Banned Together compiled by Ashley Hope Pérez

It’s not often that one sees a title with starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, but a new book intended for high school students achieved just that. Dedicated to “brave readers everywhere who persist when cowards try to erase stories and communities from libraries,” BANNED TOGETHER is edited by Ashley Hope Pérez and illustrated by Debbie Fong. In order to chronicle “Our Fight for Readers' Rights,” Pérez has compiled contributions (essays, poetry, drawings) from sixteen authors like Ellen Hopkins, Kyle Lukoff, and Nikki Grimes whose work has been challenged or banned. Also included is a short graphic novel type story about The Vandegrift Banned Book Club in Leander, Texas. Booklist says, “this collection movingly reminds readers of the power they have against censorship.” Check out a copy today. 

Another tool for restricting information is to limit library funding as evidenced in a recent executive order intent on dismantling "the only federal agency dedicated to sustaining the entire museum and library ecosystem in the United States." Please see the American Libraries Association page of FAQs about the recent executive order impacting IMLS, The Institute of Museum and Library Services. The ALA suggests several actions to take now. More information is available through news stories such as those found at The Conversation, the Associated Press, and NPR or from other advocacy groups like EveryLibrary.

Banned Books Week 2024

Do not forget that it is Banned Books Week ... click on the banner below for links to all kinds of activities and downloads from the American Library Association and Unite Against Banned Books:

10 to 25 by David Yeager

10 TO 25 by David Yeager is subtitled “The Science of Motivating Young People” and is self-described as “A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation—And Making Your Own Life Easier.” I am honestly not sure how “groundbreaking” this text is, although it seems likely to make relationships easier as Yeager stresses the responsibility of involved adults to adjust their own mindset, setting high standards while intentionally becoming more aware of young people’s need for respect. Building on case studies and interviews with successful mentors, 10 TO 25 offers an important perspective and provides numerous helpful suggestions for working with the next generation. Yeager is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and has conducted research with Carol Dweck (Mindset), Angela Duckworth (Grit), and Gregory Walton (Ordinary Magic, forthcoming). His dozen chapters deal with taking action related to traits like Transparency, Questioning, and Belonging. The final section, called Putting It into Practice, includes specific “activities and pieces of advice” related to key ideas. Encouraging readers to keep a journal as they work through the exercises, Yeager notes that he uses these interventions in his own work and co-developed them with Rosalind Wiseman (author of Queen Bees and Wannabes). That section is an excellent summary and guide; it is followed by an extensive (roughly twenty percent of the book) series of notes and references. Booklist calls 10 TO 25 a “goldmine…” We have ordered this title and know it will receive much interest, especially at this high energy time of year as schools are opening.

The Genius of Judy by Rachelle Bergstein

How many Judy Blume books have you (or your children and maybe even grandchildren) read? Judy Blume was a popular author at our house and we still have signed -with love- copies of Freckle Juice and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, plus photos of our children meeting her. But her writing was controversial, too; Blume was “the country’s most-banned author in the mid-1980s.” And, unbelievably, one of her books was just banned statewide in Utah (more from The Guardian). In a newly published book called THE GENIUS OF JUDY Rachelle Bergstein explores “How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us.” The tone is slightly academic, but the stories about how Blume started writing and the impact she is still having are fascinating. Bergstein includes a timeline and offers over two dozen short chapters on topics important to Blume and her readers (e.g., pre-teen girls, rebellion, divorce, censorship). My favorites were the last two which deal with Libraries and Legacy. I am proud to recommend Judy Blume’s books and am so grateful for the impact she had on our family and many others. THE GENIUS OF JUDY is a LibraryReads selection for July. 

Interested readers may also want to watch the documentary, titled Judy Blume Forever, currently streaming on Amazon Prime:

 Indeed, her stories are OUR stories.

This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

It is World Press Freedom Day and I'm posting a review of a novel which deals with censorship:

THIS BOOK WON'T BURN by Samira Ahmed (Hollow Fires and Internment) is filled with anger. The main character, Noor Khan, is a high school senior whose family circumstances force a change in schools in the last quarter of her senior year (yes, hard to believe that other options would not exist in real life). And Noor is understandably upset when she, her Mom, and her freshman sister move from suburban Chicago to a small town in downstate Illinois where they are one of the very few families who are not white or Christian. It is an adjustment for everyone, but Noor channels some of her anger into publicly reading banned books – and faces detention, multiple threats, and physical violence as a result. Fortunately, she is supported by new friends, Juniper with her girlfriend Hanna, plus Fasi, another student with desi heritage. One of the best aspects of Ahmed’s novel is the way she casually introduces many books that have been challenged such as Anger is a Gift, Monday’s Not Coming, All Boys Aren’t Blue, When the Moon was Ours, Fahrenheit 451, and many more.

