Banned Book Week - information and resources | Harris County Public Library

Banned Books

The Controversy Over What Students Read

by Loonin, Meryl

Book - 2023

YA Nonfiction (12+). What's going on with the current wave of book banning? Growing attention from parents and politicians to what students read led to un...Show more YA Nonfiction (12+). What's going on with the current wave of book banning? Growing attention from parents and politicians to what students read led to unprecedented numbers of book challenges in 2021. The author begins her survey of this aspect of the United States' culture wars with a short history highlighting the role of the American Library Association in spotlighting the issue with Banned Books Week, begun in 1982. She points out that more recent book-banning attempts often come from government officials as well as parents, who previously featured most prominently. Such public attention, she explains, leads to soft censorship by publishers, librarians, and school personnel. The author includes statistics, describes court decisions, and current book challenges by type: race, LGBTQ+ issues, and YA books considered edgy for their subject matter or language. The final chapter describes the obstacles teachers face, including controversies over American history textbook content and challenges due to bias, as with some iconic high school literature titles. Includes picture credits, source notes, organizations and websites, further research, index. Show less

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That Librarian

The Fight Against Book Banning in America

by Jones, Amanda

Book - 2024

Adult Nonfiction. Over the past several years, references to "that librarian" have meant middle-school librarian Amanda Jones. In 2022 Jones spo...Show more Adult Nonfiction. Over the past several years, references to "that librarian" have meant middle-school librarian Amanda Jones. In 2022 Jones spoke up in favor of the Freedom to Read at her local public library in Louisiana's Livingston Parish. As a result of this speech, she became the target of a swift and organized attack from far-right agitators from out of town, as well as a number of people she had known her whole life: parents of students and community members she had counted on as part of her close-knit, Deep South, Christian world. In detailing her harrowing experiences, Jones takes readers from that library board room to the confines of her own bedroom where she is beset with anxiety and grief, to courtrooms in hopes of defending a claim of defamation against the main perpetrators of her attacks. She is frank, open, emotionally raw, and unwavering. What she endured is every librarian's worst nightmare, yet she perseveres, offering tips and playbooks for how readers can defend books about LGBTQIA+ topics of interest, sexual health, and more in their own public libraries. A must-read in order to understand the deep and lasting impact of online smear campaigns and enduring need to stand up for books. Also available in ebook and e-audio. Show less

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Censorship

What Is It and How Does It Impact Society?

by Mooney, Carla

Book - 2024

YA Nonfiction (12+). This is a well-organized and accessible text for readers and researchers. Readers will discover current examples, current court cases...Show more YA Nonfiction (12+). This is a well-organized and accessible text for readers and researchers. Readers will discover current examples, current court cases, up-to-date pictures, and relevant quotations and short chapters. There are abundant source notes in addition to the lists of pertinent organizations, further reading, and websites for those who seek more information. An extensive index makes it simple for readers to find exactly the information that they need. Show less

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Banned Books for Kids

Reading Lists and Activities for Teaching Kids to Read Censored Literature

by Scales, Pat R.

Book - 2023

Adult Nonfiction. Parents, school and public librarians, library and information sciences students, and classroom educators will find the assistance and s...Show more Adult Nonfiction. Parents, school and public librarians, library and information sciences students, and classroom educators will find the assistance and support they need to defend these challenged books with an informed response while ensuring access to young book lovers. Also available in ebook. Show less

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Silenced in the Library

Banned Books in America

by Jarvis, Zeke

Book - 2024

Adult Nonfiction. The number of banned and challenged books in the United States has reached an all-time high since the American Library Association start...Show more Adult Nonfiction. The number of banned and challenged books in the United States has reached an all-time high since the American Library Association started keeping records over 20 years ago. In this reissue of his 2017 book, the author offers a listing of nearly 150 titles that have been banned or challenged in schools and libraries, ranging from Where's Waldo? to Moby Dick. The book's seven sections correspond to the topics of often-banned books: race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, drugs and alcohol, and bad behavior (plus graphic novels). The books are also listed by title and author. For each book, there's a synopsis, discussion of its reception, and a summary of challenges and ban attempts and their results. Since the publication of Jarvis's first edition, most of the challenges and bans that the ALA has tracked have been YA titles with LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC characters. The accessible format is useful for identifying past challenges, and each entry includes citations to reviews, articles, and any court cases. Show less

