TODAY’S ACTION: Speak up publicly! The freedom to read needs people willing to defend it. Send an email to your school or library board, attend a meeting and make a public comment, write a letter to the editor, or simply share why access to books matters to you on social media.

Today’s featured book is FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury, a dystopian novel about a society where books are outlawed and burned to prevent people from encountering challenging ideas. Ironically, the novel itself has faced challenges and censorship over the years.

TODAY’S ACTION: Support an organization defending the freedom to read! Organizations working against book bans rely on donations to provide resources, support local advocates, track censorship, and defend access to books. Find an org working in your state and make a donation today.

Today’s book is ANNE FRANK’S DIARY: THE GRAPHIC ADAPTATION. The graphic adaptation brings Anne's experiences hiding from the Nazis during the Holocaust to a new generation of readers. The book has faced challenges over sexual content & its visual depictions of passages from Anne’s diary.

Perfect for banned books week!

TODAY’S ACTION: Learn your district’s book challenge policy! Take a few minutes today to find your district’s policy. Learn who can file an objection, who reviews challenged books, whether parents participate in the process, and what happens to a book while it’s under review.

Today’s featured book is THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas, which follows 16-year-old Starr Carter after she witnesses a police officer fatally shoot her childhood friend. The book has been challenged for profanity, violence, drug references, and its discussions of racism and policing.

TODAY’S ACTION: Thank a librarian! Librarians do so much more than put books on shelves. Take a few minutes today to email, message, or stop by and thank a school or public librarian for the work they do. A little support can go a long way.

Banned Books Week continues! Today’s featured book is ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson, a memoir about growing up Black and queer and finding your identity. The book has been frequently challenged for its discussions of sexuality, sexual experiences, and LGBTQ+ identity.

We’re starting with Toni Morrison’s THE BLUEST EYE, frequently challenged for its depictions of sexual violence, child abuse, and racism.

Banned Books Week is here! Every day this week, we’ll spotlight a banned or challenged book AND share a simple action you can take to help protect the freedom to read.

Those difficult elements are part of a story confronting the brutal realities of segregation & racism, not celebrating them. ROLL OF THUNDER gives young readers an opportunity to encounter that history through the experiences of a Black family fighting to maintain its land, dignity & independence.

Objections have focused on its racial slurs, racist language, depictions of racial violence, and concerns about how that content affects students. In 2002, it was among the American Library Association’s ten most challenged books, and it has been removed from required reading in some schools.

ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY has been introducing young readers to the Logan family & the realities of racism in 1930s Mississippi for nearly 50 years. Through Cassie’s eyes, readers encounter injustice, courage, family, dignity, and the determination to stand up for yourself & the people you love.