One of the best safeguards against censorship in libraries and schools is grassroots support for free expression. Of course tenacious librarians and teachers, fair-minded board members, and carefully crafted policies all play a role, but an overwhelming community rebuke to a book challenge virtually ensures that it will fail. This Banned Books Week, CBLDF and our partners in the Kids’ Right to Read Project are proud to unveil a brand-new action kit for students and parents organizing in defense of a challenged book.
The 23-page Kids’ Right to Read Action Kit is embedded below and also hosted on NCAC’s website. Inside you’ll find: definitions and FAQs about censorship and book challenges; advocacy tips; responses to common objections raised against controversial titles; and even sample letters for kids and parents to send school or library administrators in defense of the right to read.
Of course, if you do find yourself in the midst of a book challenge battle, you’re not alone! Don’t hesitate to contact anti-censorship advocacy organizations like NCAC (ncac@ncac.org) and–particularly if the book is a comic or graphic novel–us here at CBLDF (info@cbldf.org).
Check out the action kit below! The Kids’ Right to Read Project is sponsored by NCAC, CBLDF, and American Booksellers for Free Expression, and supported by the National Council of Teachers of English and the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
NCAC Action Kit by betsy.gomez on Scribd
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