Looking for Alaska Under Fire in Kentucky
Another year, another challenge to Looking for Alaska. This time, a parent in conservative Marion County, Kentucky, is challenging its use in a 12th grade classroom.
Virginia Veto: Good News for Freedom to Read
NCAC welcomes the news that Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe has vetoed HB516, which would have required parental notification whenever "sexually explicit material" was being taught in the state's public schools.
Victory! This One Summer Back on Library Shelves
An award-winning graphic novel was removed from high school libraries in Florida after the parent of a third-grader complained. The district thankfully reversed its decision.
Hanover Students Stand Against “Beloved Bill” in Virginia
Students are speaking out against legislation that would require parental notification of the teaching of "sexually explicit content" in public schools.
Coalition to Virginia Governor: Veto the ‘Beloved’ Bill
A bill that would require Virginia public schools to notify parents about 'sexually explicit content' should be vetoed by the governor, a coalition of literary and free speech groups argue.
Catherine Ross: “Freedom of Speech is the Engine Oil of Democracy”
Author Catherine Ross speaks to NCAC about schools and free speech: "In many communities across the country, the adults who would like to censor student expression are much louder and more influential that the adults who hope that schools will allow students to learn how to exercise their rights."
Virginia “Sexually Explicit Content” Bill Undermines Public Education
A Virginia bill that would require public schools to notify parents of "sexually explicit content" poses a profound threat to public education and First Amendment principles.
Changing District’s Book Challenge Policy: An Invitation to Censor?
In Florida, a seemingly minor change to a policy regarding how schools handle book challenges could have far-reaching implications.
Florida High School Libraries Restrict Access to Award-Winning Graphic Novel
A parent of an elementary school student complained about a graphic novel in the school library. Is that any reason to restrict the book in the same district's high school libraries?
Hysteria Over Graphic Novel in Florida
A local TV news outlet is whipping up a frenzy in Florida schools over an award-winning graphic novel.
A Birthday Cake for George Washington: The Problem with Banishing Books
Scholastic's decision to cease distribution of a controversial children's book raises some fundamental questions about free speech and self-censorship.
Florida Bills Threaten Science Instruction and Freedom to Read
Two new bills are designed to empower ideologically-driven activists to shape what is taught in Florida's classrooms.
VIDEO: Lois Lowry Responds to a Young Reader
From NCAC's gala, author Lois Lowry discusses her conversation with a young reader who was bothered by the 'inappropriate' things in one of her books.
Lois Lowry Responds to a Young Reader Bothered By ‘Bad Things’ In Her Novel
"I love that child... she's the one I write for."
Teaching Huck Finn: A Letter to Friends’ Central School
The reasons a private school in Pennsylvania offered for not teaching 'Huck Finn' are precisely the reasons it should be taught.
California School Faces Down Complaint Over ‘The Family Book’
A parent in Etiwanda, California is complaining that a celebrated children's book about tolerance and diversity is not "appropriate" for a kindergarten classroom.
Threat to Sue Over Transgender Book Reading is Based on Flawed Constitutional Analysis
A conservative legal group's threat to sue a school over the planned reading of a book about a transgender child is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how the First Amendment applies to public schools.
Reading Jhumpa Lahiri in Idaho
An ad hoc committee in Idaho doesn't think high school seniors are ready to read The Namesake. The school board has an opportunity to reject this recommendation and protect the freedom to read.
Victory for ‘Just One Day’ in Minnesota
A reconsideration review committee that met on December 3 decided in a 7-4 vote to retain copies of Gayle Foreman’s award-winning young adult novel Just One Day in Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public School libraries.
‘Just One Day’ YA Novel: Too Racy For School Libraries?
Parents of a middle school student were upset to find their child read the novel 'One Fine Day.' So they want it removed from four school libraries in the district.
Are ‘Ghost Stories’ Too Spooky For NC School Library?
One parent's complaint about a graphic novel has apparently led a school in North Carolina to remove it from the school library.
Religious Group Threatens to Sue School Over Transgender Book Discussion
A conservative law firm threatened to sue a Wisconsin school over a reading and discussion of the picture book I Am Jazz. The district canceled the November 23 reading.
Victory in NJ School: Books Under Fire Are Retained
Two books targeted for removal from instruction at Rumson-Fair Haven High School have been retained.
‘Extremely Loud’: Too Much For Honors English?
For the second time in two months, a school has decided to remove Jonathan Safran Foer's highly regarded novel 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' from a class reading list.
Another Book Battle in Idaho
An ad hoc committee in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is again targeting a piece of literature for its language. Are they going too far?
NJ School Official Who Banned–Then Unbanned–A Book Has a New Plan
Banning a John Green novel didn't work out. But the superintendent's new idea to rate library books would create enormous problems.
A School Book Fair, Without Underpants
A book fair won't carry a new Captain Underpants book, because one of the characters is gay.
Throwing Out ‘Extremely Loud’ in Illinois
A school drops a highly-acclaimed novel because of a few parents' complaints. That's bad. But their plan to label all books that have "adult content" will only invite more problems.
Book Banning in… New Jersey?
What's happening in the Garden State? Right after Banned Books Week, we saw two efforts to remove books from public schools.
Activists Beat Censorship in Lumberton, NJ
Congratulations to the students, parents, and teachers in Lumberton, New Jersey, who have proven that grassroots action makes a difference.
NJ District Yanks John Green Novel From Class Libraries
A New Jersey superintendent made an ad hoc decision to pull Looking for Alaska from classroom libraries, in violation of district policy.
Just Teach Books That Won’t Offend Anyone
NCAC responds to a newspaper editorial arguing that removing books from a school because they offend one parent is "common sense."
Petition Demands Only “Age Appropriate” Books in NJ High School
A petition calls for the removal of two books for sexual content and language, and also all other material that is not age-appropriate.
Carle Museum Honors NCAC’s Joan Bertin
NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin talks about the importance of picture books and how they can attract challenges over their content.
Charter School’s Book Censorship is a ‘Kind of Literary Fraud’
Responding to a complaint about a book assignment, a Tennessee charter school CEO explained that they had given students a heavily redacted version.
Five Very True Tales of Book Censorship
In the spirit of Banned Books Week, we bring you five stories from the field. A few of them will make shake your head, while the others will have you pumping your fist.
North Carolina ‘Kite Runner’ District Changes Challenge Policy
Four months after a parent launched a challenge against The Kite Runner in Asheville, NC, the saga seems to finally have come to an end.
Tennessee Parent: Acclaimed Medical History Book is ‘Pornographic’
One parent wants an award-winning medical history book removed from a school district. The author says she has "confused gynecology with pornography."
Students Speak Out: A Curious Incident of Censorship
Telling students to avoid books containing "wayward beliefs" implies we are incapable of thinking for ourselves. The removal did not give parents the freedom to parent, but instead attacked freedom of thought.
Mayor Appoints Would-Be Censor to Library Board
Can a trustee be trusted when he has tried to censor in the past? Residents of Downers Grove were asking that questions when the mayor nominated Arthur Jaros, Jr. to the village’s Library Board.