Gallery of Books

When children read books about book censorship's dangers, they develop critical thinking and understand freedom of expression. The following list of books reveal how censorship limits access to diverse ideas, hinders learning, and often targets marginalized voices. By exploring historical patterns, children learn to value knowledge and resist suppression, empowering them to defend their rights and become informed, engaged citizens.

• Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club by Marc Brown

  • Arthur and his friends wait for the latest Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club book to hit the library shelves. When the book arrives, crowds of kids rush over-only to be told that the series has been banned! Arthur, Francine, Buster, and the rest of the gang make a plan. Can their scheme get their books back?

• Banned Book by Jonah Winter

  • "The words were dangerous." For as long as people have been expressing their opinions in writing, there have been those in positions of power who have succeeded in censoring those thoughts. In this timely and provocative parable, a book is first subjected to redaction, then removal from a library. What becomes of a banned book? Is it really just landfill fodder in the end? Readers must decide for themselves.

• Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

  • You're Never Too Young to Fight Censorship! In Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, a fourth grader fights back when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and taken off the shelves of her school library. Amy Anne is shy and soft-spoken, but don't mess with her when it comes to her favorite book in the whole world. Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books that will make you laugh and pump your fists as they start a secret banned books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and take a stand against censorship. Ban This Book is a stirring defense against censorship that's perfect for middle grade readers. Let kids know that they can make a difference in their schools, communities, and lives!

• Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

  • June Harper is a good kid. Nobody would ever call her a rebel until her parents take strict parenting to a whole new level. It starts with one book deemed "inappropriate" by June's parents. What follows is a massive book ban at Dogwood Middle School, and suddenly everything June loves--the librarian, books, an author visit--is gone. Then, June discovers a Little Free Library on her walk to school. When her classmates realize she has access to contraband, she (secretly) becomes the most popular girl in school. A risky reading movement begins at Dogwood, which could destroy June or gain enough power to protect the one thing she cares most about - the freedom to read!

• Your Voice Is Your Superpower by Jessica Bohrer; Sandy Bohrer

  • Everyone loves superheroes. Who doesn't? They're super! Some of them can fly. Some are strong. Some can become invisible. And some wear capes. But the thing that really makes them super is that they help people and change the world. And guess what? You have a superpower inside you. Your VOICE is your superpower. And because of a thing called freedom of speech, with that voice, you can express yourself, you can help people and you can change the world.

• Finally Seen by Kelly Yang

  • When ten-year-old Lina Gao steps off the plane in Los Angeles, it's her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and her little sister in five years! She's been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing, getting teased by kids at school who called her "left behind girl." Finally, her parents are ready for her to join their fabulous life in America! Except, it's not exactly like in the postcards: 1. School's a lot harder than she thought. When she mispronounces some words in English on the first day, she decides she simply won't talk. Ever again. 2. Her chatty little sister has no problem with English. And seems to do everything better than Lina. 3. They live in an apartment, not a house like in Mom's letters, and they owe a lot of back rent from the pandemic. And Mom's plan to pay it back sounds more like a hobby than a moneymaker. As she reckons with her hurt, Lina tries to keep a lid on her feelings, both at home and at school. When her teacher starts facing challenges for her latest book selection, a book that deeply resonates with Lina, it will take all of Lina's courage and resilience to get over her fear and choose a future where she's finally seen.

• The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil

  • Upon learning that the books with kids who look like her have been banned by her school district, Kanzi descends into fear and helplessness. But her classmates support her, and together--with their teacher's help--they hatch a plan to hold a bake sale and use the proceeds to buy diverse books to donate to libraries.

• • • Attack of the Black Rectangles by A. S. King

      • When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he's outraged. Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story. But who?

• • • Occulted by Amy Rose; Ryan Estrada

      • Survivor Amy Rose, Banned Book Club co-author Ryan Estrada, and artist Jeongmin Lee tell a haunting, inspiring tale of bravery and rebellion, about how to recognize those who try to control you, and how to fight back.

• • • Maudie and Me and the Dirty Book by Betty Miles

      • For Kate Harris, getting used to life in middle school means figuring out where to sit in the cafeteria, and avoiding kids like Maudie Schmidt. But then Kate and Maudie are thrown together in a school reading project, and a book that Kate reads to some first graders sparks an angry controversy. Kate finds herself in the middle as the whole town takes sides and demands for censorship grow. And in the midst of the uproar Kate discovers that Maudie is not only her staunchest ally, but a true friend.

