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How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them
You're invited to the book revolution! Fight back against censorship and empower your community with this close look at the book banning movement. In a moving, compulsively readable call to arms for readers everywhere, Danny Caine, bestselling author of How to Resist Amazon and Why and How to Protect Bookstores and Why, offers an expertly-crafted confrontation of far-right, Christian nationalist attempts to reshape American culture through ban campaigns targeting schools, libraries, bookstores, and prisons with a silencing campaign against marginalized identities—in life and in literature. From the first-ever banned books display at San Francisco's City Lights in the 1950s to the rapid rise of so-called Moms For Liberty during the COVID-19 pandemic to attempts to silence Palestinian authors, Caine charts the course of repressive censorship campaigns, along with the creative and sometimes unlikely activists who've stood up against them. Each chapter is based on a particular book banning episode, bolstered by research and legal precedent, and concludes with helpful takeaways for further reading or resistance. Throughout, Caine approaches these heated issues with gentle openness harkening back to his work as a public school teacher and a bookseller. He emphasizes our collective responsibility towards art, free speech, and each other.
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Published January 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 6, 2026
I'm an author and a library patron, and the current book banning trend infuriates and scares me. I bought this small paperback at Fitger's in Duluth, and I'm glad I did. I like to think I'm fairly educated on this topic because I follow the news and belong to Authors Against Book Bans, but wow, I learned a lot from this book. Caine explores the history of book bans in America, going into detail on 1950s controversaries around Allen Ginsberg's Howl to contemporary attacks on libraries and bookstores to destruction and control of books in Palestine and prisons. In keeping with the title, each section ends with take-aways on how to defend books.
I recommend this book for all authors, trad or indie, fiction or nonfiction, and anyone who loves to read and believes in the freedom for all to do so.
I recommend this book for all authors, trad or indie, fiction or nonfiction, and anyone who loves to read and believes in the freedom for all to do so.
October 29, 2026
The ferocity of the attack on books itself is evidence of the power of books.
Impressive, concise and motivational with great tips on how to help do exactly what the title says: Defend Books.
There are a lot of ways to curtail access to books, and the book banners are doing it all. Even if you think it's all happening in Texas and Florida, I assure you that somewhere close to you, someone is attacking your freedom to read.
The latest big influx of banning books started as COVID hit. The head librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, Nick Higgins, summarizes it well:
It was almost Like a perfect storm, a potential radicalization of people who were looking for answers. That sort of radicalization was oriented toward education, public institutions . And as oftentimes happens in moral panics in this country and elsewhere, it's centered around children and their safety and what we think should be and should not be sort of normative childhood development. When we say "normative childhood development" in this country, we mean white.
There is an attack on books as lists have been printed by right-wing groups, or they simply look up key-words in the online 'card catalog' library database for books that include sexuality, or gender, or racism.
When we're discussing book bans, we're really discussing the far right's attempt to eliminate thoughts and people that don't fit their narrow perspective; this includes honest discussion of racism, work to make schooling more inclusive, and trans people in general.
Remember, it's the squeaky wheel that gets oiled:
It's important to remember that book banners do not represent the average person, even if they think they do. Book banning remains largely unpopular, and the book ban crisis is driven by a small number of people making a big amount of noise.
My own religious faith has been decimated by the 'christian' followers of this far right movement.
Once in place, these Christian nationalist radicals began enacting their agenda: ban books, eliminate rights for LGBTQ+ students, and infuse Christianity into the curriculum.
Libs of TikTok represent the worst of the worst:
It's a hateful social media channel, with an amazingly huge following, run by a vicious troll named Chaya Raichik. Raichik, in an attempt to "own the libs," regularly uses Libs of TikTok to redicule (some would say tartet) LGBTQ+ people. She denies that her posts lead to violence, but the Venn Diagram of places targeted by Libs of TikTok and places that have received bomb threats is basically just a circle.
Soft Censorship occurs when fear by rumors cause teachers and places to remove books 'just in case'.
The difficult thing about soft censorship is that it's largely silent. A frightened teacher who decides not to purchase 'This Book Is Gay' or 'And Tango Makes Three' likely won't call PEN America to self-report their self-censorship.
Libraries quietly remove books.
Another method of soft censorship is to disguise anti-gay curation as "weeding," the normal process of culling books to keep a library current and fresh.
...
Here, a normal process in library maintenance is instead hijacked into a de facto bulk ban that requires no due process or community input.
