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!
• 
  
• 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

Erica Perl's school visit was cancelled. She fought back. And won.

Erica writes about the experience over at School Library Journal, My School Visit was Cancelled. I Fought Back and Won.

Why was the visit cancelled? As Erica explained:

a parent had complained because of a social media video I had made celebrating Pride month. In it, I mention that Snail, a character in my Whale, Quail, Snail early reader series (illustrated by Sam Ailey), is nonbinary. Most snails are. “It’s a fiction series,” I add, “but that’s a fact.”

There's much more to the story, like Erica having a strong contract, a background as a lawyer, and the school wanting to penalize the librarian who had booked the visit by making the librarian pay out of her own pocket -- and how Erica fought that, too.

Erica sued, and won – the school paid her fee. As she explains, 

It’s not the win I wanted, because that would have had me standing in front of a gymnasium full of elementary school students.

...

In my case, one parent prevented an entire elementary school student body—over 400 kids—from having an author visit. That is a shame because, as any school librarian will tell you, author visits are transformative.

Read the full piece.

We are in a frustrating moment where intolerance to diversity is rampant. Standing up to injustice is really important, and I applaud Erica's standing up for herself -- like standing up against any injustice, it helps others, too!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Roald Dahl Re-Written in the name of "Protecting Children"

If you haven't caught up on this yet, here's an Feb 2023 article from The Guardian. And in a March 2023 piece in Publishers Weekly, Kenny Brechner weighs in about what's at stake when we censor works -- even when it's done with the best intentions.

As reported in the Guardian, 

Augustus Gloop, Charlie’s gluttonous antagonist in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which originally was published in 1964, is no longer “enormously fat,” just “enormous”.

Some commentary highlights:

“If we start down the path of trying to correct for perceived slights instead of allowing readers to receive and react to books as written, we risk distorting the work of great authors and clouding the essential lens that literature offers on society,” tweeted Suzanne Nossel, the chief executive of PEN America

“The reasoning applied to the censorship of Roald Dahl’s books, which believes that books should be altered to fit a particular sensibility of the moment to shield children from harm, can be universally applied to all children’s books, and by a multiplicity of sensibilities. The effect of having an Artificial Intelligence algorithm operating on all books in digital form, altering them to suit a particular sensibility before reprints, is substantially the same idea as the Dahl process. We could easily see multiple altered versions of the same book suited to competing social and political mores and values.... Books are a constant while their readers age and change over time... To alter them to suit a present perspective is to undermine the opportunity for understanding and reflection.” wrote Kenny Brechner

After the backlash to the censorship of Dahl's books in the UK, Entertainment Weekly reported that the US editions will remain unchanged. And the UK will publish the original versions as the "classic" versions.

The new language used in the UK, as reported in the Guardian article, was "reviewed in partnership with Inclusive Minds, a collective working to make children’s literature more inclusive and accessible." And while that goal is laudable, should we be going back in time and revising past works, or focus inclusion and accessibility efforts on new titles?

It's a fascinating debate - especially troubling in this time of books being banned by the people in power for including underrepresented people they don't like.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Nyle Vialet Urges us to "Stand Up to Censorship in Schools"

In this Publishers Weekly piece, Stand Up to Censorship in Schools, Nyle Vialet, editorial project manager at Wise Ink Creative Publishing, considers the recent controversy of a Pennsylvania school district banning books that “are about, or written by, people of color.”

Nyle goes on to say,

“Banning books and resources that are connected to people of color and racism not only ensures the embedding of white-centric thinking in a new generation of children, but it ensures censorship of minority stories and voices.”

and

“It has been hard work to get to the point where minorities can see, read, and hear stories from people of color, and attempts to silence these voices should not be taken lightly.”

and

“Make no mistake: books are power, and this ban is a fight over who gets to hold it.”

It's an excellent article. Read it in full here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Censorship on the Rise Worldwide - Ed Nawotka Updates International Censorship for Publishers Weekly

SCBWI member Lawrence Schimel – and the censorship his children's books showing families with two moms and two dads has faced in Hungary – is featured in the article Censorship on the Rise Worldwide.

Some quotes from the article:

Schimel, an American living in Madrid, has published dozens of LGBTQ-themed works for children and adults. “It’s important for all families, not just those who are LGBTQ, to see and read these books which show just how normal these families are,” he said. What a Family! is now sold in Hungary with a sticker, warning readers that it depicts families “outside the norm.” It was originally published as two books in Spanish, and Orca Book Publishers is releasing it as two books in the U.S. in September.

and

in July, the government of Belarus moved to dissolve the local branch of PEN after the freedom of speech organization released a report showing 621 instances of human rights violations, including arrests and imprisonments, against culture workers in the first six months of 2021.

and 

It has long been known that the Chinese government keeps a close eye on which books are distributed there and maintains control of the issuing of ISBNs. Officially, censorship is not a state policy. Publishers have long held that if a book does not become too popular or influential in China, it will be tolerated. But unofficial policy is flexible, and recent trends have shifted toward a narrowing of what is considered acceptable.

