Banned Books Week Booklist
The number of challenged and banned books has been surging in the past four years. When the number of challenges to books quadrupled from 156 to 729 in 2021, the American Library Association (ALA) released a powerful statement on book censorship that sums up the unconstitutionality of book bans. And two years later, individuals and organizations are still calling for voices to be eliminated from education systems and extracted from libraries, in larger numbers than ever before.
We agree with what the ALA stated in 2021:
We stand opposed to censorship and any effort to coerce belief, suppress opinion, or punish those whose expression does not conform to what is deemed to be orthodox in history, politics, or belief. The unfettered exchange of ideas is essential to the preservation of a free and democratic society.
The good news is that readers have a voice in this matter. You can help oppose censorship by reading, discussing, and sharing banned books.
Across the country, many of the books banned or challenged center BIPOC and LGBTIA+ themes and characters, so it’s fitting that Banned Books Week overlaps with the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. Browse some more ideas from the ALA here.
Here is our recommendations list of banned books that reflect Hispanic heritages and experiences:
