15 Banned Books to Spotlight in Your Classroom All Year Long

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating fREADom to read. This week long celebration of books began in 1982 in response to a growing number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Unfortunately that number only continues to grow.

Banned Books Week usually occurs during the last week of September, but an awareness of banned books should exist year round. According to We Need Diverse Books, "the top 10 most challenged books for 2020 include themes of racial justice, stories centered around BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ content. Of the top 10 most challenged books, 70% were by authors from marginalized groups." 

What I'm Reading & Teaching in September

I have mixed feelings about the end of summer and the start of the school year. On one hand, I had a pretty darn good summer and I'm sad to see it go. On the other hand, I really do love my job and I'm eager to spend a year with a new group of learners, reading and writing and growing together. I work at a small, unique school and I'm also excited about the positive directions we continue to move in.