Total Instances of Book Bans by State, 2024-2025 (Data from PEN America)
Learn more about these stats: The Normalization of Book Banning
Contains themes or instances of violence and physical abuse
Contains topics on health and wellbeing for students
Contains descriptions of sexual experiences between characters
Contains characters of color or themes of race and racism
Contains LGBTQ+ characters or themes
Contains themes of grief and death
Book Résumés
Unite Against Book Bans has provided book résumés that contain information for educators about the valuable lessons that these banned or challenged books teach, resources relating to the book, and updates about the bans or challenges that the book has been facing. Below are 19 Jane Addams awarded books that have corresponding résumés.
The Jane Addams Peace Association stands with all organizations advocating for the right for writers and artists to freely express themselves, and for those fighting to keep their books in libraries and classrooms. Children’s books are the most frequently targeted titles, and there are ways they can get involved and their voices can be heard!
Here are some of the organizations that offer resources to fortify you in your struggle to uphold the right to freedom of speech, the right of every U.S. citizen, under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
How Can You Help?
Report Censorship
Report instances of censorship to the American Library Association here.
Raise Up Student Voices
In your letters, speeches, and conversations with others, don’t forget the readers whose books are being challenged in the first place.
- If your own children are affected, consider asking them if they would like to speak at a school board meeting or write their own letter to the editor.
- Check in with family and friends to see if they know other young people who want to share their stories.
- For examples of young people speaking up at meetings, scroll down to the Amplify Student Voices section of the NCAC Resources page.
Read Diverse Books
Search Jane Addams Award Books for BIPOC Authors, Illustrators, & Related Teaching Resources.
WNDB offers a master list of resources, focused primarily on children’s books by writers and artists of color as well as LGBTQ+ book creators.
These books have been challenged and removed with greater frequency than other books.
Educate Yourself And Others
The American Library Association
ALA offers a “clearinghouse of resources” for libraries and their allies.
Pen America
National Coalition Against Censorship
Like PEN America, NCAC has also aggregated articles on book-banning around the country and what actions may be taken to stop it.