Tom Gauld on why a book should be banned – cartoon www.theguardian.com/books/pictur...

We can always count on This Hour Has 22 Minutes to call it like it is. ;) www.facebook.com/watch/?v=787...

"... the graphic novels in Alberta school libraries that are now to be removed... speak to real issues in the lives of many teens – self-doubt, sexuality, consent, sexual assault, suicidal feelings, gender identity, community violence, family discord and violence." cfe.torontomu.ca/blog/2025/09...

Naught but a leap to the left And thanne a clockwyse tread; Put thyne handes on thyne hippes, And be thy knees yn-gatheréd: Lo, it ys the pelvique thruste That maketh mirthe down to rayne - Let us do the Tyme Warpe agayne!

Some of my kid lit peers in Canada think I'm overreacting about Alberta's new guidelines, arguing (like Danielle Smith) that this is about protecting kids from porn. But this exact rhetoric has led to bans of many LGBTQ+ books in the US- and we can expect it here. This article explains so well.

"...the new rules... ensure that staff assist students in accessing materials." Our reach should exceed our grasp. Will this open school librarians to discipline if a child browses or borrows a book they are interested in that is "above their age level?" www.interior-news.com/national-new...

"...[N]one of the books in the SOGI programs... as referred to by Action4Canada & other groups or any of the 4 titles mentioned by the Min. of Ed. of Alberta, would pass the litmus test of obscene material based on its legal definition in Canada." cfe.torontomu.ca/blog/2025/06...

SCOTUS has set a dangerous precedent in Mahmoud v. Taylor, writes Elly Brinkley, staff attorney with PEN America. It's "the latest case in recent years to use religious freedom arguments to justify decisions that infringe on other fundamental rights." www.washingtonblade.com/2025/06/30/s...

"... millions of children who may no longer see themselves or their families reflected in stories read in classrooms, while others will be denied the chance to build understanding and empathy for those different from themselves."

How did a Canadian children’s book about a puppy lost during a Pride Parade land before the U.S. Supreme Court? And what does this mean for 2SLGBTQ+ books for kids in Canada? @spaikin.bsky.social speaks with @robinstevenson.bsky.social‬, author of "Pride Puppy."

PEN Canada unequivocally condemns the #Alberta government’s decision to pursue policies that are likely to lead to widespread book bans in the province’s schools. In May, the government announced plans to impose “consistent provincewide standards” for school library books.

A mind-boggling list of hundreds of books purged from some Tennessee school libraries includes works by Magic Tree House author Mary Pope Osborne, children’s poet Shel Silverstein, and Calvin and Hobbes cartoonist Bill Watterson. pen.org/magic-tree-h... #bannedbooks #censorship

#G7 leaders are meeting in #Canada this week. Writer and media publisher #JimmyLai will die in prison unless action is taken now. We ask G7 leaders to work together to #FreeJimmyLai. #G7Kananaskis2025

Librarians, not government, are trained experts with the knowledge to make age-appropriate & reading level recommendations. Children & youth are experts in their own interests & abilities. Age recommendations should be guidelines, not barriers. www.thenorthernview.com/news/bc-mla-...

"As a western Canadian book awards organization, we can’t help but be deeply disturbed by the growing trend of politicians politicizing education which directly targets marginalized authors, illustrators, and students." Read the full statement here: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/05/30/s...

THIS. Alberta's government is listening to a far-right Christian nationalist group- Action 4 Canada, a group that promotes anti-LGBTQ hate- while ignoring the expertise of the teachers and librarians who work in the provinces' public schools. www.libraryassociationalberta.com/news/laa-let...

Statement from Canadian School Libraries on Alberta's new plan to ban (mostly queer) books.

Well-deserved. I will have to revisit The Blind Assassin. www.thebookseller.com/british-book...

"...Could he really believe a picture of a mom wearing a leather jacket was actually a sex worker with an interest in bondage? Or was he confused by the dog being on a leash? Nothing about it made sense..."

"And this fight is about whether public education remains a place where we teach empathy and understanding of people different from us, not fear and exclusion."

Something lovely for a change... www.freep.com/story/news/l...

