will be held September 22鈥�28. The theme of this year鈥檚 event is 鈥淐ensorship Leaves Us in the Dark,鈥� urging everyone to 鈥淜eep the Light On.鈥�
As we kickoff Banned Books Week 2019, let鈥檚 take a look at some of the聽. Since it鈥檚 important that we keep these books in the classroom and on the bookshelves, we鈥檙e paired each title with a teaching idea from聽听补苍诲听.
George聽written by Alex Gino
Written for elementary-age children, this Lambda Literary Award winner was challenged and banned because it includes a transgender child.
George聽is a聽聽from 2016. Read more about it in 鈥�.鈥�
The Hate U Give聽written by Angie Thomas
Despite winning multiple awards and being the most-searched-for book on Goodreads during its debut year, this YA novel was challenged and banned in school libraries and curricula because it was considered 鈥減ervasively vulgar鈥� and because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language.
As part of their study of聽The Hate U Give, students learn about the Black Lives Matter movement and in small groups conduct/share research about social issues key to the plot, characters, and themes of the book in聽. They then read and discuss nonfiction excerpts by James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates before synthesizing their understanding of all the texts under study through a communal idea poster and an individual synthesis and reflection project.
Drama聽written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
This Stonewall Honor Award鈥搘inning 2012 graphic novel from an acclaimed cartoonist was challenged and banned in school libraries because it includes LGBT characters and was considered 鈥渃onfusing.鈥�
Learn more about聽Drama聽and other texts with 鈥�.鈥�
Thirteen Reasons Why聽written by Jay Asher
Originally published in 2007, this New York Times bestseller has resurfaced as a controversial book after Netflix aired a TV series by the same name. This YA novel was challenged and banned in multiple school districts because it discusses suicide.
聽shares reasons why the issues in the book are聽issues are worth talking about so we can do something about them.
This One Summer聽written by Mariko Tamaki
This One Summer has only been on the list once before: in 2016, two years after its 2014 release. It is cited for profanity and sexual references.
“” written by Kristin Pekoll, Assistant Director of the American Library Association鈥檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom, encourages us to highlight the value of free and open access to information and shed a light on censorship.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian聽written by Sherman Alexie
Consistently challenged since its publication in 2007 for acknowledging issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and sexuality, this National Book Award winner was challenged in school curricula because of profanity and situations that were deemed sexually explicit.
Millie Davis, former director of NCTE’s Intellectual Freedom Center,聽 shared with us聽. Be sure to listen as Alexie talks about this title being banned.
狈颁罢贰鈥檚听聽offers advice, helpful documents, and other support to teachers and schools faced with challenges to texts or teaching methods used in their classrooms and schools.
How do you support the students鈥� right to read?