Banned Books Week is from September 22nd until the 28th, 2024, and is a celebration of the works of art and literature that are censored in the U.S. each year, predominantly in public libraries and schools. Banned Books Week was established in 1982 due to a sharp rise in the number of books put up for censorship. Each year, the American Library Association hosts a landing page full of events, reports, and graphics entirely devoted to this important week! Banned Books Week brings together community members, librarians, and other activists in efforts to liberate the written word. These bans and challenges have gone up an alarming rate in the past year alone (see graphic below). 

 It is important to question the basis on which books are being challenged and banned. Who is challenging these books, and for what purpose? Many of the books on this list are those that feature characters or authors who are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or who represent ethnic/religious minorities and other marginalized groups. By reading these titles with the children in our lives, we can encourage them to think critically about these decisions to remove certain books, and about the true motives of intellectual censorship. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite recently published picture books put up for debate!

Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck 

This award-winning book shares a tender tale of one family's Palestinian heritage. The three sisters in this story eagerly await the nightly bedtime stories told to them by their father, of his childhood in Palestine. "They are stories about our homeland, a place we've never been", Moushabeck writes. Every summer, their father would visit his grandparents, Teta Maria and Sido Abu, in East Jerusalem. He shares the rich and colorful sights, sounds, and memories with his daughters. His family ran Al-Mukhtar's Cafe, a popular meeting place for some of the most profound thinkers and diverse artists. He would help his grandparents prepare food for the diners and enjoy the ambiance. One day, his Sido leads him down a hallway and opens a doorway where he kept homing pigeons in an olive tree. Sido Abu then releases the pigeons into the air, where they form a beautiful circle. This was the last memory he had of his homeland and the last time he ever saw his grandfather. 

At the end of story time, the daughters beg to see the old key, the key to their family home in Jerusalem. Although they know the story's sad ending, they love the stories and fall asleep each night, dreaming of their beloved homeland. This story brought me to tears. Reminded of the childhood stories my parents would tell, it is almost inconceivable to imagine the places being described could be so impossibly far away. This book offers us a unique window into the lives of Palestinian people, and the heartache they hold for their ancestral lands and cultures. The stories shared in Homeland are those of the author's father. I loved having the ability to step into the shoes of this family and immerse myself in a sensory experience of old Palestine. Publishing this picture book in April of 2023, Moushabeck deserves so much honor and recognition. Read more about the author's struggle with censorship on her blog. 

Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale by JaNay Brown-Wood

This fun new twist on a classic fairy tale features Mahogany, a beautiful Black child who has a passion for seamstry and loves listening to loud music with her big blue headphones. One day, Mahogany's mother asks her to deliver some honey cornbread to her G-Ma and stay there until their family dinner that night. Mahogany, excitedly donning her newly-sewn red cape, begins her journey into the woods. After her mp3 player dies, she walks in silence and is soon discovered by a tricky wolf. 

The wolf tries to follow her to G-Ma's house, but Mahogany is hip to his tricks. Although the wolf scarfs down the cornbread, Mahogany throws her cape on his head and makes her escape to a patch of day-lilies, which she knits into a net. When Mahogany arrives at G-Ma's house, the wolf is at the door trying to convince G-Ma that he is her granddaughter. Just at the perfect moment, Mahogany throws the net and captures the wolf! This book is a refreshing, subversive take on the old version! In her adventure, Little Mahogany uses her beautiful Black skin and lavender-scented hair to her advantage. I can't think of a single reason why this story would be considered inappropriate for children. Check it out and see for yourself!

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

This precious picture book tells the true story of Tama and George, two people drawn together within the walls of a Japanese internment camp's small library. Tama serves as the Librarian at Minidoka War Relocation Center during World War II. Although she lacks the credentials to be an actual librarian, she does it because she finds solace in the beautiful stories that are kept there. Another prisoner, George, comes every single day to visit the library, with an arm full of books. Tama and George enjoy passing the days together, but one day, Tama wonders how he is able to read so quickly. Is he some kind of bibliophile?

 She realizes that George has another reason for his daily visits: to see her! The two end up getting married and later are freed from their senseless incarceration. "To fall in love is already a gift. But to fall in love in a place like Minidoka, a place built to make people feel they weren't human--that was miraculous", Tokuda-Hall writes. This is a sweet and moving story that offers a valuable history lesson. Share this story with the children and your life, and it could open up a discussion about humanitarianism and what it means to be human! At the end of the book, the author shares that this is the true story of how her grandparents met. I am so inspired by this uplifting account of resilience and love.

Grandad's Pride by Harry Woodgate

A sequel to the celebrated Grandad's Camper, this lovely book brings Millie and Grandad back together as Grandad gets ready to celebrate Pride! Millie has never heard of Pride, until she discovers Grandad's Pride Flag and raises the question: "What's Pride?", to which Grandad responds, "Pride is like a giant party where we celebrate the wonderful diversity of our communities and demand that everyone should be treated with equality and respect, no matter who they love or what gender they are". 

While Grandad feels too old to travel to the city and celebrate, Millie proposes a "Village Pride" celebration in their little community! The entire town chips in, contributing floral arrangements, performing drag shows, and creating a Pride-themed book display at the local library! Grandad is nowhere to be found, and Millie begins to fret. However, she finds him in the very front of the Pride parade, leading the entire celebration! This children's book is a poignant family story about love, which is something I believe all families should value!

Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn by Shannon Hale

First of all, this book is adorable. What could be better than a kitty-cat unicorn mashup?! I was a bit skeptical that this book would have a lot of substance, but once I delved in, I was shocked how much of a positive message it has to offer readers of all ages. Kitty decides to become a unicorn after admiring some pictures of unicorns. She crafts a special horn and secures it to her head. While her friends Parakeet and Gecko laugh at her and tell her she could never be a real unicorn, Kitty is determined. She puffs up her tail, does her best unicorn gallop, and even says "Neigh". 

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a REAL unicorn appears! Kitty feels discouraged, and lets her homemade horn fall off and slinks away. But the unicorn speaks up, revealing to Kitty that she, too, has a longing to be a different species. "I so admire your fuzzy ears and silver whiskers", he says, and pulls back his mane to reveal some pink fluffy kitty cat ears! He tells her he is a Kitty-Corn, and is delighted to find another of his kind. The two play together all day and are inseparable from then on. My heart was melted! This story teaches children that they can be ANYTHING they wish to be, even if it seems impossible, and celebrates being yourself. 

Happy Banned Books Week!

While it is certainly every caregiver's choice what their kids can and cannot be exposed to, most of the books up for debate are truly lovely, meaningful reads. Instead of judging books by their covers, we can take the time to read through them ourselves and decide what we wish to consider "appropriate" or "inappropriate". As we celebrate all of these challenged and banned books, I hope you will check out all the newest titles! Here is a book list of the most recent banned & challenged picture books, all published within the past four years. There are over fifty titles in this list, and each and every one of them is a very special work of art. It was almost impossible to narrow it down to the five listed in this article!