We're reaching extremes!
And then there's the ultimate form of soft censorship: quitting your librarian or teacher job. For many professionals working to foster literacy in young people, the climate of fear is just too much.
Even closing libraries!
The shuttering of entire libraries extends to school districts as well. Notoriously, several libraries in Houston Public Schools were converted into discipline centers where reprimanded students watched lessons on computer screens.
Bullying has become normalized!
Increasingly, the ire of Moms for Liberty isn't just directed at queer or BIPOC books and readers, but also at library workers themselves. This movement is not above personal attacks and bullying. The bullying is widespread: according to one survey, "about 1/4 of principals and one out of 10 teachers report being harassed for teaching about race, racism, or bias."
Fighting back is being done by providing free access to these books online.
Go to the Brooklyn Public Library (if you are 21 & Under) to get your free library card!!
Books Unbanned is a program that allows any teenager in America to sign up for a BPL library card and, therefore, access a digital library of banned books hosted by BPL
We can help support these initiatives by making our own donations.
State laws are being enacted adding ambiguous rules to classifying and then purchasing books, to make the process much harder to get these books.
ABA Right To Read Toolkit can help anyone feeling the ban/censorship pressure establish their own defense/offense plan to combat all of this.
Be sure to read:
The ABA Right to Read Handbook: A Reader's Guide to Fighting Book Bans by ABA - the American Bookseller's Association.
School boards are being used to push right wing agendas.
Part of the reason the Right has so successfully taken over school boards and spread their book banning gospel is that they're using the same tactics everywhere. They have clear-cut strategies that they share among themselves: how to ban a book how to take over a school board, how to hid books you don't approve of in libraries or bookstores.d
Some communities found that even a simple challenge yields over-amplified results. The book might have to come off the shelf until the challenge is resolved at some upcoming tbd school board meeting somewhere in the future.
Chapter 4 is entitled "A Symbol of the Resistance": Palestine
This chapter goes into detail how libraries (private and public) are being bombed/destroyed. Journalists/authors are being eliminated. Bookstores are targeted too since they often are where publishing is also being done.
This is yet another element of Israel's silencing of Palestinian writers and books: kill journalists, bomb the bookstores, destroy personal libraries, and finally create conditions that make it impossible for authors to write because they're too busy trying to survive.
Atef Abu Saif is a Palestinian writer who found a way to be heard.
Don't Look Left: A Diary of Genocide is a remarkable document of the persistence and clear-eyed vision of one Palestinian writer who refused to be silenced. Not only did Atef Abu Saif's writing persist in the midst of Israel's assault on Gaza's scholarly life, it was also published, and fast.
...
Part of their mission with publishing Don't Look Left so quickly was to raise money for people struggling in Gaza - all proceeds from the Comma Press edition are being donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Middle East Children's Alliance, and Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
We need to stand in solidarity with banned authors:
- buy their books
- amplify their stories
- do work like going to school and library board meetings
Chapter 5 talks about the WORST book ban - in our Prisons.
These prisons tend to have single--person decision makers on what books ever make it into the hands of prisoners.
Commonly censored categories of books include Black history and fiction; Indigenous and Latinx publications; LGBTQ fiction and self-help; and publication written by and about incarcerated people.
Even books with maps get banned. They could be used to plan escape. But even lunar maps?!?
This is a very current book and extremely readable.
There is an excellent appendix listing organizations that can help
- ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union
- ALA (American Library Association) Intellectual Freedom Office
- ABA - American Booksellers Association
- Annie's Foundation Iowa
- Authors Against Book Bans
- Book Resume Project - I really like this one. They have PDFs you can print that use expert tetsimony and close reading to establish a book's literary merit as a whole!
- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
- Drag Story Hour
- EveryLibrary
- Florida Freedom to Read Project
- Good Books Young Troublemakers
- Moms 4 Libros
- NCAC - National Coalition Against Censorship
- PEN America (Poets, Essayists, Novelists)
- Publishers for Palestine/Writers Against the War on Gaza
- Red, Wine & Blue
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- Texas Freedom to Read Project
- Unite Against Book Bans
Solid 5* for this well researched and clear book.
Impressive, concise and motivational with great tips on how to help do exactly what the title says: Defend Books.
There are a lot of ways to curtail access to books, and the book banners are doing it all. Even if you think it's all happening in Texas and Florida, I assure you that somewhere close to you, someone is attacking your freedom to read.
