Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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How to Fight Book Bans
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Thank you for sharing, these look interesting.
Red, Wine and Blue has another Troublemaker Training book ban edition webinar coming up soon if you want to learn how to make "good trouble."Ready to stand up to right-extremists causing chaos at our school boards? Want to defeat calls for book bans in your schools? How do you effectively get people to join together? What tactics can you use to impact issues in your community? Join us to discuss -- and make your voices heard in your community!!
https://secure.everyaction.com/cvWCes...
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ACTIVITIES
Book Drives and Distributions
Assembling Pet Toys for Shelter Animals
Fundraising for Little Free Libraries
Beach and Park Clean- Ups
Installing Butterfly Gardens at Schools
Running Food Drives
Eco Brothers, Inc. is achieving more with our initiatives than ever before. We work on many exciting projects to help improve the lives of others, and are very proud of the progress we continue to make. Learn more about what we do, who we help, and how we work every day to promote positive change.
Join EveryLibrary for a Facebook Live event on June 29, 2023, at 7 PM EDT, as we showcase the highly anticipated documentary, "97 - the Fight for the Freedom to Read" with author Jodi Picoult, three brave high school graduates from Beaufort fighting censorship and the team at Atomic Focus, the film's producer. RSVP TODAY!
Please RSVP now to learn more about the documentary and get reminders about the event.
https://www.everylibrary.org/the_97_f...
This inspiring documentary, which is in the middle of production, dives into the local story of the struggle to reinstate 97 books that were banned from Beaufort school libraries and the larger national struggle for intellectual freedom and the right to read.
RSVP TODAY!
Will we see you on Facebook Live on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at 7 PM EDT?
It explores the courageous fight put forward by students, families, teachers, librarians, and communities who refuse to stay silent, and the expanding activism of the students as they meet with famous authors, librarians, educators and political leaders on the local, state and national level.
It is a gripping testimony to the power of individuals to create meaningful change.
EveryLibrary
http://www.everylibrary.org/
Mod
You can usually watch Facebook Live without Facebook accounts. I've only watched a few from public accounts though. I registered even though I don't do Facebook. it's listed as a business page which should be public.register https://www.everylibrary.org/the_97_f...
I wonder if they disabled their e-mail to avoid being harassed and threatened? I have a friend in that area. I'll see if she knows how to contact the school. She has told me they're very ultra right-wing, conspiracy theory types and her family has lost longtime friends over politics.
You can maybe relay a message through: John Chrastka · john.chrastka@everylibrary.org
Start a mobile library or book fair.Adam Powell and Eric Cervini converted a used school bus into a mobile library called the “Rainbow Book Bus” to offer LGBTQ books to students in school districts that have banned such texts.
They call it a "queer book fair" nationwide and online
https://shopqueer.co/collections/book...
They raised 81% of funds already with almost 3k supporters!
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp-vide...
How fun! The teens in my area would go crazy for that!
ALA 2023: Experts and Allies Supply Librarians with Information and Tools to Fight Censorshipcommunity engagement
Get to know local elected officials, especially school board members, and to call or fax elected officials.
-Don’t email,
-conduct postcard campaigns, recommending postcards created by WNDB, which features the command, “Let Me Read!” that are featured on the WNDB website resources for librarians confronting book bans.
freedom to read advocates need to find our message and our messengers and repeat things over and over again.
Stop feeding the rage farming, not to reply to DMs or inflammatory comments. Get comfortable with disagreements. Calling out hypocrisy just incites backlash.
Emphasize what individuals and organizations challenging books are “taking away from people in your community," without using short labels like "Nazi.”
Library supporters should message how book challenges negatively impact libraries and also the children who need access to them and their collections. And sometimes mockery and humor can be most effective.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
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Watch the upcoming documentary 97 about a group of high schoolers from Beaufort, SC fighting book bans in their schoolhttps://www.97documentary.com/
Run for school board
Vote - 3 million kids are turning 18 this year!