• • • A Small Civil War by John Neufeld

      • When thirteen-year-old Georgia joins a crusade to fight the proposed banning of "The Grapes of Wrath" from her school system, she is shocked when other members of her family do not share her passion for the cause.

• • • The Last Safe Place on Earth by Richard Peck

      • In this book author Richard Peck uses insight and humor to take on the forces of censorship and fundamentalism in suburbia. When his sister is frightened so badly that she has nightmares, and a parent group tries to remove evil books from the school libraries, Todd begins to wonder what dark forces are at work in his quiet community.

• • • On the Subject of Unmentionable Things by Julia Walton

      • Phoebe Townsend is a rule follower . . . or so everyone thinks. She's an A student who writes for her small-town school newspaper. But what no one knows is that Phoebe is also Pom-the anonymous teen who's rewriting sex education on her blog and social media. Phoebe is not a pervert. No, really. Her unconventional hobby is just a research obsession. And sex should not be a secret. As long as Phoebe stays undercover, she's sure she'll fly through junior year unnoticed. That is, until Pom goes viral, courtesy of mayoral candidate Lydia Brookhurst. The former beauty queen labels Phoebe's work an "assault on morality," riling up her supporters and calling on Pom to reveal her identity. But Phoebe is not backing down. With her anonymity on the line, is it all worth the fight? Julia Walton delivers a brutally honest novel about sex, social media, and the courage to pursue truth when misinformation is rife.

• • • Americus by M. K. Reed

      • Neal Barton just wants to read in peace. Unluckily for him, some local Christian activists are trying to get his favorite fantasy series banned from the Americus public library on grounds of immoral content and heresy. Something has to be done, and it looks like quiet, shy Neal is going to have to do it. With youth services librarian Charlotte Murphy at his back, Neal finds himself leading the charge to defend the mega-bestselling fantasy series that makes his life worth living.

• • • The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff

      • Students and faculty at a high school become embroiled in a censorship case over Huckleberry Finn.

• The Importance of Preserving Democracy

  • Noodlephant by Jacob Kramer 

    • Famous for her pasta parties, Noodlephant is shocked when the law-loving kangaroos decide noodles are only for them! Noodlephant won’t let this stand—Noodlephants can’t survive on sticks and branches, after all. Determined to do something to push back against an unjust law, she and her friends invent a machine that transforms pens into penne, pillows into ravioli, and radiators into radiatori. With that, the pasta parties are back! But that very night, the kangaroos come bounding through the door… ready to enforce their unjust laws. A zany tale full of pasta puns, friendship, and one Phantastic Noodler, Noodlephant, written by Jacob Kramer and illustrated by K-Fai Steele, explores a community’s response to injustice.

• • The President of the Jungle by André Rodrigues, Larissa Ribeiro, Paula Desgualdo, Pedro Markun 

    • Lion may be King of the jungle, but lately he only seems to care about himself. His subjects are fed up, so they decide to try something new--hold an election! Once Owl explains the rules, the fun begins, and Snake, Sloth, and Monkey all announce they will be candidates. But oh no, Lion is going to run too! It's a wild campaign season as the animals hold rallies, debate, and even take a selfie or two, trying to prove why they'd make the best president of the jungle. This funny, non-partisan story features lively illustrations, a helpful glossary, and colorful characters who have an infectious enthusiasm for the election process.

• • Democracy for Dinosaurs by Laurie Krasny Brown, Marc Brown

    • Democracy has never been more at the forefront of the national conversation. Using a direct style and kid-friendly dinosaur art as an entry point into tough but important topics is the Dino Tales formula for success. Democracy for Dinosaurs takes key values on every parent's mind and gives them tools to showyoung readers how things they do every single day can be guided by principles we must share in a democratic society: freedom, fairness, the rule of law, equality, respect for free speech, and respect for the truth. By modeling accessible ways to practice being a good citizen, kids will see they are part of their country and that they have an important role to play.

• • Who are Community Leaders? by Martha E. H. Rustad 

    • All communities need leaders of some kind to help steer and shape them. Through their elected positions, jobs, or volunteer work, leaders are vital to a strong community. A question-answer format which kids can identify leaders' responsibilities and how leaders cooperate with all citizens to achieve shared goals.

• • What Does the Constitution Say? by Ben Sheehan 

    • If you've never read the Constitution, let this guidebook help you! Featuring fun facts, cool illustrations, and even hilarious jokes, What Does the Constitution Say? will help you understand how our American government really works. 

