SLJ Reviewers

Sep 25, 2024 | slj.com | Kara Yorio |Julia Garnett |SLJ Reviewers

A group of Montgomery County, MD, parents of various religions has asked the Supreme Court to review the school system’s refusal to let them opt their children out of classes that use LGBTQIA+ books in lower elementary school grades saying it infringes on their religious liberty rights. The books were introduced in the 2022-23 school year and are not part of a mandatory reading list for the classrooms but can be used by teachers in classroom instruction.

Sep 24, 2024 | slj.com | Cassy Lee |Kara Yorio |SLJ Reviewers |Andrew Bauld

Last fall, I coordinated a visit with Laura Gao, author of Messy Roots, at the American high school in Taiwan where I was the librarian. Since its publication, Gao's graphic memoir—which explores her journey of self-discovery as a queer Wuhanese American—has both resonated deeply with audiences and been the target of book challenges. For one busy week last October, Gao gave multiple presentations and led our English, art, and creative writing classes in joyful and inspiring workshops.

Sep 23, 2024 | schoollibraryjournal.com | Kara Yorio |SLJ Reviewers

Garnett is the 2024 Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair. Photo courtesy of Julia Garnett I am often asked how I became an activist, and my answer is always that I never set out to be one. I simply wanted to save a book that mattered to me, and I never stopped advocating. I began high school as a quieter student, and I was never thrilled with the idea of public speaking.

Sep 17, 2024 | slj.com | SLJ Reviewers |Andrew Bauld |Rachel Payne

Banned Books Week is Sunday, September 22 through Saturday, September 28. As in recent years, there’s a sense of urgency to the annual event that was once about looking at censorship in the past and celebrating a freedom to read that was often taken for granted. With intellectual freedom under attack in so many communities across the country, Banned Books Week is now about raising awareness and inspiring action to push back against the continuing concerted censorship attempts.

Sep 13, 2024 | slj.com | Kara Yorio |SLJ Reviewers |Julia Garnett

Florida School District Must Restore Books with LGBTQIA+ Content Under Lawsuit Settlement | AP Under the agreement, the School Board of Nassau County must restore access to three dozen titles, including And Tango Makes Three. The book's authors, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, were plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the district.