Engage with the people who say "This is a hoax!"
https://www.fightforthefirst.org
Join a banned books club
Be involved in your community
For teens from teens: "Be respectful! Don't give anybody a reason to undermine your success. Be kind. Be natural. Use your voice. Know that you matter. Don't make anybody feel you are a nobody."
Teachers educate your students, use your voice.
Help support publishing companies.
Spread the word!
facebook.com/EveryLibrary/videos/9499...
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“When people injure you, feel sympathy rather than outrage or anger. Your sense of good and evil may be the same as theirs, or near it, in which case you have to excuse them. Or your sense of good and evil may differ from theirs. In which case they’re misguided and deserve your compassion.”
Claim your FREE "Support Your Local Librarians" sticker!Fill out this form, and we'll send you your free "Support Your Local Librarians" sticker. Then consider chipping in to support your local librarians by helping MoveOn defeat the GOP’s attacks on our libraries
https://act.moveon.org/survey/support...
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You can donate to moveon.org. They keep asking me for a recurring donation and I just don't have that kind of money.You can send a check payable to MoveOn Civic Action here:
https://act.moveon.org/donate/civ-don...
MoveOn Civic Action, PO Box 96141, Washington, DC 20090-6141
order more stickers from their store
https://store.moveon.org/products/sti...
For teachers from Summer Bonner who was fired for sharing an LGBTQ+ book with her class. Sarah Bonner is a 20-year experienced middle school language arts teacher. She is a certified reading specialist and an assistant professor of middle-grades literacy for the University of North Carolina Wilmington Watson College of Education. She is a co-author of Igniting Social Action in the ELA Classroom (Teachers College Press, 2022).
1.Build communities of trust. Trust is something that is built over time and needs nurturing, but it begins with listening. Engaging students in activities like listening circles and restorative practices can broaden perspectives and promote mutual understanding. Had these parents afforded me the opportunity to share my thoughts on the subject matter and simply listen, I’m confident that things could have ended differently. It’s essential to listen to our students’ families and understand their perspectives, but teachers deserve the same courtesy.
2.Support all students. Having Juno Dawson's book in my classroom is a choice I would make over and over again. If I were a student in the LGBTQ+ community witnessing this outcry, I would feel unsafe, fearing that I could be the next target. All students need reassurance that they are supported and protected.
3. Encourage curiosity. This experience reminded me that it’s important to make time for lots of questions. Curiosity is a form of love. When I ask questions, it’s because I care about the answer and the opportunity to learn from you. As educators continue to be scrutinized, we must continue to nurture curiosity—both in ourselves and our students. For administrators, supporting innovative teaching practices of educators creates a space of growth and autonomy.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learn...
In MichiganStay informed with Michigan Reads
https://www.mirighttoread.com/about
How to fight book bans : a tip sheet for students
https://pen.org/how-to-fight-book-ban...
For teachersEncourage parents and school board officials to read the books in question.
Talk with people challenging specific titles to understand their concerns and motivations.
Counter misinformation and incorrect labeling of LGBTQ+ books.
Use the appeals process at your school or district to have the challenged book(s) reviewed by a committee.
Ensure the review committee includes students, parents, educators and potentially administrators.
Rally community members, parents, students and fellow educators against the book ban.
Voice your concerns at school board meetings or city council sessions. The American Library Assn.’s Unite Against Book Banks site has a guide to help you.
Recognize that local battles over book content are as significant as, if not more so than, federal or state-level developments.
Create a Banned Books Week event or lesson at your school. This year’s Banned Books Week takes place Oct. 1 to 7, and you can download promotional materials such as posters, fliers, shelf talkers and even trivia templates at the website dedicated to the event.
Educate students about the history of book censorship in the U.S. and efforts to censor inclusive learning in schools. The American Federation of Teachers, a national teachers union, offers lesson plans for this topic on its website.
Consult the Freedom to Read Foundation website for legal insights, advocacy strategies and community networks.