The latest big influx of banning books started as COVID hit. The head librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, Nick Higgins, summarizes it well:
It was almost Like a perfect storm, a potential radicalization of people who were looking for answers. That sort of radicalization was oriented toward education, public institutions . And as oftentimes happens in moral panics in this country and elsewhere, it's centered around children and their safety and what we think should be and should not be sort of normative childhood development. When we say "normative childhood development" in this country, we mean white.
There is an attack on books as lists have been printed by right-wing groups, or they simply look up key-words in the online 'card catalog' library database for books that include sexuality, or gender, or racism.
When we're discussing book bans, we're really discussing the far right's attempt to eliminate thoughts and people that don't fit their narrow perspective; this includes honest discussion of racism, work to make schooling more inclusive, and trans people in general.
Remember, it's the squeaky wheel that gets oiled:
It's important to remember that book banners do not represent the average person, even if they think they do. Book banning remains largely unpopular, and the book ban crisis is driven by a small number of people making a big amount of noise.
My own religious faith has been decimated by the 'christian' followers of this far right movement.
Once in place, these Christian nationalist radicals began enacting their agenda: ban books, eliminate rights for LGBTQ+ students, and infuse Christianity into the curriculum.
Libs of TikTok represent the worst of the worst:
It's a hateful social media channel, with an amazingly huge following, run by a vicious troll named Chaya Raichik. Raichik, in an attempt to "own the libs," regularly uses Libs of TikTok to redicule (some would say tartet) LGBTQ+ people. She denies that her posts lead to violence, but the Venn Diagram of places targeted by Libs of TikTok and places that have received bomb threats is basically just a circle.
Soft Censorship occurs when fear by rumors cause teachers and places to remove books 'just in case'.
The difficult thing about soft censorship is that it's largely silent. A frightened teacher who decides not to purchase 'This Book Is Gay' or 'And Tango Makes Three' likely won't call PEN America to self-report their self-censorship.
Libraries quietly remove books.
Another method of soft censorship is to disguise anti-gay curation as "weeding," the normal process of culling books to keep a library current and fresh.
...
Here, a normal process in library maintenance is instead hijacked into a de facto bulk ban that requires no due process or community input.
We're reaching extremes!
And then there's the ultimate form of soft censorship: quitting your librarian or teacher job. For many professionals working to foster literacy in young people, the climate of fear is just too much.
Even closing libraries!
The shuttering of entire libraries extends to school districts as well. Notoriously, several libraries in Houston Public Schools were converted into discipline centers where reprimanded students watched lessons on computer screens.
Bullying has become normalized!
Increasingly, the ire of Moms for Liberty isn't just directed at queer or BIPOC books and readers, but also at library workers themselves. This movement is not above personal attacks and bullying. The bullying is widespread: according to one survey, "about 1/4 of principals and one out of 10 teachers report being harassed for teaching about race, racism, or bias."
Fighting back is being done by providing free access to these books online.
Go to the Brooklyn Public Library (if you are 21 & Under) to get your free library card!!
Books Unbanned is a program that allows any teenager in America to sign up for a BPL library card and, therefore, access a digital library of banned books hosted by BPL
We can help support these initiatives by making our own donations.
State laws are being enacted adding ambiguous rules to classifying and then purchasing books, to make the process much harder to get these books.
ABA Right To Read Toolkit can help anyone feeling the ban/censorship pressure establish their own defense/offense plan to combat all of this.
Be sure to read:
The ABA Right to Read Handbook: A Reader's Guide to Fighting Book Bans by ABA - the American Bookseller's Association.
School boards are being used to push right wing agendas.
Part of the reason the Right has so successfully taken over school boards and spread their book banning gospel is that they're using the same tactics everywhere. They have clear-cut strategies that they share among themselves: how to ban a book how to take over a school board, how to hid books you don't approve of in libraries or bookstores.d
Some communities found that even a simple challenge yields over-amplified results. The book might have to come off the shelf until the challenge is resolved at some upcoming tbd school board meeting somewhere in the future.
Chapter 4 is entitled "A Symbol of the Resistance": Palestine
This chapter goes into detail how libraries (private and public) are being bombed/destroyed. Journalists/authors are being eliminated. Bookstores are targeted too since they often are where publishing is also being done.
