1: Gender Queer: a Memoir
2: All Boys Aren't Blue
3: This Book is Gay
4: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
5: Flamer
6: The Bluest Eye
7/8 (tie): Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
7/8 (tie): Tricks
9: Let's Talk About It
10: Sold
In May 1953, ALA delegates met with members of the American Book Publishers Council (a parent organization of the Association of American Publishers) in Rye, New York. From that conference emerged The Freedom to Read Statement that begins with the phrase, “The freedom to read is essential to our democracy,” and included seven propositions, the first being, “It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.” It was transmitted to ALA for consideration at its 1953 Annual Conference in Los Angeles, June 21–27. Continue reading from The Freedom to Read.
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. By focusing on efforts to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas. Continue reading from Banned and Challenged Books.
Freedom to Read Statement (American Library Association)
Library Bill of Rights (American Library Association)
History of Comics Censorship (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund)
ALA: Number of Unique Book Titles Challenged Jumped Nearly 40% in 2022 (NPR)
Action Toolkit (Unite Against Book Bans)
State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools (PEN America)
How to Fight Book Bans and Challenges: An Anti-Censorship Toolkit (Book Riot)