Stay informed about any developments related to the book ban and continue advocating for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ literature in educational settings.
Report book bans! Fill out the American Library Assn.’s book challenge reporting form; PEN America’s book ban reporting form; the National Coalition Against Censorship’s reporting form; and the National Council of Teachers of English censorship incident reporting.
In LA, educators can request virtual sets of LGBTQ+ ebooks from the public library that students can access in their classrooms. The library has about 44,000 LGBTQ+ ebooks.
Schools and teachers can request physical LGBTQ+ books from the public library for permanent or long-term use in their classrooms.
The public library can establish a virtual library collection just for a school, giving its students first crack at those ebooks instead of requiring them to join a public queue.
Request LGBTQ+ books for the classroom:
GLSEN’s Rainbow Library program sends LGBTQ+ affirming text sets to schools across the country. Any full-time staff member at a district, magnet, charter or independent school is eligible to request a book set. Rainbow Library also offers a guide to LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum for educators.
The Pride and Less Prejudice campaign supplies free LGBTQ-inclusive books to classrooms from pre-K through third grade.
Hope in a Box provides public school educators with carefully curated sets of LGBTQ-inclusive literature, specialized curriculum for these books and community guidance for establishing LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms.
https://www.latimes.com/california/st...
Kathryn and any other parents out there can download the parent playbook from Red, Wine and Blue. It is a resources that resource to help you fight back against far-right extremism in your kids' schools! It contains tons of helpful information like:How to organize a group within your community
Getting the message out on social media
The best ways to speak out at school board meetings
How to run for school board (Yes, you!)
https://secure.everyaction.com/E1T1y4...
Houston Moms (against book bans)Here are some ways to get involved and make your concerns known.
Start in your community. Recordings of past school board meetings are usually available online. Attend school board meetings in person, whenever possible.
Sign up to address your school board during the public forum part of your next school board meeting. Or if public speaking is not your thing, send an e-mail to communicate your support for a diverse and inclusive school library.
Contact your students’ teachers, librarians, principals, superintendents and board members. Tell them how much you appreciate their efforts to make sure school is a safe, inclusive space for all children- and if applicable, respectfully suggest ways you think they could do more to stop book bans. Ask how you can support them in these goals this year.
Pay attention and vote in local school board races. Heck, maybe even run! Read between the lines on any fear-mongering mailers you get. Research what hyper-partisan political organizations may be financially backing candidates for these non-partisan positions. Elections are usually held in November or May, and voter turnout is often VERY low.
Use your social media platforms to inform and engage others, and encourage them to speak up in support of students’ rights to read a wide range of inclusive and diverse books. The loudest voices in this fight right now seem to be those who support banning and restricting books, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Resources to Report and Combat Censorship and Book Bans
Get the Book Ban Buster “Parent Playbook” published by Red, Wine and Blue.
Report censorship to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and find resources for more support.
https://houston.momcollective.com/boo...
Know Your Book Banners: Families Engaged for Effective Education (Texas)https://franklinstrong.substack.com/p...
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If you use social media, talk about the books. Hype them to other families, educators, concerned citizens. Make the general public aware that this isn't just about current schoolkids, but has ramifications for all civil liberties for everyone.
Alert your local school board about crisis actors in other locations. BookRiot has a templatehttps://bookriot.com/book-censorship-...
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https://bookresumes.uniteagainstbookb...
For example, somehow Alma and How She Got Her Name is under attack. See the defending pdfs:
https://bookresumes.uniteagainstbookb...
https://bookresumes.uniteagainstbookb...
Today is national Librarian Day!The last few years have been rough for librarians.
EveryLibrary suggest we send an email to your Representatives to show them that Americans still support their libraries!
My senator is one step ahead. He's already donated funding to purchase children's and YA materials at the community libraries in the capital city.
The “Reading Refresh” program is a significant overhaul of the library system’s print and digital collections made possible by a $100,000 federal earmark secured by Reed.
