Please don’t take your eyes away from the damage book banning laws are doing in Texas. In Boerne ISD, a kindergarten class was forced to cancel its planned holiday party book exchange due to HB900 and SB13.

Time to tally those year-end lists! Here are my favorite TV scenes from 2025, in a mostly spoiler-free roundup. Up now at Book and Film Globe! bookandfilmglobe.com/television/b...

SB13 will pass mostly as is. Changes made in conference committee yesterday will significantly slow down the book purchasing process for our kids. One change is that if a book is challenged, no matter how spurious, it will have to be removed from the shelf. We see real problems ahead. #txlege

Hopefully the fight moves to the next court level, because this is so damaging. Dissenting judges called the decision ‘disturbingly flippant.’ www.statesman.com/story/news/p...

Two major newspapers just published a summer reading guide comprised mostly of books that don’t exist. AI is the culprit — but this episode also spotlights some unfortunate current realities about newspapers. Learn more in my latest for Book and Film Globe. bookandfilmglobe.com/fiction/thes...

Freedom to Read Project and more than 40 organizations representing parents, grassroots organizers, authors, librarians, booksellers, and publishers have signed a statement on the Trump Administration's firing of Dr. Carla Hayden. Now take action with @everylibrary.bsky.social: bit.ly/EmailHayden

HB3225 is scheduled to go before the Texas House State Affairs Committee on Monday, April 14. This is a BAD public library bill. Read @frankstrong.bsky.social’s breakdown of why this bill is so bad and what you can do about it. www.txftrp.org/stop_house_b...

So fortunate during SXSW to see a screening of 'The Librarians,' a new documentary that spotlights these everyday heroes fighting back against censorship. Learn more in my review, now up at Book and Film Globe. bookandfilmglobe.com/film/the-lib...

Support @librarypolicy.bsky.social @everylibrary.bsky.social @penamerica.bsky.social who all have advocacy campaigns on IMLS right now. Your calls and letters matter.

We need a list of volunteers who can be “on deck” for when the need arises to make phone calls, send emails, and/or provide in-person testimony in Austin- related to the freedom to read in TX. Please complete this form if you’re willing to volunteer in this way. www.txftrp.org/89th_leg_tes...

Add arts grant funding to the long list of things on the chopping block. Find out what’s being cut and who’s pushing back in my latest for Book and Film Globe. bookandfilmglobe.com/politics/und...

Thank you to @traceybaptiste.bsky.social for creating this useful graphic. Looking for tangible and practical ways to support authors in these challenging times? Here are some ways that require very little heavy lifting and that can have a very big impact.

The people who read our books are kids. They don’t have money to spend. They don’t subscribe to publications that review books. They find us at the library. If the books aren’t there, it’s like they don’t exist. And that makes kids feel like *they* don’t exist.

The Department of Defense Education Activity demands its schools remove curriculum and books related to race, gender, and more bookriot.com/department-o...

On the halftime performance, on Cowboy Carter, and decentering whiteness. www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2BYSSW1/

On Tuesday, @txfreedomread.bsky.social along with 33 partners & allies- who represent Texas parents, students, authors, librarians, educators, grandparents & concerned citizens- sent a joint letter to our elected leaders.

The Department of Education unceremoniously shut down a federal avenue for blocking book bans late last week, terming bans a “hoax.” Anti-censorship advocates erupted with outrage. All the details in my latest for Book and Film Globe. bookandfilmglobe.com/politics/im-...

This is such a great exhibit. At the Bullock until Feb. 23!

Student anti-censorship, pro-education advocates delivered a Student Bill of Rights to over 1,200 Texas legislators last week. What does such a bill of rights entail, especially in an era of censorship. I talk with the students of SEAT: bookriot.com/envisioning-...

Screen the award-winning documentary BANNED TOGETHER on Monday. Ticket sales support anti-censorship work: bookriot.com/screen-the-a...

“When Hubert didn’t decide in favor of the book challengers, he got death threats. “I’ve had people show up to public meetings and physically try to fight me. I’ve had all kinds of names being called,” he says.” www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/School...

The pro-censorship, anti-library bills already filed for 2025 across the USA. It's your responsibility to follow these and write to your state representatives. Guide to how to do that included....as are some *positive* bills prefiled. wellsourced.substack.com/p/the-pro-ce...

Your regular reminder that there are plenty of things you can and should be doing to prevent book bans before they start.

To be clear: Even if you haven’t seen local banning at your district level, this affects you. If this moves forward it would be a catastrophic blow.

Thanks to @forward.bsky.social for including me in this deeply reported piece on the Bible-infused curriculum up for a final vote Friday at the SBOE. If you want more details on why this curriculum is so problematic, this is the story to read. forward.com/news/676477/...

It sure helped break up the 6-hour wait to testify yesterday to get texts from friends letting me know I was in the NYT. The reporter included part of my September testimony in a story about a proposed new K-5 Bible-infused reading curriculum for Texas kids. 1/x www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/u...

Texas Press @texasobserver.org @texasmonthly.bsky.social @scottbraddock.bsky.social @dallasnews.bsky.social @chrondotcom.bsky.social @houstonchron.bsky.social @texassignal.bsky.social @austinchronicle.bsky.social @texastribune.bsky.social

Couldn’t have asked for better weather for the Texas Book Festival!