Censorship is surging thanks to an organised rightwing minority targeting books on LGBTQ and Black characters and issues“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door,” warns a character in Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s dystopian vision of an America where books are considered so dangerous they must be incinerated. The novel appeared 70 years ago, in the aftermath of Nazi book burnings and amid McCarthyism and Soviet ideological repression. But the urge to ban books has resurged with a vengeance, with the American Library Association (ALA) recording a doubling of censorship attempts in 2022, to 1,269 across 32 states: the highest rate for decades. Pen America, which champions freedom of expression, tallied more than 2,500 cases in the last school year.These attempts are not merely more numerous but are also broadening and deepening. The decisions of school boards and districts take place in the context of politicians grasping electoral advantage and punitive yet often vaguely worded state laws on education – such as the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis’s, Stop-Woke Act. At least 10 states have passed legislation increasing parental power over library stock, or limiting students’ access. In place of spontaneous challenges to single titles come challenges to multiple titles, organised by campaign groups such as Moms for Liberty. The ALA says that 40% of attempts last year targeted 100 books or more. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2023-04-13 17:21:33 UTC ]
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Firestorm Books in Asheville, N.C., has acquired 22,500 copies of 46 children's books that were banned from the Duval County Public School system in Florida, and will distribute them for free across the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Starting this weekend, to coincide with Banned Books Week, The New Republic and their partners will be kicking off a month-long Banned Books Tour—sending a bookmobile around the country to share books, celebrate reading, and fight book banning. If you want to help, and you’ll be at the Brooklyn... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-29 14:00:14 UTC ]
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Book bans are on the rise nationally, with nearly half those prohibitions happening in Florida school districts. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2023-09-26 19:43:13 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster is introducing a new "multi-platform education and resources program" during this year's Banned Books Week, as part of an effort to expand the publisher's response to the book bans and challenges. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Your book club can help fight book bans! See how many squares on this anti-censorship BINGO board you can fill out together. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-24 10:30:00 UTC ]
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The new program utilizes GPS-based “geo-targeting” to show readers the books that have been banned in their area, making e-book versions available to borrow digitally. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Texas's Governor signs a bill into law that gives him power over what books can be in libraries *and* forces ratings on books. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-06-15 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Illinois is the first state to officially ban book bans through new legislation that takes effect January 1, 2024. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-06-12 20:34:10 UTC ]
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This year, I’m celebrating Pride through LGBTQ children’s books. I’m building a new library for my two kids and wife Stefanie, who is trans and transitioned just two years ago. We began with Being You: A First Conversation About Gender (Penguin, 2021) and a pride alphabet book, Pride Puppy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-01 08:53:12 UTC ]
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The Illinois Senate has passed HB 2789, a bill whose terms dictate that state funding from libraries that remove books will be withheld. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-05-04 16:31:45 UTC ]
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"Banned Books," one of the most popular panels at the Festival of Books, featured Angie Thomas, George M. Johnson and some sharp students from Fairfax High. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-04-24 19:40:50 UTC ]
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In a victory for freedom to read advocates, federal judge Robert Pitman found that Llano County's "targeting and removal" of a host of allegedly "inappropriate" books from library shelves constituted viewpoint and content discrimination. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Are publishers acquiring fewer LGBTQ+ and diverse books in the wake of rising censorship? This week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-24 10:40:00 UTC ]
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While still in the early stages of the legislative process, the proposed bill in Texas would require publishers to develop a new rating system for books, and would give Texas state officials the power to bar schools from doing business with publishers who do not comply with the state’s directives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week has been a busy week for banning books. That, plus a look at some of the regional groups pushing censorship. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-09-23 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Take action during Banned Books Week with these action items. That, plus this week's roundup of book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-09-16 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Sometime around 2006, everyone in publishing began to lament the death of the book section. In the face of declining readership, budget cuts, and mergers, newspapers began to realize that book review sections did not bring in enough ad revenue to cover their costs and so cut and culled until... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-26 16:03:34 UTC ]
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People trying to remove books from libraries insist it's not a book ban. Everyone wants to ban a book, but no one wants to be a book banner. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-08-03 10:40:00 UTC ]
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For Pride month, Penguin Random House installed billboard with quotes from LGBTQ books in areas where LGBTQ books are being banned. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-11 20:07:06 UTC ]
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This week's book censorship news includes a look at what the American Library Association is -- and is not -- doing right now. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-04-08 10:41:00 UTC ]
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