“Our libraries offer so much more than books. They are community centers that help Rhode Islanders learn new skills, identify opportunities for growth, and find new passions that help enrich our lives,” said Senator Reed, a leading champion of childhood literacy and public libraries. “I was proud to help secure $100,000 for CLPVD to update and expand their collections for youth across Rhode Island. The ‘Reading Refresh’ program will help get more kids reading books that interest them. This program will ensure kids have well stocked libraries at home, a host of opportunities to learn online, and will continue to build enthusiasm for learning both in and out of the classroom.”
Some of the community libraries are desperately in need of this money. Some of the schools don't have money for books either. The other Senator sat in on the book ban hearing. Guess he got the message loud and clear. I'm ASSUMING I hope correctly, the new media will be relevant to the population. They've been doing great in my community but this is the one neighborhood that has money to buy books for the library.
Mod
And if you get a chance to talk to them, or write a letter to the editor, or address a board, consider this:
"... the key to developing a strong argument is understanding your weak points. In this case, my siblings were right about the logical side of my proposal. There was not much sense to what I'd suggested. So I would appeal to their hearts instead of their heads."
From At the Bottom of the World by Bill Nye and Gregory Mone.
May 3Freedom to Learn (about race/racial issues)
National Day of Activation Guide
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGCEJRY...
Social Media Toolkit
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGBY5Ut...
https://www.saveschoollibrarians.org/...?SEND AN EMAIL: Support School Librarians In Your State
Please! Send an email to your state representatives to support funding for school libraries in your state.
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https://chng.it/kFt4bsKp2N to directly sign the petition at change.org
https://blog.archive.org/2024/06/17/l... to learn more at Internet Archive.
Banned Books Week is coming up in September. Book Riot and Authors Against Censorship have suggestions on what WE can do to fight book bans.https://bookriot.com/a-new-era-for-ba...
Maggie Tokuda-Hall asks:
"As a founding member and national leadership team member of Authors Against Book Bans, I am so proud to suggest a list of action-oriented events we are suggesting to our membership, but also the literary community at large. Whether you’re a school, a book club, or an indie bookstore, or just a group of people who care a lot. Each of these events will put the focus on communities in need, the city hall, school board, and state legislatures where the decisions around book bans are made, and the down-ballot voting that is our most effective tool at winning this fight long-term.
Make being a book banner an unelectable offense, and we still stop seeing candidates use bans as a springboard for their own political relevance. Show book banners that we are not afraid of them, and they too will scurry back to the shadows of irrelevance where they belong.
This year, Banned Books Week will take place from September 22-September 29 and we are hoping it will be the most impactful Banned Books Week yet. It’s an invitation to all of us to put a spotlight on this issue and use it as a galvanizing force to protect our children. Not from the books like Everyone Poops (which was banned for being p____graphic in Huntington Beach. Yes, seriously) but from the forces that would see our children cheated of a wiser, bigger, more resilient version of themselves. That we should lose this fight and cede public education to far-right extremists is not a foregone conclusion. The vast majority of Americans disagree with book banning. But similarly, the vast majority of Americans aren’t paying attention to book banning.
So. Panels are helpful for raising awareness. Displays can move titles that often get forgotten. By all means, do those, too. But this year, Authors Against Book Bans suggest that we focus on concrete actions like these:
*Statehouse, Town Hall, or Public Library Read-In: This kind of event is great to build community around this issue, and to protest bad legislation or decisions that have been made, or to call attention to the issue where there is legislation coming to the floor (such as OH or CA). It builds community around the issue and can also be a venue for a banned book drive if a local indie bookstore is willing. You can either have the event at one of these public places or you can have the event at a bookstore and then lead a banned-book march to the public place.
*Postcard/Letter writing party to support librarians/school leaders/legislators: Host a party to write and send postcards to the librarians at each school and local branch in your district telling them you are in their corner and that librarians are not alone to celebrate their hard work for leading the fight for the freedom to read.
