Grilled Cheese

ExploreLog inSign up

Leanne (L. A.) Schwartz

@schwartzwords.bsky.social

1k Following8.7k Followers

YA fantasy: A PRAYER FOR VENGEANCE and TO A DARKER SHORE / adult romcom: MY KIND OF TROUBLE / sadder but wiser / autistic / fat / 🌈 / 🇮🇹 / theater / (she/they) Repped by: Alex Land/Mad Woman Literary

https://linktr.ee/leanneschwartz

PostsRepliesMedia
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 11, 2026, 3:56 PM

I was incredibly honored to speak with JJ about my disabled librarian book and unspeakably saddened to learn of his passing last month. Please join me in honoring his work by listening to some of his amazing interviews in his Disability in Libraries and Information Studies journal.

@hesherman.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 9:19 PMReposted by @schwartzwords.bsky.social

Ohio high schoolers sought $800 to put on canceled show "She Kills Monsters" off campus. They raised $8,800 and the show will go on.

@amlibraryassoc.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 8:18 PMReposted by @schwartzwords.bsky.social

“These book challenges are happening in every corner of CT, and what I’m most concerned about is the quiet censorship that doesn’t make it into the news.” - Sam Lee, co-chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee at the Connecticut Library Association.

https://bit.ly/4hRAYQy

#BannedBooksWeek

@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 2:32 AM

My teacher group chat is horrified, for the kids affected and the safety failure.

@judithlynne.bsky.socialOct 7, 2026, 2:11 PMReposted by @schwartzwords.bsky.social

Y’all do realize that @bookshop.org is offering free shipping for their Anti-Prime Days sale, right?

When you like buying BOOKS.
Https://bookshop.org

(Yeah, they carry all my books too.)

Covers of great books under $5 right now at bookshop.org
@raxkingisdead.bsky.socialOct 6, 2026, 9:57 PMReposted by @schwartzwords.bsky.social

a little louder for the cheap seats in the back

One of the biggest myths is that men rape by mistake. Like, "Oh, they need consent training." But research is very clear: Sexual violence is not a mistake. It is an intentionally made decision by people who know they don't have consent. They just don't prioritize consent over things like status, power, domination, and sexual gratification.
For my research, I got a certificate of confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, so my notes couldn't be subpoenaed. One of the reasons I call them perpetrators in my work is because every single person I interviewed confessed in that context. The first question I would ask them was, "When you received that email from Title IX that you were under investigation, did you know what it was about?" Every perpetrator I interviewed said "yes." If sexual assault were a miscommunication, you would be wondering, What have I possibly done wrong? That is not the way that any of them reacted because they knew.
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
"I THINK THE LIBRARY SHOULD BE A PLACE OF MORE IMAGINATION
RATHER THAN REFLECT
ONLY ONE KIND OF PERSON OR ONE KIND OF LIFE."
-My Kind of Trouble
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
Why not just apply a rating system to books like the MPAA is used for movies?
Just as we see with the MPAA, ratings assigned by institutions can be debatable. And who would sit on the committees to assign those ratings to books? The same people who have organized to create lists of books with content flagged in order to get those books banned across the nation? Such a system is likely to target books with LGBTQA+ characters, books by BIPOC authors, books addressing senstive topics in any way they disapprove of.
And again, a ratings system would restrict access and therefore still constitutes a ban. Different families may have different ideas about what their different children should read. Individual guidance and choice with a collection currated by empowered librarians best upholds intellectual freedom.
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
Types of Book Bans
Book Challenge: anattempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group." Challenges are not merely expressing disapproval of book or other materials, but actively seeking to limit all others' access as well.
Restriction/reclocation: Even "only" restricting access, like moving books out of the youth section or requiring parent/ guardian permission for checking out, constitutes a ban because it removes prior access to materials.
Book Banning: the removal of challenged materials Soft or Passive Bans: librarians, admins, district officials, boards, and other officials preemptively removing or preventing the purchase of materials
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
IF YOU HAVE
5 MINUTES...
CALL A DECISION MAKER
Call school and library administrators and board members, city councilpersons, and elected representatives to ask them to support the right to read!Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
IF YOU HAVE
15 MINUTES...
CHECK OUT A BANNED BOOK
Circulation matters! Circulation data can be used to support keeping challenged books on shelves and to justify ordering more books by the same authors or on the same topic.
BUY A BANNED BOOK
Censorship doesn't just harm libraries and schools; it also impacts writers, publishers, and booksellers. Support the people who make and sell books by buying them!Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
IF YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES...
WRITE A LETTER OR E-MAIL
Write to local school and library boards and elected officials to ask them to defend the right to read for the entire community. Make a public statement for the right to read by writing a letter to the editor in your local paper. Finally, a letter can show library staff, educators, authors, and vulnerable readers that you support them!
PLAN TO ATTEND A MEETING
While decisions about book bans and library policies are being made at all levels of government, some of the biggest battles are being fought locally.
Plan to attend local board and city council meetings to let officials know that many people (including you!) support access to information and oppose censorship.Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
IF YOU HAVE AN HOUR OR MORE...
VOLUNTEER AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY
Find out how these essential community institutions do so much more than just check out books!
START ORGANIZING!
No one person or organization can tackle censorship alone. Rally in support of our schools and libraries by bringing together your friends, family, and other members of the community in a shared cause: fighting censorship!
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
OCT 19-25, 2026
THE PLACE WITH THE MOST BOOK BANS
PRISON BANNED
BOOKS WEEK
CHECK OUT
RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT
PRISON BOOK
CENSORSHIP AND HOW TO HELP AT PRISONBANNEDBOOKS
WEEK.ORG
Prisons are the largest censors in the United States.
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
Authors
Against
Book Bans
authors, illustrators:
join AABB
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
Unite
Against
BOOK bans 
Book resumes 
this is an
AMAZING
resource
book banners share accusations to attack books across the country, and now we have info ready to defend them!
BOOKMARK THIS SITE!
https://bookresumes.uniteagainst
bookbans.org/
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
• Share resources
• Contact decision makers
• Tell a librarian when you appreciate their work and
CC their director and board
• Check out, buy, and donate banned books by living, marginalized authors
• Write to your local school and library boards
• Authors: Join Authors Against Book Bans
• ATTEND!! LOCAL!! MEETINGS!!
• AND DONT PRE-CAPITULATE TO CENSORSHIP
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
What We Can Do
"We just need to help all of those folks get LOUDER.
-My Kind of Trouble
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
• Book bans deny parents their rights to choose for their own families
• Book bans harm kids
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/book-bans-harm-kids
• Book bans steal all our freedom
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Studies show that access to diverse materials and choice in reading materials increases young people's confidence and mental health.

