WHAT ARE BOOK BANS?
Book bans are educational gag orders that prevent students and communities from reading diverse authors and complex stories by removing books from school districts and libraries. This happens when parents, guardians, community members, and elected officials object to the content of a book and demand that schools and libraries pull them from classrooms, curricula, media centers, and libraries. These objections are rooted in a fear that their honest content will spark critical thinking that challenges conventional beliefs, cultural awareness, political ideologies, and religious values.
PROTECT OUR STORIES AND STORYTELLERS
There is an alarming nationally coordinated and well-funded campaign to ban widely-acclaimed authors and beloved books that center OUR stories about race, culture, gender, and sexuality. At greatest risk are books that offer honest accounts of historic injustices and inhumanities. These targeted book bans are widespread and easy to start, usually triggered by hysteria and demands at school board meetings, city council meetings, and legislator’s offices.
This wave of censorship is a blatant attempt to erase our collective history and silence countless students, families, and communities. Educational gag orders muzzle diverse perspectives and critical thought AND prevent students from challenging norms, dismantling stereotypes, and examining biases.
These are OUR stories and OUR truths!
Statement on the Attack on Books in Schools, National Coalition Against Censorship
Banned Books Resources Hub, Penguin Random House
10 Top Challenged Book List, American Library Association
Ban This Booklist, ACLU
Read Books That Schools Want to Ban, The Atlantic
The New Illiteracy, Publishers Weekly
BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2023
Mark your calendars: the 2023 celebration of Banned Books Week will be October 1-7!
Learn more here
STOP BOOK BANS IN YOUR DISTRICT
- Share the BookBanBusters.com website with your family, friends, school district, community, and colleagues
- Report book bans on the interactive Book Ban Busters map
- Join trainings to learn how to combat book bans in your district and libraries
- Sign up for Book Ban Buster updates
- Share this post about the Book Ban Busters campaign across your social media platforms
- Subscribe to Banned Books Box and share with family, friends, and colleagues. GIFT a subscription to loved one or a stranger... keep these books in circulation!
- Share The Unicorn Express mailing service with friends, family, colleagues
The American Library Association tracks censorship and challenges to materials, resources, and services across the nation using a live reporting system. Information is used to compile the Top 10 Most Challenged Books list and trend reports for public awareness
Report Censorship or Challenges HERE |
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Read More About Book Bans:
- Book Bans and Antisemitism Go Hand in Hand
- LGBTQ Books Are Being Banned. Their Authors Are Fighting Back., Daily Beast
- Congressional Democrats Target Bans on Teaching About Racism in Schools, US News
- The Inside Story of the Banning of “Maus.” It’s Dumber Than You Think., Mother Jones
- Book Ban Efforts Spread Across the U.S., New York Times
- Book ban in Washington County is an Example of the ‘New Illiteracy’, Salt Lake Tribune
- Hudson Parents Wanted 3 'Offensive' Books Pulled from High School Library. What Happened?, Akron Beacon Journal
- US Conservatives Linked To Rich Donors Wage Campaign To Ban Books From Schools, The Guardian
- Book Bans In Schools Are Catching Fire. Black Authors Say Uproar Isn’t About Students., NBC News
- Harvey J. Graff Examines the History of Book Banning, Publishers Weekly