Oni Press). The book about a group of slacker friends, was named one of the Young Adult Library Association's top ten [...]

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Read the ACLU of Texas’ Banned Books Report

By |2020-01-03T13:48:08-05:00October 3rd, 2012|Blog|

The ACLU of Texas published their 16th annual Banned Books Report for the occasion of Banned Books Week this week and it both looks amazing and has great content. In addition to detailed information about books that were challenged and banned across the state in 2012, the report has a great interview with writer and activist Tony Diaz. Diaz joined NCAC and [...]

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Remembering Banned Authors: Maurice Sendak

By |2020-01-03T13:47:28-05:00October 3rd, 2012|Blog|

Millions of enchanted readers were saddened by the passing of beloved children’s book author Maurice Sendak at the age of 83 in May. His books, the most well-known being Where the Wild Things Are, captivated the imaginations of readers both young and old with their sometimes dark, fantastical stories.  Because of the nature of his tales, many critics and censors marked his work [...]

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Free Access to the Missourian’s Challenged Books Report

By |2019-03-14T17:46:47-04:00October 2nd, 2012|Blog|

Not long ago, The Missourian published its excellent J-student project of tracking and reporting on book challenges and bans across the state of Missouri.  This week, the newspaper -- which uses a subscriber access model -- will be allowing all visitors to read and access the reporting, for free! Click here to read about what types of books were challenged in [...]

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Free Speech Orgs Host Banned Books Reading Tomorrow!

By |2020-01-03T13:48:07-05:00October 1st, 2012|Blog|

NCAC's event with Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is tomorrow night! E-vite your friends, mark your iCalendars, write it on your hand, whatever, just come! What: Readings from everything from "Fifty Shades of Grey" to "Fanny Hill" to "Joe Blow" by readers including sexologist Dr. Logan Levkoff, comedy duo MURDERFIST and more. Where: The Village PourHouse, 64 3rd Ave in the East Village When: Tuesday, [...]

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Remembering Banned Authors: Ray Bradbury

By |2019-02-25T12:38:54-05:00October 1st, 2012|Blog|

Throughout Banned Books Week we will feature banned and challenged authors who left us in 2012. This week celebrates these great writers and their works, which helped form the identities of many readers, young and old. A name now almost synonymous with American Science Fiction, Ray Bradbury brought that genre into the mainstream. Today, his books – which at the [...]

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NCAC, ALA talk Banned Books on KPFA’s Project Censored

By |2019-03-07T23:31:40-05:00October 1st, 2012|Blog|

NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin and Kids' Right to Read Coordinator Acacia O'Connor joined KPFA radio out of Berkeley, CA on Friday, speaking about the prevalence of book challenges today and the debate over a book ratings system. Barbara Jones, Director of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom  also called in, along with Tony Diaz, founder of Libro Traficante, who shed some [...]

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