*Banned book sale/drive to ship to a community in need: Raise funds or physically sell books to be shipped or taken to a community in need. You can also do this in places where book bans are a problem. This can be done in front of a city hall or statehouse to draw attention, or at an independent bookstore.
*Voter registration event: For these events, you are just collecting and encouraging voter registration with the goal of increasing turnout and communicating the necessity of “down ballot” voting, ie: voting on things other than the presidential campaign, which is considered the top of the ticket.
Lastly, no matter who you are, or how isolated you may be in your community on this issue right now, please know: you are not alone. None of us are alone in this fight. There’s a proud tradition of those who have fought for the freedom to read, and now we are all a part of that tradition. The literary community is, absolutely for the better, in this together. We are a powerful, passionate, smart group of people. We know more, because we’ve taken the care to actually read. And, most importantly, there are more of us than there are of them.
This is a fight we can win. "
Banned Books Week is coming up in September. Book Riot and Authors Against Censorship have suggestions on what WE can do to fight book bans.https://bookriot.com/a-new-era-for-ba...
Maggie Tokuda-Hall asks:
"As a founding member and national leadership team member of Authors Against Book Bans, I am so proud to suggest a list of action-oriented events we are suggesting to our membership, but also the literary community at large. Whether you’re a school, a book club, or an indie bookstore, or just a group of people who care a lot. Each of these events will put the focus on communities in need, the city hall, school board, and state legislatures where the decisions around book bans are made, and the down-ballot voting that is our most effective tool at winning this fight long-term.
Make being a book banner an unelectable offense, and we still stop seeing candidates use bans as a springboard for their own political relevance. Show book banners that we are not afraid of them, and they too will scurry back to the shadows of irrelevance where they belong.
This year, Banned Books Week will take place from September 22-September 29 and we are hoping it will be the most impactful Banned Books Week yet. It’s an invitation to all of us to put a spotlight on this issue and use it as a galvanizing force to protect our children. Not from the books like Everyone Poops (which was banned for being p____graphic in Huntington Beach. Yes, seriously) but from the forces that would see our children cheated of a wiser, bigger, more resilient version of themselves. That we should lose this fight and cede public education to far-right extremists is not a foregone conclusion. The vast majority of Americans disagree with book banning. But similarly, the vast majority of Americans aren’t paying attention to book banning.
So. Panels are helpful for raising awareness. Displays can move titles that often get forgotten. By all means, do those, too. But this year, Authors Against Book Bans suggest that we focus on concrete actions like these:
*Statehouse, Town Hall, or Public Library Read-In: This kind of event is great to build community around this issue, and to protest bad legislation or decisions that have been made, or to call attention to the issue where there is legislation coming to the floor (such as OH or CA). It builds community around the issue and can also be a venue for a banned book drive if a local indie bookstore is willing. You can either have the event at one of these public places or you can have the event at a bookstore and then lead a banned-book march to the public place.
*Postcard/Letter writing party to support librarians/school leaders/legislators: Host a party to write and send postcards to the librarians at each school and local branch in your district telling them you are in their corner and that librarians are not alone to celebrate their hard work for leading the fight for the freedom to read.
*Banned book sale/drive to ship to a community in need: Raise funds or physically sell books to be shipped or taken to a community in need. You can also do this in places where book bans are a problem. This can be done in front of a city hall or statehouse to draw attention, or at an independent bookstore.
*Voter registration event: For these events, you are just collecting and encouraging voter registration with the goal of increasing turnout and communicating the necessity of “down ballot” voting, ie: voting on things other than the presidential campaign, which is considered the top of the ticket.
Lastly, no matter who you are, or how isolated you may be in your community on this issue right now, please know: you are not alone. None of us are alone in this fight. There’s a proud tradition of those who have fought for the freedom to read, and now we are all a part of that tradition. The literary community is, absolutely for the better, in this together. We are a powerful, passionate, smart group of people. We know more, because we’ve taken the care to actually read. And, most importantly, there are more of us than there are of them.
