The growing movement to ban books
As attempts to ban or restrict books nearly doubled in 2022 over the previous year, reaching a record high in the U.S., public libraries and school districts have become new battlegrounds for the nation’s ever-present culture wars.
The increasing censorship by activists, religious groups, politicians and even parents has largely affected people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, PEN America recently found. Here are some of our stories about the issue.
The Temecula Valley School District rejected a curriculum because one book mentioned Harvey Milk, a prominent gay politician. Newsom took offense.
Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ was added to the book bans taking over Florida elementary schools
Texas lawmakers have set new standards and ratings for sexually explicit material in order to ban books from public and charter school libraries.
Salman Rushdie made an emotional and unexpected return to public life Thursday, accepting a special prize at the annual PEN America gala.
Actor, author and ‘Reading Rainbow’ founder LeVar Burton joins Times readers May 24 to discuss the State of Banned Books.
PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House filed a federal suit against Escambia County School District over its removal of books from school libraries.
Public libraries funded by taxpayer dollars may be easy targets for those who fail to ban books they consider offensive.
With democracy in crisis, we all need what too many eighth-graders (and adults) are missing — proficiency in American history and civics.
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In DeSantis they trust: Conservative parental groups and powerful politicians clash with parents, teachers and librarians who oppose the banning of books.
Actor and author LeVar Burton joins the L.A. Times Book Club May 24 to discuss the State of Banned Books.
Amid bans on teaching controversial topics related to race, Black families have embraced schools that affirm their African American heritage.
A reader praises the recent L.A. Times Festival of Books, held at a time when book bans are proliferating across the country.
“Banned Books,” one of the most popular panels at the Festival of Books, featured Angie Thomas, George M. Johnson and some sharp students from Fairfax High.
Joan Baez talks about her shift from music to writing and illustrating, including her book “Am I Pretty When I Fly?”
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Book bans in school libraries, spurred on by legislation pushed by conservatives, rose nearly 30% last semester, according to PEN America.
Joy Behar and ‘The View’ launch ‘Joy’s Banned Book Club,’ starting with a kids book about two male penguins who form a bond and raise a baby together.
‘Black history does not have an expiration date,’ says Jermaine Fowler. That’s why his wide-ranging new book, ‘The Humanity Archive,’ comes out Feb. 28
Puffin, the children’s imprint of Penguin, announced ‘The Roald Dahl Classic Collection’ after news that his original text had been altered drew criticism.
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Forty years after the launch of ‘Reading Rainbow,’ ‘Star Trek’ actor LeVar Burton is championing literacy programs for children with the documentary ‘The Right to Read.’
Conservatives vilify school librarians as “groomers and pedophiles” for stocking LGBTQ and racially themed books. “We have been cursed,” said one librarian.
Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” became the most banned book in American schools, drawing the Northern California artist and writer into the nation’s cultural wars.
Voting is essential in any democracy. So is memory. That’s why many states that enact restrictive voting rules also embrace book bans to suppress history and ideas.
You’d be forgiven if you thought the Western literary canon was on its last legs given all the handwringing in the media. It isn’t.
We parents should realize that we won’t always know which books are best for our kids. I found that out the day my son brought home “Captain Underpants.”
The PEN America report, released Monday, documents more than 2,500 book bans across 32 states during the 2021-22 school year
The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Assn. reported Friday.
