Sometimes things that you see and read connect to each other, even though you don’t plan them to. Next month, there’s Readathin I saw Donna’s video, but I haven’t looked at the blog, which is where I typically find the prompts.
Hey Everyone,
As you know, I’ve been trying a new thing for me, where I share a book I love and provide a free ebook link to it, if possible.
I feel a ton of pressure talking about this book since it is Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights, by many authors. I have two points here as a reader and author of sorts. I’m shocked to learn that a massive number of books are getting banned weekly, which decisions are taken by a small group of people. If I ever make it as an author, my books will be banned for sure since they talk about queerness, invisible disability and less-than-perfect families.
When I was growing up, I dreamed of representation, but such books weren’t written yet, and now they are being taken off the shelves. If this is the way we view freedom of speech, I don’t get the meaning of the word freedom anymore. As harsh as this might sound, I feel that banning books that represent different groups of society is like prohibiting people from different groups of society for not belonging. In my opinion, this message can cause a lot of issues, especially mental health issues.
First Lines:
I am so excited you are holding this book! I have been dreaming of an anthology like this since 2021, when my novel Out of Darkness became one of the most banned books in the US. It has been removed
again and again from school libraries like yours, targeted by misguided adults who rarely bother to read the books they criticize. Book banners went hard after Out of Darkness, but they have also targeted many others. Thousands of books. Books carefully selected by trained librarians. Books that readers like you have a right to access.
I have watched, often feeling helpless, as hundreds of books disappeared from libraries like the one in the Texas high school where I used to teach. I took my students to the library each week, and the conversations we had inspired me to become the writer I am. I have shed a lot of tears, thinking of the books that today’s teens will never find.
Goodreads Blurb:
Books are disappearing from shelves across the country.
What does this mean for authors, illustrators, and—most crucially—for young readers?
This bold collection of fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres explores book bans through various lenses, and empowers teens to fight back. From moving personal accounts to clever comebacks aimed at censorship, fifteen legendary YA authors and illustrators confront the high-stakes question of what is lost when books are kept from teens.
Contributors include Elana K. Arnold, Nikki Grimes, Ellen Hopkins, Kelly Jensen, Brendan Kiely, Maia Kobabe, Bill Konigsberg, Kyle Lukoff, MariNaomi, Trung Lê Nguyễn, Ashley Hope Pérez, Isabel Quintero, Traci Sorell, Robin Stevenson, and Padma Venkatraman; the collection is a star-studded must-read that packs strength and power into every last word.
Striking illustrations from Ignatz-nominated artist Debbie Fong pair perfectly with the searing, impactful narrative. Resources include tips from the Vandegrift Banned Book Club and other teen activists, as well as extensive recommended book lists, a How to Start Your Own Little Free Library flier, and more.
Alex
Mybookworld24 
Definitely going to check it out. Thank you.
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