Author: Maren Williams

Pensacola Principal Cancels Little Brother Summer Reading Program

In a move reminiscent of South Carolina’s months-long battle over Fun Home at the College of Charleston, a high school principal in Pensacola, Florida last week cancelled a One School/One Book summer reading program because he thought Cory Doctorow’s Little…

Judy Blume: Let Kids Choose What They Read

After more than 40 years in the business, beloved children’s and YA author Judy Blume knows both young readers and the censorious impulses of some adults very well. Speaking recently at the annual Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts…

Why Is LGBT Romance “Too Adult” For All-Ages Comics?

There is a common refrain that we often hear when children’s books with age-appropriate LGBT themes are challenged in schools and libraries. While there are still plenty of detractors, who bluntly declare same-sex relationships to be “unnatural,” these days there…

Twitter Complies With Pakistan Censorship Requests

Not so long ago, Twitter stood out among social media companies for its defense of free speech. Unlike Facebook, which has a habit of blocking content first and asking questions never, Twitter and its chief lawyer Alexander Macgillivray tended to…

Oishinbo Manga Suspended Amidst Nuclear Furor

The long-running manga Oishinbo, which raised a stir in recent weeks by suggesting a link between the Fukushima nuclear meltdown and health problems suffered by area residents, has suspended publication under heavy criticism from local Japanese governments and Prime Minister…

The Bluest Eye Restored to Durant High School Library

Victory in Durant, Oklahoma! Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye has returned to library shelves at Durant High School after a review committee earlier this week denied a parent’s request to have the book removed. Michele Williams challenged the book’s presence…