NCAC Protests AZ School District’s Unjustifiable Removal of ‘The Kite Runner’ from English Curriculum
The letter argues that choosing to remove a book citing "community standards" sets a dangerous precedent for future book challenges.
NCAC Criticizes Politically Motivated Removal of ‘Jacob’s New Dress’ From North Carolina Lesson Plan
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and 6 other organizations committed to defending the right to read are urging a North Carolina school district to reinstate a children’s book in a 1st grade anti-bullying lesson plan after it was removed following pressure from local Republican lawmakers concerned about its gender-nonconforming themes.
‘Anti-Bullying’ Book with Transgender Themes Pulled From 1st Grade Lesson Plan
The book, Jacob’s New Dress, was pulled after Republican lawmakers complained. For several month a group called Values Coalition has charged the district of using "indoctrinating" materials.
Free Speech Groups Defend Graphic Novel Censored in Oklahoma Over ‘Adult Themes’
NCAC highlights that Stuck in the Middle is praised for its realistic, un-sanitized depiction of difficult situations that characterize the harder truths of teenage life.
NCAC Protests Oregon School’s Unwarranted Removal of Eleanor & Park
NCAC’s letter to the school district reprimands the school for violating its own book challenge review process, and emphasizes the value of Rowell’s novel.
Literary Classics Removed from High-School’s Alternative Reading List in Alaska
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, and Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian were flagged for "explicit, graphic" content.
Without Review, Oregon Middle School Removes Eleanor & Park After Parents Complain
The Yamhill-Carlton School District in Western Oregon pulled the New York Times bestseller from a school lesson plan without following the school's review process for book challenges.
South Dakota Bill Deemed by Critics to Threaten Education in Evolution and Climate Change
According to the bill, “no teacher may be prohibited from helping students understand, analyze, critique, or review in an objective scientific manner the strengths and weaknesses of scientific information.”
NCAC Issues Rebuttal to Supporters of Virginia ‘Sexually Explicit’ Book Regulation; UPDATE: Bill Vetoed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe
NCAC and other free speech groups write to the VA Board of Education in advance of a January 26th meeting to discuss the proposal.
NCAC Objects to Bill Requiring Parental Notification Prior to Teaching of Sex Ed. Materials; UPDATE: NH Gov Signs Bill Into Law
The letter questions the bills breadth, which may end up flagging valuable works of literature that include sexual scenes.
NCAC Releases Statement in Support of Rep. Clay’s Decision to Re-Display Controversial Painting; UPDATE: NCAC Addresses Justification for Removal
The statement reprimands Representative Hunter, who removed the painting from the U.S, Capitol, for his disregard of the First Amendment.
NCAC, Allies Advise Virginia School District on How to Avoid Future Censorship
In a follow up letter, NCAC stresses the district that banned TKAM/ Huck Finn needs an innocent-until-proven-guilty approach to book challenges.
Introducing CENSORPEDIA, NCAC’s Crowdsourced Wiki for Censorship Incidents
Censorpedia currently contains over 1200 individual incidents collected over the years and contributed by students, NCAC staff and volunteers, artists and, potentially, YOU!
Groups Defend Intellectual Freedom and the Right to Read; Stand by Embattled Publisher
In his statement, the author of 'Bad Little Children’s Books' has asked ABRAMS not to print another edition of the book, because it has been so widely misunderstood and misconstrued.
NCAC, Allies Defend Literary Classics After Censorship in Virginia Schools; UPDATE: District Reinstates Books, Moves to Revise Suspension Policy
The incident is particularly egregious because Accomack County Public Schools has already temporarily removed these universally acclaimed works.
NCAC Defends Place of The Perks of Being a Wallflower In Iowa Classrooms; UPDATE: Committee Votes in Favor of Keeping the Book
NCAC has written in defense of Chbosky's oft-challenged novel, which Iowa parents claimed was 'obscene.'
NCAC Criticizes WA Daycare Program’s Ban on Books With ‘Frightening Images’
NCAC's letter expresses concern that the "frightening images" stipulation is over broad and may end up excluding valuable literature.
Iowa Parents Argue The Perks of Being A Wallflower Potentially Harmful for Students
A review committee has been convened to discuss the future of the book in the Dubuque Community school curriculum.
NCAC Defends Textbook Against Accusations of ‘Islamic Indoctrination’
NCAC's letter underlines the mistake of conflating religious education with religious indoctrination.
