by Brian M. Puaca As popular anxieties regarding comic books intensified after World War II, the federal government decided to enter the fray in 1954 by holding Congressional hearings to investigate the link between the four-color publications and juvenile delinquency.…
There are fewer books on the shelves this year in the Keller International School District. Keller ISD, in Texas, removed forty-one books before the start of school this year. Last Tuesday, the day before classes started, principals in the district…
April ushered in two important reports on censorship in the past year. The American Library Association released its report on the “Top 10 Challenged Books,” and PEN America released its report “Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten…
Released in 2019, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe details eir journey to identify as nonbinary and asexual and how e learned to navigate family and society. It won both the Alex Award and the Stonewall Book Award in 2020 and…
Late last year, Texas State Representative Matt Krause sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency and superintendents across the state; included with the letter was a list of almost 850 books. Krause requested that each district list which of…
Another problematic bill has reared its ugly head in the state of Idaho this winter. First introduced in February, Idaho House Bill 666, a bill that criminalizes librarians (among others), passed the House on Monday. It is now moving on…
Interim Director Jeff Trexler recently sat down for an interview with Ian Rosenberg, author of the book The Fight for Free Speech, and recently with co-creator Mike Cavallaro the graphic novel Free Speech Handbook. Below you’ll find the video interview plus a transcript from…
NCAC (National Coalition Against Censorship) released a statement today signed by CBLDF and over 600 other organizations, publishers, bookstores, and individuals. The statement condemns the organized attacks occurring across the United States that have targeted books in schools by or…
Banned Books Week starts this month, running from September 26–October 2. Each week leading up to the event, we will profile one of the many spaces in the United States where books are banned. We’ll examine who is banning and challenging…
Flying Dog Brewery is proving itself once again as the brewery of free speech. Flying Dog is suing the North Carolina alcohol board for rejecting this year’s seasonal winter beer. The board decided the Maryland brewery’s “Freezin’ Season” Winter Ale…