Banned Books

I have a lot of thoughts on banned books, mostly that we should stop doing it. Here's a place where I'll try to compile all my thoughts and resources on the subject. If you find anything that you think belongs on this list, email me on this blog's home page or DM me on Tik Tok.

"Since the 1800s, attitudes about which books are 'appropriate' for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences."

-Paul Ringel, The Atlantic, 10/1/2016 (link below)

Tik Tok @SurpriseItsJes

I like to talk about banned books and other library issues on Tik Tok. Follow me at @surpriseitsjes and feel free to interact! There is also a significant amount of mental health, LGBTQ+, and other content on my account, so as with any other social media, enter with an open mind and see what you vibe with. If TT would grace me with the playlists feature, my life would be a million times easier. But they won't. So here we are. 

The Realist Librarian (Paperclip Publishing Blog)

I write a series for the Paperclip Publishing blog where I answer questions about anything library-related. So far they've all been about banned books. I hope they inspire you to explore some of the links on this page and then do your own research on the subject!

• What's going on with the book bans? Part 1 (3/1/22)
• What's going on with the book bans? Part 2 (3/14/22)
• Shouldn't we ban "inappropriate" books for children? Part 1 (5/15/22)
• What is the Library Bill of Rights? (5/31/22)
• Which YA books would my nonbinary teen enjoy? (6/14/22)

News on the Texas Ban List

In late 2021, lawmakers in Texas proposed to ban a list of over 850 books from school and public libraries statewide. I've been following the case and will update as needed.

• My GoogleSheet of info about all the books on the list
• All 850 Books TX Lawmaker Matt Krause Wants to Ban (11/5/21 BookRiot)
• Students Protest Banned Books (3/7/22 Texas Tribune)
• Librarian Fired for Not Removing Banned Books from Shelves (3/18/22 KXAN)
• Books on race and Sexuality are Disappearing From Texas Schools in Record Numbers (2/2/22 NBC News)

Why We Shouldn't Ban Books: List of Resource Articles

• How Banning Books Marginalizes Children (10/1/2016 The Atlantic)
• Why Your Kid Should Read Banned Books (1/30/22 Common Sense Media)
• Banning Books is Not About Protecting Children. It's About Discrimination Against Others. (2/4/22 EducationWeek)
• What Students are Saying About Banning Books from School Libraries (2/18/22 New York Times)
• Banned Books: Top 3 Pros and Cons (4/4/22 ProCon.org)
• Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019 (American Library Association)