NCAC Protests New Effort to Label Books ‘Sexually Explicit’ in Virginia Schools
The proposed regulation is the latest of several similar efforts NCAC has opposed in Virginia.
The Ideas That Unite Us
A post-election letter from NCAC’s Executive Director.
Fearing Islamic ‘Indoctrination’, Tennessee Parent Objects to Social Studies Textbook
According to the Sullivan County Parents Against Islamic Indoctrination, their children's ignorance of Islam is preferred.
To Counter Book Censorship, Amplify the Voices of Young Readers
"Young readers need challenging books to help them become empathetic, caring, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and mature adults," Bertin and Davis state. "They’ll tell you that themselves, if you just ask them."
Oklahoma Library System Embroiled in Issue Over Placement of LGBT Books
Oklahoma LGBT activists are calling into question a local library policy that limits the placement of LGBT-themed books to sections that hold books on sensitive topics such as drug use, incarceration and sexual abuse.
Washington State Daycare Program Prohibits Kids’ Access to ‘Frightening’ Books
A daycare requirement to prevent young student's access to "frightening" materials may come at the cost of librarian's literary expertise in choosing student reading.
Library Pub. Suggests YA Novel with Bi Character Inappropriate for Young Readers; UPDATE: Response from VOYA
VOYA dismissed critics of its recommendation. But why are VOYA readers rightly concerned?
KRRP’s Annual Recap of Top Book Censorship Cases
For Banned Books Week, the Kids' Right to Read Project has released its annual recap of book censorship cases. Labeling books "sexually explicit", the teaching of Islam in schools and sanitizing slavery, it's all here in the form of a handy, printable flyer.
New PEN Report Discusses Book Challenges, NCAC and Diversity in Publishing
With Banned Books Week on the horizon, PEN's report discusses NCAC's 'multipronged' approach to book challenges and the specific challenges censorship poses to diverse books.
ACLU Joins NCAC in Protesting Attempts to Rate and Censor Library Books in Virginia; UPDATE: Books Will Remain in Libraries
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has today written to a Chesterfield, VA, school board in defense of books on a summer reading list that recently came under fire for containing "sexually explicit" material.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Boycotts Local Bookstore Over Racially ‘Offensive’ Display
The bookstore owner was slammed for her "distinct lack of empathy for the experiences of people of color."
After Parents Censor, Student Drafts Petition In Defense of ‘Glass Castle’
Renae Roscart, 15, considers parents who argued for the reading list removal to be "pretending that sexual assault and alcoholism isn’t something that youths encounter."
Virginia School District Caves To Parent Pressure, Scraps Summer Reading List; UPDATE: Republican Senator Blasts Librarians For Selecting ‘Trash’, Petition Pushes Back
The Chesterfield County Public School summer reading list contained books that were "pornographic" and contained "vile, vile, nasty language," one mother complained.
School Librarians And Their Constitutional Responsibilities
What are the legal and educational responsibilities of school librarians in stocking their book shelves?
Vermont School Disinvites Childrens Author Because of Book About Heroin Addiction; UPDATE: School Reverses Decision, Will Carry Book in Library
Kate Messner speaking event at South Burlington's Chamberlin Elementary School after the school discovered her latest book was about heroin addiction.
Author Who Talks About Transgender Themes Disinvited from Schools in Texas
The children's author Phil Bildner apparently has been disinvited from several schools in Round Rock Independent School District in Round Rock, Texas. He published this statement yesterday on the blog of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom: Whenever I present to kids at my school visits, I always booktalk other authors’ books. It’s important for kids to know about the great stories that are out there. I always [...]
Victory for Looking for Alaska in Kentucky!
We received some great news from Kentucky this morning: a reconsideration committee in Marion County voted to keep John Green’s highly acclaimed first novel Looking for Alaska on its high school shelves last night. The book received a complaint from a parent who not only refused to let his child read the book, but determined it was "filth" and good [...]
Kentucky Parent Warns of ‘Filth’ in Looking for Alaska
One parent doesn't want any students -- or adults -- to read John Green's renowned young adult novel.
The Bluest Eye Stays in Michigan
A Michigan school board voted last night to keep The Bluest Eye in its AP curriculum.
Michigan Parents See ‘Porn’ in The Bluest Eye
Parents in Michigan are very upset about a Toni Morrison novel being taught in an AP English class.
Pa. Parents Complain, ‘Glass Castle’ Removed from School Reading List
A school in Pennsylvania removed an award-winning novel in response to parent's complaints.