Banned Books Resources

Censorship continues to impact us all, but especially young readers. Take action to defend books from censorship and stand up for library staff, educators, writers, and bookseller. There are many ways to take action, like calling your school and library administrators, checking out a banned book, writing a letter to your local boards, or even attending a meeting.

ALA tracked 821 attempts to censor library materials in 2024 and 1,247 attempts in 2023 according to  a report from the American Library Association. Though the number of reports decreased year over year, attempts to censor books continue to exceed numbers prior to 2020. Reasons for decreased censorship include underreporting, censorship by exclusion, and legislative restrictions. 72% of censorship demands came from pressure groups and government entities like elected officials, board members, and administrators.

PEN America also released “The Normalization of Book Banning,” documenting public school book bans for the 2024–25 school year—the fourth year of what the free speech organization calls the “contemporary campaign to ban books.”

Between July 2024 and June 2025, the fourth school year of the book ban crisis nationwide, PEN America counted 6,870 instances of book bans across 23 states and 87 public school districts. For the third straight year, Florida was the number one state for book bans, with 2,304 instances of bans, followed by Texas with 1,781 bans and Tennessee with 1,622. Together, PEN America reports nearly 23,000 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts since 2021.

“No book shelf will be left untouched if local and state book bans continue wreaking havoc on the freedom to read in public schools,” said Sabrina Baêta, senior manager of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program. “With the Trump White House now also driving a clear culture of censorship, our core principles of free speech, open inquiry, and access to diverse and inclusive books are severely at risk. Book bans stand in the way of a more just, informed and equitable world. They chill the freedom to read and restrict the rights of students to access information and read freely.”

Lee & Low Speaks Out

Hear from Publisher Jason Low on how the escalation of book bans impacts Lee & Low and the industry as a whole, as well as his vision for publishing diverse children’s books into the future.

Find Support & Get Involved

We Are Stronger Than Censorship is aims to empower both readers and the publishing industry at large with a response to the surge in book banning that is positive, proactive, grassroots, and community-based.

Unite Against Book Bans is a campaign to empower readers to stand together in the fight against censorship. This information hub is for both awareness and, more importantly, action: it’s a one-stop shop for individuals to start their own grassroots movements. Visit the link to donate to the campaign or to join the impressive list of national partners from education, publishing, and other sectors.

Facing a book challenge? Book Résumés help defend books from censorship and detail each title’s significance and educational value. Download them to easily share with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members.

Get Ready, Stay Ready: Community Action Toolkit is is an effort by a group of parents and librarians who believe that the power is in community, in togetherness, in a collective outcry and a collective pushback against those who want to erase our stories , our history, our existence. Discovered curated resources including scripts for public speaking and writing, video presentations, training materials equipping you to learn more about (and fight back) censorship’s impact on education and society, tools for civic engagement, and a network of organizations across the country that are determined to preserve your child’s right to a high-quality education through intellectual freedom.

EveryLibrary helps public, school, and college libraries win funding at the ballot box, ensuring stable funding and access to libraries for generations to come. They have partnered with Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson to curate a Book Censorship Database.

Fight for the First is the first line of defense against attacks against the first amendment developed by EveryLibrary. Fight for the First empowers communities to act in defense of their constitutional right to free speech.

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB)fights book bans and champions diverse voices via its Books Save Lives initiative, supporting the creators and educators hardest hit by book challenges. WNDB also provides media training for activists and authors to better prepare themselves to present the importance of diverse books to the mainstream media.

PEN America provides tip sheets to students, authors, and librarians on how to oppose book bans and fight harassment. PEN America also filed federal lawsuits, along with publishers and authors, to challenge removals and unconstitutional restrictions that violate the rights to free speech for school libraries.

National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) is on a mission to promote freedom of thought, inquiry and expression and oppose censorship in all its forms. NCAC is a coalition of over 50 national nonprofits.

American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom actively advocates and educates in defense of intellectual freedom—the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession, and a basic right in our democratic society. A publicly supported library provides free, equitable, and confidential access to information for all people of its community.

READCON equips library workers with the skills to navigate challenging situations and build strong community relationships. We empower them to foster constructive dialogue, de-escalate tense situations, engage stakeholders and leaders, and develop positive messaging during crisis.

National Council of Teachers of English’s (NCTE) Intellectual Freedom Center recognizes that the freedom to read and other components of intellectual freedom are vital to literacy and our mission. Through the Intellectual Freedom Center, NCTE has for many decades offered guidance, tools, and other support to teachers faced with challenges in classrooms and schools pertaining to texts (e.g., literary works, films and videos, drama productions), student writing, and/or to teaching methods.

Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is a non-profit legal and educational organization affiliated with the American Library Association. FTRF protects and defends the First Amendment to the Constitution and supports the right of libraries to collect – and individuals to access – information.

National Education Association (NEA) believes every student, of every race and in every place, deserves the freedom to learn from a quality educator in a safe and just public school. Utilize their toolkit when advocating for the right to an honest and culturally inclusive education.

Authors Against Book Bans aims is to create a network of authors and illustrators to work in conjunction with a variety of national level organizations, as well as grass roots freedom-to-read organizations on a state-by-state level, for an effective, coordinated response against book bans and other threats to the freedom to read.

Read Banned Books

At Lee & Low, we truly believe that Books Save Lives. We strive to tell important stories that will connect with readers and make them feel seen. Support our creators and fight against book bans by reading one or all of these books during Banned Books Week and beyond!

Picture Books