Read the full piece here. 

Thanks to SCBWI member translator Avery Udagawa for sharing with me, so I can share with you. 

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

A New Kind Of Censorship: One-Star Bigotry on Goodreads

Have you heard about what's been happening to debut YA author Laura Silverman @LJSilverman1 ? (This Huffington Post article by Claire Fallon, Neo-Nazi Trump Supporters Are Going After YA Books Now is a good catch-up.)

Laura's book, Girl Out Of Water (May 2017, Sourcebooks Fire) isn't out yet. The review copies aren't out yet. But suddenly the book's goodreads account had more than 1,500 ratings of the book. The book that almost NONE OF THEM, unless they were personal friends with the author, could have possibly read.

At first, the pile-on was of haters, and one-star reviews, including one that said she was "literally worse than Hitler." Laura sounded the alarm,

And then many people (including some famous authors) added their supportive 5-star reviews. As of this writing, the book's goodreads page had over 1,750 ratings and 506 reviews. And a 4.77 rating.

The Huffington Post article stated that according to Kathryn Lynch, a publicist at Sourcebooks, "Goodreads was able to remove the troll reviews and ratings by early this week."

Is this the new battleground for censorship? And is the response by a community trying to support an author under attack by adding their own 5-star reviews diluting the whole purpose of a community-based book review site? Is the real culprit the anonymous element, that people can create goodreads accounts not tied to their actual identities, and do so just to attack people like Laura?

I don't profess to have all the answers. But as we observe #BannedBooksWeek and celebrate the freedom to read, it's clear that these questions are something our community needs to engage with.

Illustrate and Write On,

Lee

ps - Goodreads did not respond to a request for comment.

Have you been following the "A Birthday Cake For George Washington" Controversy?

It's also being discussed with the hashtag,

#slaverywithasmile

In the aftermath of the controversy regarding how slavery was depicted in the picture book "A Fine Dessert" in the last months of 2015, this story has been unfolding in the past few weeks.

You can read up about it at Betsy Bird's Fuse #8 blog on School Library Journal here, or in the Ron Charles Washington Post article here, or listen to the story on npr here.

The short version? The picture book had a "sanitized" portrayal of slavery, which at first had very little reaction, then a backlash with Scholastic defending the title on January 15, and then two days later announcing they were pulling the title from shelves.

As the Deborah Menkart article, Under Pressure, Scholastic Recalls Racist Children's Book, in Huffington Post Books explained,

The School Library Journal called the book "highly problematic" and Kirkus Reviews labeled it "an incomplete, even dishonest treatment of slavery." But neither of these critical reviews generated a public response from Scholastic.

It was not until a grassroots campaign by librarians, social justice organizations, #BlackLivesMatter activists, journalists, and others that Scholastic took the extraordinary step of recalling the book. 

That January 18th article ran with this image of the book's front and back covers under the banners "Protest Victory: Recalled!"

On January 22, the National Coalition Against Censorship chimed in, and their response to Scholastic pulling a book off shelves because it "may give a false impression of the reality of the lives of slaves and therefore should be withdrawn" was fascinating. The NCAC's statement included this:

While it is perfectly valid for critics to dispute a book’s historical accuracy and literary merit, the appropriate response is not to withdraw the volume and deprive readers of a chance to evaluate the book and the controversy for themselves. In the case of A Birthday Cake for George Washington, a book is gone that generated important discussions about how our nation creates, perceives, and perpetuates narratives about slavery and slave ownership.

Those who sought the removal of A Birthday Cake for George Washington and those who acceded to that request should recognize that other books they might consider valuable could be vulnerable to the same fate–censorship in the face of controversy. This outcome is likely to have a chilling effect, leading authors and illustrators to hesitate in taking on racially sensitive or politically controversial topics for fear of public outcry and reprisals. Pulling books out of circulation simply because they cause controversy is the wrong decision.

It's worth considering what are the lessons we can all learn going forward--for authors, illustrators, even for publishers? Because that "chilling effect" of future books avoiding potentially controversial topics (which would certainly include many representations of diversity) is a chilling outcome to consider.

What are some of the lessons you see from this?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Wednesday Tweet Roundup: #BannedBooks Edition

It's humpday which means it's time for me to share some of my favorite tweets of the last week from the many writers, illustrators, editors, agents, and publishers who are out there sharing information and joining in the conversation on Twitter.

Click on the Twitter handles (@name) to find each tweeter's page should you wish to follow them or read more of what they're saying. Follow the included links to read the articles or blog posts these tweeters recommend.

Remember--whether you're signed up with Twitter or not, you can read tweets and click links to find helpful blog posts, useful articles, and timely news bits (like the ones below).