Too bad that the preview for THIS BOOK WON'T BURN did not include a list of all of those titles. It also seemed rather unrealistic that 500 books would be simultaneously removed from a single school library. Even in Texas (the state with the dubious honor of hosting the most book challenges recently) where a school district near San Antoino pulled 400 books at one time, it was noted that “Most of those [titles] are appropriate and will stay on our library shelves as is.” Ahmed’s novel is set in Illinois with an activist librarian who would also likely have had a more robust review process in place. Ahmed raises a very important issue, but she tends to employ caricatures (a school board President who would try to run down a student with a car?). For example, she explicitly calls out MAGA supporters and Liberty Moms, but even though the book’s publication coincides with this week’s celebration of the second annual Little Free Library Week, Ahmed does not give her readers any information about groups like Little Free Library or mention recycling a used newspaper kiosk; even AARP offers suggestions to create these yard libraries. THIS BOOK WON'T BURN would benefit from an appendix of related resources -- like the ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom or PEN America (and PEN teaching guides) or the Texas FReadom Fighters or even the lawsuits brought by other publishers who devote web pages to the topic and provide links to an action toolkit.

THIS BOOK WON'T BURN received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus summarized it as follows: “A timely story about silence as complicity, defending freedom, and the courage to fight against hate.” Readers may also wish to investigate The Asian American Foundation and their annual STAATUS Index Report.  

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business, explains “How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” I have referenced Haidt’s writings multiple times over the past few years, including his work with Jean Twenge and articles in diverse publications like The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. In his newest book, he focuses on Gen Z (those born after 1995) and argues that the decline in play-based childhood and its being supplanted by device-based activities have had an extremely detrimental impact on this cohort. His own summary states: “my central claim in this book is that these two trends -- overprotection in the real world and under protection in the virtual world -- are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became ‘the anxious generation’.” THE ANXIOUS GENERATION has four main parts; one looks at facts about teen mental health since 2010; another explores the changes in parenting style as it became increasingly overprotective and fearful; next, Haidt describes the ways phone-based childhood disrupts development (sleep and social deprivation, lowering attention spans; and addiction).

The final section provides research-based ideas on steps to take, especially his four “foundational” reforms: more unsupervised play; no smartphones before high school; no social media before age 16; and phone free schools. That sounds unrealistic, doesn’t it? Haidt draws on his social psychology background to explain collective action problems like the case where a few students have phones and/or social media accounts and then put pressure on their peers, who in turn pressure their parents. He cites examples of voluntary coordination like the group Wait Until 8th and advocates for technological solutions (e.g., lockable pouches, better basic phones) and increased regulation. Several chapters deal with what government, tech companies, schools, parents, and young people can do. He condenses his recommendations to Speak Up and Link Up, ironically providing many resources via an online portal: AnxiousGeneration.com.  Deeply researched and fascinating – THE ANXIOUS GENERATION will be on our shelves soon.

The Breakthrough Years by Ellen Galinsky

THE BREAKTHROUGH YEARS is the latest parenting text from Ellen Galinsky, a well-respected researcher and prolific author who is currently President of Families and Work Institute. In this lengthy (560 pages) book, she presents “A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens.” As she begins to outline the structure of her book, she highlights pleas from teens to address questions like: Why don’t adults understand us? and Why do adults have such negative views of teenagers? This echoes the sentiments expressed in the recently published Underestimated, although that text takes a decidedly less scientific tone. Galinsky notes five main messages which teens want to share: (1) Understand our development; (2) Listen and talk with us, not at us; (3) Don’t stereotype us; (4) We are trying to understand ourselves and our needs; and (5) We want to learn life and learning skills. Galinsky describes relevant research, including copious quotes from adolescents (ages nine to nineteen, per her definition). For example, she discusses emotional regulation, how adolescents learn to manage emotions, even the benefit of strong emotions, and then continues with a look at “the vital connection between rewards, motivation, and learning.” Perhaps the most helpful, though, are Galinsky’s thoughtful suggestions like those she offers for rethinking adolescence and seven reasons (e.g., protective instinct, fear, etc.) for why we experience difficulty in reframing negative attitudes towards teens. 

For each of the five key messages listed above, she repeats a pattern of quotes from teens; reflection on the message (with comments from adults and parents); and then a detailed and segmented overview of relevant science and summary lists (e.g., four components of foundational executive function skills) and proposed actions. The text’s layout with multiple subheadings, italics and bold typeface aids the reader’s comprehension. Frankly, there is SO much here to digest and apply that Galinsky’s text could easily provide a valuable yearlong one book-one school read. Roughly twenty percent is devoted to notes and bibliographic citations; she also provides an amazing list of the dozens of researchers and thought leaders interviewed. THE BREAKTHROUGH YEARS received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“Overflowing with insight backed by scientific rigor, this is an essential companion for parents of adolescents.”) and very positive comments from experts like Lisa Damour, Angela Duckworth, Kenneth Ginsburg, Adam Grant, and Daniel J. Siegel. PLEASE NOTE: Family Action Network is hosting a Zoom session with Ellen Galinsky on Tuesday, April 16th at 7:00 pm. Watch their website for details on how to register. 

Added: Recording of the program (about an hour) is now available.