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Book Banning in 21st-century America

by Knox, Emily

Book - 2022

Adult Nonfiction. Requests for the removal, relocation, and restriction of books -- also known as challenges -- occur with some frequency in the United St...Show more Adult Nonfiction. Requests for the removal, relocation, and restriction of books -- also known as challenges -- occur with some frequency in the United States. Book Banning in 21st Century America, based on fifteen contemporary book challenges cases in schools and public libraries across the United States, argues that understanding contemporary reading practices, especially interpretive strategies, is vital to understanding why people attempt to censor books in schools and public libraries. Focusing on the why of censorship, Knox posits that many censorship attempts are intimately tied to how one understands the practice of reading and its effects on character development and behavior. Show less

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Your Freedom, your Power

A Kid's Guide to the First Amendment

by Matulli, Allison

Book - 2023

Middle Grade Nonfiction (8-12). Believing the First Amendment to be "something all people, even kids, may need, want, or have to use at some point in...Show more Middle Grade Nonfiction (8-12). Believing the First Amendment to be "something all people, even kids, may need, want, or have to use at some point in their lives," as stated in an introduction, Matulli and Castro-Malaspina break down the functions of the First Amendment in this handy guide to American politics. Beginning with entries that provide a brief history of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. federal court system, the creators separate each part of the amendment into individual chapters. Sections consider the limitations of each right and its impact on society, and provide examples of young people using their rights to fight for change, including the 1899 newsboys strike and anti--gun violence protests spearheaded by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. In "Freedom of Speech," text clarifies legal boundaries ("The government has the right to punish speech that may cause violence or lots of harm") while assuring readers that the amendment protects them "against being punished by the government for expressing yourself." Through their conversational approach, the authors demystify the document to present a primer for young people. Throughout, Kendall's fluidly lined illustrations, rendered in blue and orange tones, depict variously diverse figures exercising their rights. Also available in ebook and e-audio. Show less

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Ban This Book

by Gratz, Alan

Book - 2018

Middle Grade Fiction (8-12). For biracial fourth-grader Amy Anne Ollinger, the school library is a quiet respite from her boisterous house, with two littl...Show more Middle Grade Fiction (8-12). For biracial fourth-grader Amy Anne Ollinger, the school library is a quiet respite from her boisterous house, with two little siblings who often take center stage. But when her favorite book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, disappears because a classmate's mom thought it was inappropriate, she takes action by running a banned-book library out of her locker. As the stakes escalate, so does Amy's risk-taking, deepening bonds with her classmates as they fight against censorship. She even gets suspended. A school assignment about the Bill of Rights provides additional context for their efforts. While in less capable hands, the story could become didactic, here it is deeply entwined with Amy's growth, from shy and reserved to speaking up for herself on a large stage. Quick paced and with clear, easy-to-read prose, this is a book poised for wide readership and classroom use. Also available in ebook and e-audio. Show less

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This Book Won't Burn

by Ahmed, Samira

Book - 2024

YA Fiction (12+). Noor's world shifted when her father abandoned the family. Her mother moved Noor and her sister to a small town far from the bustling ci...Show more YA Fiction (12+). Noor's world shifted when her father abandoned the family. Her mother moved Noor and her sister to a small town far from the bustling city they were used to. Now, Noor is one of only a few Muslim students in a small homogenous town, and her mere presence is news. Even more so when Noor speaks out upon discovering that library books are being pulled from the shelves. Noor's resonance is a testament to Ahmed's character-building and timely discourse on the subject. With a sense of predictability, the arc of the story is evenly paced to release maximum outrage and extol lessons in fairness and justice. Intensely invested in Noor's fight, readers weather the fight alongside her even when it endangers her family. These consequences are devastatingly realistic and heighten the emotional response that mirrors actual coverage of the newsworthy topic. It feels deeply personal, and to writers like Ahmed, the work is ongoing. Also available in ebook and e-audio. Show less