This is yet another element of Israel's silencing of Palestinian writers and books: kill journalists, bomb the bookstores, destroy personal libraries, and finally create conditions that make it impossible for authors to write because they're too busy trying to survive.
Atef Abu Saif is a Palestinian writer who found a way to be heard.
Don't Look Left: A Diary of Genocide is a remarkable document of the persistence and clear-eyed vision of one Palestinian writer who refused to be silenced. Not only did Atef Abu Saif's writing persist in the midst of Israel's assault on Gaza's scholarly life, it was also published, and fast.
...
Part of their mission with publishing Don't Look Left so quickly was to raise money for people struggling in Gaza - all proceeds from the Comma Press edition are being donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Middle East Children's Alliance, and Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
We need to stand in solidarity with banned authors:
- buy their books
- amplify their stories
- do work like going to school and library board meetings
Chapter 5 talks about the WORST book ban - in our Prisons.
These prisons tend to have single--person decision makers on what books ever make it into the hands of prisoners.
Commonly censored categories of books include Black history and fiction; Indigenous and Latinx publications; LGBTQ fiction and self-help; and publication written by and about incarcerated people.
Even books with maps get banned. They could be used to plan escape. But even lunar maps?!?
This is a very current book and extremely readable.
There is an excellent appendix listing organizations that can help
- ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union
- ALA (American Library Association) Intellectual Freedom Office
- ABA - American Booksellers Association
- Annie's Foundation Iowa
- Authors Against Book Bans
- Book Resume Project - I really like this one. They have PDFs you can print that use expert tetsimony and close reading to establish a book's literary merit as a whole!
- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
- Drag Story Hour
- EveryLibrary
- Florida Freedom to Read Project
- Good Books Young Troublemakers
- Moms 4 Libros
- NCAC - National Coalition Against Censorship
- PEN America (Poets, Essayists, Novelists)
- Publishers for Palestine/Writers Against the War on Gaza
- Red, Wine & Blue
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- Texas Freedom to Read Project
- Unite Against Book Bans
Solid 5* for this well researched and clear book.
July 5, 2026
This is a short, fantastic volume that breaks down the many challenges surrounding free access to books and information. It concisely outlines the strategies used by advocates of book bannings and then uses this framework to ground its arguments about how readers can fight against book banning. By understanding the strategies of book banners, Caine argues, we can figure out how to fight back. I especially appreciated the chapter about book banning in prisons. It was horrifying to learn about how restricted book access is for incarcerated individuals in many parts of the United States, but I was excited to learn about the awesome people and groups working to improve book access in prisons.
Quotes I highlighted:
"This book banning movement has also created a climate of fear that has led to widespread soft censorship. For one thing, a climate of fear has impacted libraries' curation decisions. Librarians will choose a 'safer' book, meaning a book that avoids discussion of race or LGBTQ+ identifies, because it's less likely to cause trouble or threaten their job."
"But the war on books is one battle in a greater war: the war of who gets to tell their story, and by extension, who gets to exist."
"The disappearance of safe public spaces and the social safety net has meant that libraries are providing services once left to governments and agencies. Often, the library is the only place offering safe shelter, clean bathrooms, and even drinking water to transient or houseless citizens. That's not to mention access to the internet or printers or even phones."
Quotes I highlighted:
"This book banning movement has also created a climate of fear that has led to widespread soft censorship. For one thing, a climate of fear has impacted libraries' curation decisions. Librarians will choose a 'safer' book, meaning a book that avoids discussion of race or LGBTQ+ identifies, because it's less likely to cause trouble or threaten their job."
"But the war on books is one battle in a greater war: the war of who gets to tell their story, and by extension, who gets to exist."
"The disappearance of safe public spaces and the social safety net has meant that libraries are providing services once left to governments and agencies. Often, the library is the only place offering safe shelter, clean bathrooms, and even drinking water to transient or houseless citizens. That's not to mention access to the internet or printers or even phones."
Read
July 6, 2026Book banning has become one of America's most contentious cultural debates, and former English teacher Danny Caine argues that it deserves organized resistance in How to Defend Books and Why. He examines numerous attempts by book banners to pressure schools, libraries, or bookstores. Caine then summarizes the strategies that defeated those efforts.
A highlight for me was the case of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems, published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. Caine shows how the challenges brought against Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti in 1957 established principles that continue to shape today's battles over censorship and intellectual freedom.