• • We the People! by Bryan Johnson 

    • In the late 21st century, a neurotechnology called Bridge has changed the world. Bridging allows a person to program their own body and mind to achieve untold enhancement. There was one problem: it only works in children. Within a single generation, a new world order developed. Bridged Children grew smarter, faster, and stronger than the adults, and demanded equal rights. The adults fought back. During the ensuing war, Adams, a prodigy among the Children, hid in seclusion on the Nordic coast. But when a family secret pulls him into the public eye, Adams must unravel the details of a sinister, mind-bending plot of global domination before it is too late.

• Right to Protest/Activism

  • No! : My First Book of Protest by Julie Merberg

    • Little ones who love to say "No!" can chime in while they learn about iconic activists from Frederick Douglass and Alice Paul to Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala.

• • A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara 

    • A is for Activist is an ABC board book written and illustrated for the next generation of progressives: families who want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and everything else that activists believe in and fight for. 

• • We Say No!: A Child's Guide to Resistance (Wee Rebel)  John Seven & Jana Christy

    • “In We Say NO! John and Jana’s wee playful anarchists return with a lovely and refreshing memo to their mates: Every rebellious NO! is also quite naturally an exquisite YES! No to war is yes to peace; no to hatred, an embracing yes to love; no to being labeled, sorted, measured, ranked, and judged, an empowering yes to one’s own distinctive humanity and potential agency.”―Bill Ayers, educator and author of Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident

• • Sometimes People March by Tessa Allen

    • With a spare, inspiring text and gorgeous watercolor illustrations, this is a timeless and important book for activists of all ages. This hardcover picture book is perfect for sharing and for gifting. Sometimes people march to resist injustice, to stand in solidarity, to inspire hope. Throughout American history, one thing remains true: no matter how or why people march, they are powerful because they march together.

• • Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights by Rob Sanders 

    • A primer for peaceful protest, resistance, and activism from the author of Rodzilla and Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag. Protesting. Standing up for what’s right. Uniting around the common good—kids have questions about all of these things they see and hear about each day. Through sparse and lyrical writing, Rob Sanders introduces abstract concepts like “fighting for what you believe in” and turns them into something actionable. Jared Schorr’s bold, bright illustrations brings the resistance to life making it clear that one person can make a difference. And together, we can accomplish anything.

• • The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts

    • But Sally notices everything—from the twenty-seven keys on the janitor’s ring to the bullying happening on the playground. One day, Sally has had enough and decides to make herself heard. And when she takes a chance and stands up to the bullies, she finds that one small girl can make a big difference.

• • The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson 

    • Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks intended to go places and do things like anybody else. So, when she heard grown-ups talk about wiping out Birmingham’s segregation laws, she spoke up. As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan - picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails! - she stepped right up and said, "I’ll do it!" She was going to j-a-a-il! Audrey Faye Hendricks was confident and bold and brave as can be, and hers is the remarkable and inspiring story of one child’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.

• • Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America by Emily Easton 

    • With a foreword from a Parkland shooting survivor, this lushly illustrated picture book introduces young readers to America's most influential protesters--from Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. to contemporary groundbreakers like transgender teen Jazz Jennings. Perfect for those not quite ready for Little Leaders and She Persisted. America has been molded and shaped by those who have taken a stand and said they have had enough. In this dynamic picture book, stand alongside the nation's most iconic civil and human rights leaders, whose brave actions rewrote history.

• One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson

  • In her New York Times bestseller White Rage, Carol Anderson laid bare an insidious history of policies that have systematically impeded black progress in America, from 1865 to our combustible present. With One Person, No Vote, she chronicles a related history: the rollbacks to African American participation in the vote since the 2013 Supreme Court decision that eviscerated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision effectively allowed districts with a demonstrated history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice.

• Voices Silenced: The Battle Against Voter Suppression in the USA by Crazy Carl 

  • Voices Silenced: The Battle Against Voter Suppression in the USA explores the historical and modern barriers that restrict voting rights, from literacy tests and poll taxes to gerrymandering and restrictive voter ID laws. It delves into the political and social impact of these tactics, highlighting key legal battles and ongoing efforts to safeguard democracy. Through analysis and real-world examples, this book sheds light on how voter suppression operates and what can be done to combat it.