This week's roundup is dedicated to Banned Books Week. If you didn't know if was BBW, you'd find out once you visited Twitter which is all a-chirp with blog discussions, lists of banned books, ways to celebrates, and overall indignation as the Twitterverse exercises its freedom to read via its freedom to tweet. Now where is my copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD?


BANNED BOOKS WEEK ACTITIES TWEETS

@NortonCriticals: #BannedBooks Week is happening from September 25 to October 2. Check out a list of events from @ALAlibrary at http://bit.ly/aqjgLq.

@AAKnopf: #bannedbooksweek What you can do: http://ow.ly/2KAWV

QUOTES FROM BANNED BOOKS TWEETS

@JadenElyse: It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes -J.D Salinger, Catcher in the Rye

@Cal_Humanities: "[I]t was...considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals."-Lowry, The Giver.

@danavshelley): "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." To Kill a Mockingbird

DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO TWEETS

@BookStoreDude: I don't know about you, but everytime I see a list of banned books, it makes me want to read them more.

@blanghinrichs): If you've read Harriet the Spy http://amzn.to/aJkdQ3, you'll know she is bit of a subversive herself. Be subversive and read

@JustWriteNow: On #bannedbooks, why we love forbidden fruit, and how censorship doesn't pay:... http://fb.me/KaHzmd8L

MAYBE IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORDS MEAN THEY WON'T BE CORRUPTED BY THE LITERATURE TWEETS

@maureenjohnson: Trying to ban the dictionary is [struggling to find words] is.... insane.

@gnke: Hmm, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate challenged in CA? And the entry in question is not "hypocrisy". Blown away.

BANNED BOOKS LISTS TWEETS

@KirkusReviews: The most challenged books of 2009? Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT and Lauren Myracle's TTYL, among others. http://tiny.cc/tlyn6

@PenguinPbks: http://huff.to/aeqodi Huffpost - #BannedBooks 10 Books people most want banned

@KorrieM :Top 100 Banned Classics http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/index.cfm

@laurenchaikin: Dumb people are dumb. http://tinyurl.com/2f68xld

@randomhouse: 15 Iconic Movies Based On #bannedbooks http://cot.ag/doXkSq

BANNED BOOKS BLOG TALK TWEETS

@QuotablesHQ: We're hosting a Banned Books Week Blogathon over at the Quotables blog, find out more >> http://bit.ly/9nErg8

@juliaakarr: We're talking #bannedbooks all week at The League of Extraordinary Writers. http://tinyurl.com/29o3mjp

@DGLM: New blog post! Banned Books Week http://tinyurl.com/29akvcd

@GoodBooksInc: Happy #bannedbooks week everyone. Here's a little essay by Prongs on the subject. Hope you like it http://bit.ly/cByXnB

@RasoirJ: At last, Banned Books Week is here. Roundup of current controversies: http://tinyurl.com/263tmap

@broncofashion: NEW on the #blog, a little rumination (and a few suggestions) on #bannedbooks: http://bit.ly/9g08qP

@harperteen: Check out Chris Crutcher over on the Greenwillow blog and celebrate #BannedBookshttp://bit.ly/dhD8Lx

@RasoirJ: Heroic #Librarians: Judith Krug - founder of Banned Books Week: http://tinyurl.com/263tmap

@Margo_L_Dill: I'm talking about Banned Books Week 2010, And Tango Makes Three, Crank, The Chocolate War. Join me, please! http://t.co/RBYmFe

JUST WHO ARE THESE BANNERS? TWEET

@erinfaye: Curious about who, exactly, bans books? Here's your answer: http://banned-books.com/bborgs.html

WHY BANNED BOOKS ARE 'BAD' TWEETS

@erinfaye: The Wizard of Oz was banned for referring to witches as "good." Yes, really.

@KS_Books: More #BannedBooks week fun: Crazy reasons books have been banned. http://ow.ly/2KBLe

@boldtype: The most absurd logic behind famously #bannedbooks: http://ow.ly/2LbjR

@abookmama: South Africa banned the book "Black Beauty." Find out the ridiculous reason why at http://wp.me/pYH5i-gg

@gregpincus: Why Are Parents Banning Books- from the BBC on challenges in the US and less so in the UK: http://bbc.in/9UhLjX

I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE READ THEM IF YOU DIDN'T TELL ME NOT TO TWEET

@V_Motter: The funny thing about #bannedbooks is that most of the ones that I have read, I haven't liked. http://tinyurl.com/2eo5nkm

GAGA TWEET

@politelibrarian: Celebrate Band Book Week @ your library! http://t.co/5wWSkW6

TWILIGHT TATTOOS, ANYONE? TWEET

@GoodBooksInc: Anyone out there have a tattoo inspired by a #bannedbooks or a contriverseal literary work? Looking for tattootues submissions!