“Some people want to erase us all.
The clubs and books for every kid,
showing every kid-disabled too-
they say we exist. That it's okay
that we do. As we are.
That's life changing.
Life saving for some kids."
-My Kind of Trouble

Book Bans Harm Kids

Censoring what children read deprives them of reality and the chance to feed
their curiosity and develop empathy

BY THE EDITORS

https://www.scientificamerican.com
/article/book-bans-harm-kids
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
The Chilling Effect is Real
• The fact is, well never know the true number of books kept off shelves due to the book ban crisis because of soft/passive / preemptive bans.
• A quarter of librarians who have faced challenges say the experience affected their future decisions about buying books.
• More than 9 in 10 school librarians have not bought a book due to potentially controversial topics.
• More than half of all teachers report self-censoring, citing weak leadership/ lack of administrative support as the number one reason for censoring their instructional materials.
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
Today's censorship campaigns are not spontaneous expressions of community concern; they are organized initiatives driven by political actors and well-funded book banning movements."
Sarah Lamdan
Executive Director, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
@schwartzwords.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 1:47 AM

Banned Books Week
Organized Campaigns
Chart showing 
PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL TITLES
TARGETED BY ORGANIZED CAMPAIGNS,
The majority of library censorship remains tied to organized campaigns. Pressure groups and the decision makers they influenced targeted 7,884 total titles in 2025.
From 2001-2020, this constituency tried to remove an average of 46 titles per year. From 2021-2025, they targeted an average of 5,238 total titles annually.
Data compiled by ALA's Office for Intelletual FreedomBanned Books Week
Chart showing Number of Unique Titles Targeted for Censorship, 2016-2025 highest two year back and second highest this year 

5,000
Current record
4,240
4,235
4,000
3,000
2,571
2,452
2,000
1,858
1,000
208
259
218
276
231
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Data compiled by ALA's Office for Intelletual Freedomh
Older posts
Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyCommunity StandardsHelpGet the app

Grilled Cheese is a product of Village Compute

Version devBuilt at: 2026-10-11 02:37:10 EDT