Samantha LaFrance

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The 23 Most Banned Picture Books of the 2023-2024 School Year

2 months ago | pen.org | Jeremy Young |Kristen Shahverdian |Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

Picture books featuring gay or transgender characters or naked butts — human or otherwise — were among the most frequently banned in U.S. public schools in the 2023-2024 school year. PEN America counted more than 10,000 book bans in the 2023-2024 school year affecting more than 4,000 unique titles, with about 45% of the bans occurring in Florida and 36% in Iowa. Most bans targeted young adult or adult titles, but about 2% of bans were of picture books for the youngest readers.
It’s Not a Hoax: Trump Administration Dismisses Book Ban Complaints

Jan 24, 2025 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on Friday dismissed 11 complaints and six allegations related to book bans, saying it was ending “Biden’s book ban hoax.”PEN America counted more than 10,000 instances of school book bans in the 2023-2024 school year, nearly triple the number in the previous year. Book bans in United States public school classrooms and libraries are no hoax. You don’t have to take our word for it.
Native American Heritage Now: An Interview With Dr. Debbie Reese

Nov 13, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

At the tail end of another year that has threatened and targeted books by Native Americans–from book bans to incorrect reclassifications–the work of Dr. Debbie Reese becomes extremely important. Her website, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL), is a repository of information on Native American heritage that acts, at once, as both an archive and a record, especially of misrepresentation of culture in literature.
Beyond the Shelves: Three Years of Book Bans and Educational Censorship

Nov 1, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

The numbers are staggering. Four hundred books removed from shelves in Elkhorn, Wisconsin following a single parent’s objection. Sixteen hundred books suspended in Escambia County, Florida after the passage of a state law. Three thousand books yanked in Iowa last fall. Over 10,000 book bans nationwide in the 2023-24 school year. Now in its fourth consecutive school year, the movement to ban books that has sowed chaos in public education shows few signs of dissipating.
The Censor’s Cut: Ellis Angel Makes Art From Banned Books

Nov 1, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

For Banned Books Week, artistEllis Angelfound her work, The Censor’s Cut: Weavings for Intellectual Freedom not in a gallery, not at an art fair, but at a bookstore in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At Magic City Books, titles including A Court of Mist and Fury, Gender Queer, Flamer, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, did not just sit on shelves but hung transformed–all shredded and rewoven, with the bright yellow “Banned Books” tape plastered across their backs.
Sanctions Against Amy Wax Raise Alarms For Academic Freedom

Oct 10, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

After years of embarrassing the University of Pennsylvania with her extreme and frequently racist views, the school has had enough of Amy Wax – academic freedom be damned.
PEN America Free Expression Advocacy Institutes Train the Next Generation

Sep 16, 2024 | pen.org | Samantha LaFrance |Jeremy Young

When school was out of session this summer, dozens of high school students flocked to classrooms in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles for PEN America Free Expression Advocacy Institutesthat taughtthem to think critically about issues ranging from the ethics of storytelling to disinformation defense. “We’re the next generation,” said Tessa, one of the students at the New York City institute. “We’re someday going to be shaping our democracy.
The State of Book Bans: Utah’s ‘No-Read List’

Aug 22, 2024 | pen.org | Madison Markham |Samantha LaFrance |Judy Blume |Rupi Kaur

HomeThe State of Book Bans: Utah’s ‘No-Read List’ Laura Benitez contributed research to this blog post. Earlier this month, Utah’s State Board of Education released a list of 13 books to be banned in every public school across the state. The “No-Read List” list includes popular titles such as Forever… by Judy Blume, Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
University of Alabama campuses didn’t have to close their DEI offices. They did anyway.

Jul 26, 2024 | pen.org | Samantha LaFrance |Erica Galluscio

HomeUniversity of Alabama campuses didn’t have to close their DEI offices. They did anyway. Since we last wrote about Alabama SB 129, the bill has become law. And as it has been implemented, universities themselves have gone even further than the bill demands, resulting in the full closure of DEI offices on all three University of Alabama campuses. SB 129 defines prohibited DEI programs or groups as those “where attendance is based” on a specific identity category.
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of April 8

Apr 12, 2024 | pen.org | Lisa Tolin |Samantha LaFrance

HomePEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of April 8PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. PEN America announced that its Literary Awards on April 29 will honor legendary playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner as this year’s recipient of the PEN/Mike Nichols Writing for Performance Award.