The attempt to ban Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis from Chicago schools awoke immediate protest among students, teachers, parents, and free speech advocates such as CBLDF. The circumstances behind the ban are still unclear, but a recent opinion article in The Atlantic…
Category: Education
WTTW’s Chicago Tonight on PERSEPOLIS Ban
Last night, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight aired a 15-minute segment, trying to get to the real story about the reported Persepolis ban. Barbara Jones, Executive Director of ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, joined Lane Tech students and a representative from the Chicago Teachers Union to talk about the ban. Click through for video of the segment.
Furor Continues Over PERSEPOLIS Removal
Friday saw the quick action of CBLDF and other free speech advocates in defense of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, which was reportedly removed from the classrooms and library of Lane Tech College Prep in the Chicago public school district at the…
CBLDF Rises To Defense of Persepolis
Earlier today, educators, students, free speech advocates, and fans of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis were thrown into turmoil with reports that the book had been banned from Chicago’s Lane Tech College Prep. In response to the reports, CBLDF joined the Kids’ Right…
UPDATED: Persepolis Reportedly Banned In Chicago School
UPDATE: Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett has responded to reports that Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis has been banned from Lane Tech College Prep and other Chicago-area schools. Byrd-Bennett stated that the book is not appropriate for seventh graders — an age group…
Court Upholds Law that Led to Tucson Book Ban
The Huffington Post reports that a federal court judge has upheld most of the provisions Arizona’s HB 2281, “a law banning courses that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, foster racial resentment, are designed for students of a particular…
Carol Tilley on Her Wertham Research
A couple of weeks ago, researcher Carol Tilley proved to the world what many already suspected: anti-comics crusader Fredric Wertham lacked supporting scientific evidence for his conclusions and even fabricated some of his data. This week, Tilley wrote an eloquent…
Will Eisner Week Celebrates Graphic Novels, Free Speech
Each year, the week of March 6 brings us Will Eisner Week, “an annual celebration promoting graphic novels, literacy, free speech awareness, and the legacy of Will Eisner,” the father of the graphic novel. Will Eisner Week kicks off this…
THE POPULARITY PAPERS Stays in District Libraries
Last week, CBLDF and the Kids’ Right to Read Project defended two books in the Prosser, Washington, school district: A Child Called “It” and The Popularity Papers. At the time of reporting, the review board had elected to retain A…
YALSA Announces Great Graphic Novels for 2013
The Young Adult Library Services Association’s latest annual list of Great Graphic Novels is out! Books are nominated for inclusion on the list by members of YALSA, a division of the American Library Association, and then voted on by a…