Book Ban Week 2025 (Oct 5 - 11) - "Censorship is So 1984"

October 5- October 11 is the 2025 Banned Books Week! 

The 2025 Banned Books Week theme this year is— Censorship Is So 1984. Join the movement! Book bans have been on the rise, and as censorship continues to rip through our community, now, more than ever, we need to be the loudest!

"During Banned Books Week—and especially on Saturday, October 11, the Let Freedom Read Day of Action—we must make noise together. Here’s how we can stand up:

• Defend our fundamental rights to read and speak freely by proudly using them.
• Speak out on behalf of those already targeted, intimidated, or silenced. Read and share their stories.
• Voice your concerns about censorship in a letter to the editor or by calling your elected representatives. Ask them to defend the right to read in your community.
• Gather to support our libraries and librarians, teachers and students, authors and bookstores."

-United Against Book Bans, ALA

On October 11, take action to "help defend books from censorship!" Stand up for those in our community—writers, publishers, educator, libraries, and booksellers! Here are some Promotional Tools to help amplify and spread the word about this year's theme.

"Show us how you’re taking action on social media by using the hashtags #LetFreedomReadDay and #BannedBooksWeek!"

Join the SCBWI staff! 

On October 7th, SCBWI will be posting pictures of their favorite banned book and why! Let the world know why you like the book and why it is important! Take a picture of your favorite picture book (early reader, middle grade, young adult), and post it on your social media. Show them that our voices can't be silenced!

Banned Book Resources

Here are some resources to continue the fight beyond Banned Book Week!

• Banned and Challenged Books Bookshop 
• A expansive list of banned books that you can purchase to help support creators

• SCBWI Banned Book Video Playlists
• Check out SCBWI's Banned Book Playlist, full of panel discussions with industry professional, censorship activists and more!
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• Consider joining organizations that are on the front line of the fight!
• Unite Against Book Bans
• Pen America
• Authors Against Book Bans

Visibility. Joy. Hope.

Small acts of activism.

Big forms of resistance. 

Our voices cannot be silenced,

Or our stories, erased. 

Our stories need to be heard.

We shall be heard.

Together, we are strong.

-Justin Campbell