• Buying the Vote: A History of Campaign Finance Reform 1st Edition by Robert E. Mutch

  • Are corporations citizens? Is political inequality a necessary aspect of a democracy or something that must be stamped out? These are the questions that have been at the heart of the debate surrounding campaign finance reform for nearly half a century. But as Robert E. Mutch demonstrates in this fascinating book, these were not always controversial matters. The tenets that corporations do not count as citizens, and that self-government functions best by reducing political inequality, were commonly heldup until the early years of the twentieth century, when Congress recognized the strength of these principles by prohibiting corporations from making campaign contributions, passing a disclosure law, and setting limits on campaign expenditures. But conservative opposition began to appear in the 1970s. Well represented on the Supreme Court, opponents of campaign finance reform won decisions granting First Amendment rights to corporations, and declaring the goal of reducing political inequality to be unconstitutional.

• Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer 

  • Who are the immensely wealthy right-wing ideologues shaping the fate of America today? From the bestselling author of The Dark Side, an electrifying work of investigative journalism that uncovers the agenda of this powerful group. In her new preface, Jane Mayer discusses the results of the most recent election and Donald Trump's victory, and how, despite much discussion to the contrary, this was a huge victory for the billionaires who have been pouring money in the American political system.

• Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell 

  • Now in paperback and with new material, a 2021 Kirkus Best Book of the year in both Nonfiction and Current Events, the book Naomi Klein called: “a triumph of political imagination and a tremendous gift to all movements struggling towards liberation.” For more than a century, activists in the United States have tried to reform the police. Millions of people continue to protest police violence because these "solutions" do not match the problem: the police cannot be reformed.

• The Art of Protest: A Visual History of Dissent and Resistance by Jo Rippon 

  • Presented in collaboration with Amnesty International, this stunning collection of more than a hundred posters charts a visual journey across more than a century of political and social activism. From the suffragettes of the early twentieth century to the upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s to contemporary, social-media-driven demonstrations of dissent and resistance, this illustrative history features iconic art from the archives of Amnesty International, work by world-renowned artists, and spontaneous posters from short-lived print collectives and activists on the ground.

• How to Read a Protest: The Art of Organizing and Resistance by L.A. Kauffman

  • When millions of people took to the streets for the 2017 Women’s Marches, there was an unmistakable air of uprising, a sense that these marches were launching a powerful new movement to resist a dangerous presidency. But the work that protests do often can’t be seen in the moment. It feels empowering to march, and record numbers of Americans have joined anti-Trump demonstrations, but when and why does marching matter? What exactly do protests do, and how do they help movements win? In this original and richly illustrated account, organizer and journalist L.A. Kauffman delves into the history of America’s major demonstrations, beginning with the legendary 1963 March on Washington, to reveal the ways protests work and how their character has shifted over time. Using the signs that demonstrators carry as clues to how protests are organized, Kauffman explores the nuanced relationship between the way movements are made and the impact they have. How to Read a Protest sheds new light on the catalytic power of collective action and the decentralized, bottom-up, women-led model for organizing that has transformed what movements look like and what they can accomplish.

• The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage by Jonathan Turley

  • Free speech is a human right, and the free expression of thought is at the very essence of being human. The United States was founded on this premise, and the First Amendment remains the single greatest constitutional commitment to the right of free expression in history. Yet there is a systemic effort to bar opposing viewpoints on subjects ranging from racial discrimination to police abuse, from climate change to gender equity. These measures are reinforced by the public’s anger and rage; flash mobs appear today with the slightest provocation. We all lash out against anyone or anything that stands against our preferred certainty.

• Stifled Laughter: One Woman's Story About Fighting Censorship by Claudia Johnson

  • Pulitzer Prize Nominated Winner of the 1993 PEN/Newman’s Own First Amendment Award for Claudia Johnson’s extraordinary efforts to restore banned literary classics from Florida classrooms. Part memoir, part courtroom drama, and part primer for advocates fighting assaults on free speech, Stifled Laughter is the story of one woman's efforts to restore literary classics to the classrooms of rural north Florida. Updated with a new introduction, Johnson's honest, often hilarious, first-person account of censorship in its modern form provides valuable insight into why the books children read at school remains a controversial issue, and why free speech in America remains a precarious right. Johnson fights tirelessly to keep texts like Lysistrata and “The Millers Tale” in Florida school textbooks regardless of a preacher’s efforts to take them out. Readers are given a glimpse into the courtroom and all the drama, passion, and hard work that follows. Johnson’s writing is witty, emotional, and humorous, and it makes you want to jump in and fight censorship and book banning right alongside her. For anyone who has ever wondered just how far those who seek to ban books will go in limiting free expression, this book proves once again that the personal is political. At a time when book banning has reached new heights, parents and teachers, writers, and readers will all benefit from Johnson's experience and be touched by her spirit and courage.