This is a fight we can win. "
Do This: PragerU: Coming To A School Near YouAugust 8, 2024 | Cost of Extremism, Easy A
https://redwine.blue/easy-a/?utm_camp...
Now that you know about the extreme-right ideology being taught in public schools using PragerU materials, you’re probably wondering what you can do to stop it.
Whether you’re in one of the four states that approved PragerU (Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma) or you’re trying to keep your state from becoming the next one on that list, the good news is, there are things you can do.
Regularly talk with teachers and school administrators. This is how you learn what is going on at school, and how you let them know you’ve got their back.
Volunteer in your local school(s).
Go to school board meetings.
Have conversations with people in your community about your schools. Many of us are busy and just assume everything is okay unless we hear otherwise, so let people know what is going on.
Get parents involved. Ask everyone you know who cares about your schools to join you in supporting them.
Be the biggest cheerleader for schools in your community. Promote school activities and showcase the hard work educators are doing everyday to help children become well-educated, better citizens.
More ideas
https://secure.everyaction.com/E1T1y4...
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https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/b...
"Find the areas hit hardest by book bans and the nearest Little Free Library book-sharing box locations! We developed this map in collaboration with PEN America and the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom...."
*I see so many poorly tended and even completely abandoned LFLs. And when I do talk to a steward, they report that their LFL doesn't get a lot of traffic. I hope I'm just not visiting the right ones, that I have had bad luck!
We have several in my non-book banning neighborhood. I take books and send them to Florida, replacing them with other books I have on hand the neighbors might like to read. Not all the book boxes are official. I've seen some that are the same idea and also cafes and other public places have take a book, leave a book. In Jacksonville, Florida, they have a whole network of little diverse free libraries.
https://www.904ward.org/lfdl
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The Florida Freedom to Read organization is wonderful and working hard to get books in the hands of kids who need them. They will accept donations of new and lightly used books, especially Black history books. I live in a city on the bus route in a subdivision where people are always out walking their kids and dogs. There's even a little library in the park at the playground and I've seen them near schools and libraries as well as in the subdivision. I don't know how well used they are but I keep peeking in and dropping off books when I have them.
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Cheryl wrote: "Um, but, I couldn't find an address for sending books when I went to fftr. I did send them a message through 'contact us' though."That's what I did and they sent me a couple addresses.
Try
Rebel Readers Florida
https://rebelreaders.org/
Rebelreadersflorida@gmail.com
904WARD
40 East Adams Street, Ste. 34, Jacksonville, FL 32202
https://www.904ward.org/lfdl
Organize a book drive for Banned Books Week to distribute to Little Free Libraries. Share the love on social media.https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/b...
Share a banned book in a Little Free Library, snap a photo, and post it on social media with #bannedbooksweek. Don’t forget to tag Little Free Library!
Choose a book to share from our Bookshop.org Banned and Challenged Books list.
Download the LFL mobile app. If you are a steward who shares banned books, turn on the Banned Books indicator for your library.
If you are a patron, select the Banned Books indicator to find book-sharing boxes near you that champion this issue.
Show your support for Banned Books Week with the social media graphics in the toolkit below! Want to show your support all year long? You can proudly display our “This Little Free Library Shares Banned Books” sign, downloadable library window sign, or “I share banned books” graphic.
Donate to Little Free Library to help make all books — including banned books — accessible to everyone
Take action to help defend books from censorship and to stand up for library staff, educators, writers, publishers, booksellers, and readers!
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
At the Bottom of the World (other topics)Alma and How She Got Her Name (other topics)
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (other topics)
Grandad's Pride (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Maggie Tokuda-Hall (other topics)Maggie Tokuda-Hall (other topics)
Bill Nye (other topics)
Gregory Mone (other topics)
Juno Dawson (other topics)
Jun 20-Aug. 3
https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org...?