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Banned Book Club

by Kim, Hyun Sook

Graphic Novel - 2020

YA Nonfiction/Biography (12+). South Korea, 1983--the height of military dictatorship and three years after the infamous Gwangju Uprising. Against this ba...Show more YA Nonfiction/Biography (12+). South Korea, 1983--the height of military dictatorship and three years after the infamous Gwangju Uprising. Against this backdrop of political oppression, bookish Hyun Sook defies her parents' wishes and attends Anjeon University, a hotbed of student protest. Initially ignorant of government propaganda and terrified of attracting the attention of authorities, Hyun Sook's views are slowly challenged after she joins the Banned Book Club and befriends a group of student activists. Her transformation into a pro-democracy activist mirrors the real-life experiences of the author. Kim and Estrada bravely address a period of history little-known outside of South Korea and depict the often-violent consequences of defying an authoritarian regime. Less successful are the moments of levity, which feel jarringly sandwiched between scenes of violence and tension; Ko's gritty style, marked by deep shadows and sinister rendering of characters' expressions, also feels incongruous with humorous moments. Certain cultural and historical references may be lost on readers less familiar with Korean history, yet the messages of hope are universal, as are the poignant reminders that change can happen when people are willing to speak up. Also available in ebook. Show less

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The Book Censor's Library

by ʻĪsá, Buthaynah

Book - 2024

Adult Fiction. Kuwaiti author Al-Essa (Lost in Mecca) riffs on Kafka with this canny story of a book censor who transforms into a reader. In a dystopian f...Show more Adult Fiction. Kuwaiti author Al-Essa (Lost in Mecca) riffs on Kafka with this canny story of a book censor who transforms into a reader. In a dystopian future where the government can read people's thoughts and bans literature that depicts deviant behavior, the unnamed protagonist worries his young daughter's active imagination will get her hauled off to a rehabilitation center. Soon after starting his new job at the Censorship Authority, however, he falls in love with reading and joins the Cancers, a subversive group that tries to save books. In a scene that mirrors the opening of Kafka's "Metamorphosis," he wakes to find his bedroom filled with hundreds of books, so many that his wife threatens to leave him if he doesn't get rid of them. Things escalate when a colleague is caught reading at work, the censor is suddenly relocated to a suburban bookstore, and his daughter is ordered to undergo "complete reprogramming of the brain." Throughout, Al-Essa lays out the supposed dangers of reading in coolly ironic terms ("He knew about the maladies caused by books.... He knew if he peeked inside his own head he'd find worry, depression, fury at the world"). This allegory brims with intelligence. Also available in ebook. Show less

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Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books

A Novel

by Miller, Kirsten

Book - 2024

Adult Fiction. This incisive comedy from Miller (The Change) finds a Georgia town transformed amid a fight over book bans. Lula Dean, a restless empty nes...Show more Adult Fiction. This incisive comedy from Miller (The Change) finds a Georgia town transformed amid a fight over book bans. Lula Dean, a restless empty nester who's starved for attention, finds purpose by banning books she deems inappropriate for children, among them Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl and Toni Morrison's Beloved. Furthering her crusade, Lula stocks a makeshift lending library in front of her house with "appropriate" titles like The Southern Belle's Guide to Etiquette. Lindsay Underwood, a lesbian teen, takes action by sneaking banned books into the lending library under the cover of dust jackets belonging to Lula's approved books. As various townspeople read the works Lula meant to ban, they start changing their lives and the town for the better (a formerly subservient woman outs her husband for secretly collecting Nazi memorabilia; a high school football star comes to accept his gay older brother; and a group of teens rally against the town's Confederate monuments). The story climaxes with a heated race for town mayor between Lindsay's mother, Beverly, who vehemently opposes the book bans, and Lula. While some of the plot turns strain credulity, they make for a clever send-up of book banners' misplaced fears. Miller's fans will flock to her latest page-turner as social critique. Also available in ebook, e-audio, and large print. Show less

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