Orwell's 1984 wasn’t meant to be a how-to guide, but here we are. This October, join the fight for the freedom to read. The theme for #BannedBooksWeek 2025 is Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights. Planning to participate? Apply for a Krug Fund grant by April 30! www.ala.org/news/2025/04...

This week I got to goat-sit in my office until it was time for her to go meet the other kids at Storytime. I love my job! 🥰

Tariffs could cost Ottawa Public Library 33,000 new items ottawacitizen.com/news/new-tar... Retaliatory tariffs on U.S. books could cost the OPL nearly a million dollars in lost materials, even when buying from Canadian publishers.

Agreed. Last week I spoke about this issue on CBC's Daybreak North, with emphasis on Canada's role in preserving access to materials being banned in the States. The full interview recording is imbedded halfway through this article: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The recent executive order, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History “egregiously misrepresents the work of the Smithsonian Institution” and “completely misconstrues the nature of historical work.” PEN America signs on to @historians.org statement www.historians.org/news/histori...

"Thus far, the review of Nimitz Library’s holdings has identified 900 books that may run afoul of the defense secretary’s verbal order. According to a second defense official, they incl. “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.,” “Einstein on Race and Racism,” & a biography on Jackie Robinson."

CULC, CFLA respond to proposed 25% tariff on library materials librarianship.ca/news/culc-cf...

"...The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, among other appeal courts, has already ruled that exposure to curriculum materials conflicting with parents’ religious beliefs does not violate their right to free exercise of religion." www.interior-news.com/news/victori...

It’s the CFE’s 10th anniversary! 🎉 Join us on April 8 at 7 p.m. as we explore the biggest challenges to freedom of expression, informed public engagement and democracy in the next decade and how to meet those challenges. 🔗 Zoom link and more info here: cfe.torontomu.ca/events/freed...

President Trump's executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum & Library Services would have disastrous effects for communities nationwide. We call on all Americans who value reading & learning to reach out to their elected leaders. Read ALA's full response: www.ala.org/news/2025/03...

Thank you @orcabook.bsky.social for defending the rights of your readers & writers. www.capitaldaily.ca/news/victori...

I pre-ordered copies of Ira Wells' new book for our public library, my little free library, myself, & a prize copy for last night's Freedom to Read Week event. Today I ordered 10 more as giveaways. It's the book on censorship that Canadians need at this moment. #FTRW thewalrus.ca/book-banning/

"In the 2023-2024 school year, 23% of all banned titles contained sexual violence. Of [those] 88%=sexual assault or rape, 28%=sexual abuse, 10%=incest & 10%=statutory rape. Disturbingly, these titles are frequently censored w/accusations that they are “pornographic” & devoid of any literary merit."

Love this Freedom to Read Week window display at Mills in Smithers, BC! #FTRW

Bebbington: 'Freedom to read' is crucial to a healthy society ottawacitizen.com/opinion/bebb... Books, and the libraries that offer them to everyone, promise knowledge and discovery beyond the bubble of today's social media algorithms.

Happy Freedom to Read Week! Our little free library is well-stocked with banned and challenged books for all ages. #FTRW

Currently reading "On Book Banning" by Ira Wells & looking forward to this free @cfetmu.bsky.social event next Wednesday at 4 PST / 7 EST during Freedom to Read Week #FTRW @jameslturk.bsky.social cfe.torontomu.ca/events/censo...

From Action Figure to Antihero open.substack.com/pub/hxlibrar...

Read our latest Fifth Estate investigation into the shadow war to control what Canadians read. And watch the episode tonight, hosted by Mark Kelley, on CBC at 9 pm Est. www.cbc.ca/newsinteract...

The Most Banned Picture Books From the 2023-2024 School Year (American, People Magazine). people.com/see-the-list...

"These “parental rights” advocates claim they don’t want to co-parent w/the gov't, & that’s true. They want the gov't to do all of the parenting so that they don’t have to do the job of parents & teach their children what their family believes is & is not appropriate." bookriot.com/alpena-publi...

Thank you for this, @theguardian.com.

Working on a profile of The Handmaid's Tale & found this 1986 NYT review: "Yet I can admit to a general failure to extrapolate sufficiently from the 1986 scene. Still, even when I try, in the light of these palely lurid pages, to take the Moral Majority seriously, no shiver of recognition ensues."