'Reading stories that reflect the diversity of our world builds empathy and respect for everyone's humanity.'
the American Library Association, the U.S. was home to 729 attempted bans of 1,597 unique titles in 2021—the highest number of challenges to library, school, and university materials in a 12-month period since the ALA began tracking such efforts more than two decades ago. that U.S. school districts with a combined enrollment of more than two million students successfully banned 1,145 books between July 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.
"When books are removed or flagged as inappropriate, it sends the message that the people in them are somehow inappropriate," the letter continues."It is a dehumanizing form of erasure. Every reader deserves to see themselves and their families positively represented in the books in their schools."