• That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones 

  • Part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of our vicious culture wars. One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community were to ban stories representing minority groups. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing.

• Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books: A Noveel by Kirsten Miller

  • Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need. What Lula doesn’t know is that a local troublemaker has stolen her wholesome books, removed their dust jackets, and restocked Lula’s library with banned books: literary classics, gay romances, Black history, witchy spell books, Judy Blume novels, and more. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor. That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. That's when the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever.

• The Book Censor's Library: A Novel by Bothayna Al-Essa

  • A perilous and fantastical satire of banned books, secret archives, and the looming eye of an all-powerful government. The new book censor hasn't slept soundly in weeks. By day he combs through manuscripts at a government office, looking for anything that would make a book unfit to publish-allusions to queerness, unapproved religions, any mention of life before the Revolution. By night the characters of literary classics crowd his dreams, and pilfered novels pile up in the house he shares with his wife and daughter. As the siren song of forbidden reading continues to beckon, he descends into a netherworld of resistance fighters, undercover booksellers, and outlaw librarians trying to save their history and culture. Reckoning with the global threat to free speech and the bleak future it all but guarantees, Bothayna Al-Essa marries the steely dystopia of Orwell's 1984 with the madcap absurdity of Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The Book Censor's Library is a warning call and a love letter to stories and the delicious act of losing oneself in them.

• They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933–45 by Milton Mayer (Author), Richard J. Evans (Afterword)

  • They Thought They Were Free is an eloquent and provocative examination of the development of fascism in Germany. Mayer’s book is a study of ten Germans and their lives from 1933-45, based on interviews he conducted after the war when he lived in Germany. Mayer had a position as a research professor at the University of Frankfurt and lived in a nearby small Hessian town which he disguised with the name “Kronenberg.” “These ten men were not men of distinction,” Mayer noted, but they had been members of the Nazi Party; Mayer wanted to discover what had made them Nazis. His discussions with them of Nazism, the rise of the Reich, and mass complicity with evil became the backbone of this book, an indictment of the ordinary German that is all the more powerful for its refusal to let the rest of us pretend that our moment, our society, our country are fundamentally immune.

• Stand: A Handbook for Resisting Authoritarianism by Scott Robinson

  • Democracy. It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable – but it’s better than the alternatives, as Winston Churchill famously assured us. And it is certainly better than Authoritarianism. The idea of a self-governing society, where all are considered equal, is humankind’s dream. It’s a vision for America based on the conviction that the best government is one in which no one – no one! – gets left behind. And now, that dream and vision are once again threatened, as the opening decades of the 21st century have experienced an uncomfortable rise in Authoritarianism – not just in the United States, but in Europe and South America as well. It doesn’t look promising. This book seeks to provide inspiration – and, beyond that, a call for commitment and a call to action.

• The Resistance Handbook: 45 Ways to Fight Trump by Markos Moulitsas & Michael Huttner 

  • It’s time to fight back. In November 2016, Donald Trump lost the national popular vote—by a lot!—yet managed to stumble into the White House. Trump’s presidency is not just an indictment of our political system—it’s an affront to our core values as a nation. How could such an ignorant autocratic buffoon claim to represent such a diverse, open, and free society? A majority of Americans have been shocked, dismayed, and disgusted—for good reason—by Trump’s actions since he took office. But we aren’t taking it lying down. Across the United States, the Resistance is growing, as many thousands of patriotic Americans lead the charge against the corrupt and traitorous Trump regime—and the Republican Party that is enabling him.

• American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges & Eunice Wong 

  • Chris Hedges' "American Fascists" warns that the Christian Right, once dismissed as hyperbolic, now poses a real threat to American freedom. He argues it's a nationalist, anti-open society movement burrowing into government, fueled by intolerance and a desire to dismantle church-state separation. Their apocalyptic rhetoric, broadcast widely, mirrors early fascist movements' slow creep towards totalitarianism. Hedges contends a major crisis could empower them to dismantle American democracy, urging vigilance against this imminent threat.