BANNED.

"Books are under profound attack in the United States. They are disappearing from library shelves, being challenged in droves, being decreed off limits by school boards, legislators, and prison authorities. And everywhere, it is the books that have long fought for a place on the shelf that are being targeted. Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history. PEN America pushes back against the banning of books and the intolerance, exclusion, and censorship that undergird it."

—from PEN America on book bans

Illustration of a Black girl browsing a bookshelf

In Our State.

Charlesbridge is a proud coalition partner of Mass Freedom to Read, which represents Massachusetts parents and readers, authors and creators, libraries, booksellers, and publishers. We believe that freedom of expression, including the right to read, is a fundamental American right, protected by the First Amendment.

Censorship is on the rise nationally, and Massachusetts is no exception. We are impacted daily by challenges to library programs and displays, by removal of books from schools, and by harassment and intimidation at bookseller events.

Our state has a proud history of democracy and civic life. Now is the time for the state legislature to pass a comprehensive Freedom to Read bill that protects our constitutional freedoms.

Every Book Banned Leaves a Hole in Our Children's Learning

Graph showing the increase in number of unique titles challenged by year, from 390 in 2004 and 183 in 2014 to 1,858 in 2021 and 4,240 in 2023

Charlesbridge joins PEN America, Unite Against Book Bans, the American Library Association, American Booksellers for Free Expression, We Are Stronger Than Cencorship, We Need Diverse Books, Authors Against Book Bans, our fellow publishers, and so many more to combat the rising threat against the freedom to read and write. We believe that restricting access to books and other reading material in schools and libraries violates those freedoms and inhibits a child's education and their future success.

Banned and Challenged Books from Charlesbridge:

Amelia to Zora	Forever Cousins	The Great Nijinsky	Lola Gets a Cat	Lola Goes to School
Lola at the Library	Lola Loves Stories	A Lola le encantan los cuentos / Lola Loves Stories	Lola Plants a Garden	Lola planta un jardin
Lola en la biblioteca	Powwow Day	We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga	We Are Still Here!	Lola Sleeps Over
Lola va a una pijamada	Lola quiere un gato / Lola Gets a Cat	Saturdays With Hitchcock	The Other Pandemic	Candy Bomber

Our Partner Organizations

These are some of the many organizations working to promote freedom of speech and the press
in the United States, specifically by organizing against book bans.
You can learn more about volunteer opportunities and access resources at the links below!

Your Voice Matters

The freedom to read is essential. We believe the best way to fight for it is together, not alone. By learning, volunteering, and organizing, you can make a difference for kids in your community. And of course, you can always make a difference by reading.

Photograph of a stack of picture books on a coffee table with a dog on the sofa in the background

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