The bottom line for Caine is that the right-wing extremists behind today’s book-banning efforts are relatively small in number but extremely well-organized, well-funded, and skilled in messaging, their sometimes violent rhetoric and actions notwithstanding. Caine urges his readers to be proactive, unified, and to show up at public meetings when challenges arise and provide opposition to the intellectually weak, hypocritical voices of book banners.
Thanks to Libro.fm for early access to this compelling title.
A highlight for me was the case of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems, published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. Caine shows how the challenges brought against Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti in 1957 established principles that continue to shape today's battles over censorship and intellectual freedom.
The bottom line for Caine is that the right-wing extremists behind today’s book-banning efforts are relatively small in number but extremely well-organized, well-funded, and skilled in messaging, their sometimes violent rhetoric and actions notwithstanding. Caine urges his readers to be proactive, unified, and to show up at public meetings when challenges arise and provide opposition to the intellectually weak, hypocritical voices of book banners.
Thanks to Libro.fm for early access to this compelling title.
July 7, 2026
Don’t let the length of time fool you- I was wholly absorbed in this book every time I picked it up. With thoughtful. Here’s the problem and what you can do about it, this book did a great job of catching us up on book bans, especially as a resident of Carroll County, MD who has been appalled at what a small group is doing and the way they are driving the narrative at the school level. I appreciated this author’s voice and his work on just how important reading as a first line of defense is.
July 8, 2026
This month, @LibroFM offered two fantastic nonfiction books about book banning. This is a subject about which I am passionate, so I immediately listened to both. Thank you!
How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them by Danny Caine is a concise, informative and incisive volume about the strategies advocates can use to fight book bans. The author helps the reader understand why book bans happen, how you might see them, and how to understand the strategies of those who are banning the books. This allows readers to be better able to turn the tables and use those same strategies to fight back.
There is so much great information in this book that I immediately called my local independent bookstore and ordered a physical copy.
Get informed. Be prepared. Understand that it is happening everywhere. And use the tools the author provides to make sure people in your area are able to access all books!
"But the war on books is one battle in a greater war: the war of who gets to tell their story, and by extension, who gets to exist."
How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them by Danny Caine is a concise, informative and incisive volume about the strategies advocates can use to fight book bans. The author helps the reader understand why book bans happen, how you might see them, and how to understand the strategies of those who are banning the books. This allows readers to be better able to turn the tables and use those same strategies to fight back.
There is so much great information in this book that I immediately called my local independent bookstore and ordered a physical copy.
Get informed. Be prepared. Understand that it is happening everywhere. And use the tools the author provides to make sure people in your area are able to access all books!
"But the war on books is one battle in a greater war: the war of who gets to tell their story, and by extension, who gets to exist."
July 24, 2026
I recently finished a graduate course in School Library Media where, in one unit, we studied intellectual freedom, barriers to access, and book banning. It piqued my interest in learning more about book bans, and I decided to read How to Defend Books and Why to continue my education on this topic.
Thankfully, at my elementary school, books are rarely challenged by parents, and when they are, our school district has policy and protocol to handle those situations that protect me from having to be directly involved. This is a huge privilege. In Utah, there is a strong book-banning movement, with new bans announced monthly, and as a school librarian, I feel it is my responsibility to stay up to date on current events and advocate for access, whether or not I am directly impacted by these bans.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the free Educator ALC.
Thankfully, at my elementary school, books are rarely challenged by parents, and when they are, our school district has policy and protocol to handle those situations that protect me from having to be directly involved. This is a huge privilege. In Utah, there is a strong book-banning movement, with new bans announced monthly, and as a school librarian, I feel it is my responsibility to stay up to date on current events and advocate for access, whether or not I am directly impacted by these bans.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the free Educator ALC.
November 2, 2026
What a lovely little book!
I genuinely appreciated the ways this book defied some of the most common issues I see with non-fiction:
- it provided information and stories about how tragic and dangerous book banning is, AND it offered hopeful stories and concrete action plans to fight against it.
- it was so authentic. You can deduce exactly what the author thoughts/beliefs/values are and I actually love that. Too many authors try to “both sides” things or keep themselves out of the narrative, but I’d rather know if the person who is writing this info actually believes in it and fights for it too, ya know? If I just wanted info and resources, I would search online.
This is a big issue with many slimy tentacles that are spread out across society and government. The author did a fantastic job of plucking out the most critical bits and relaying them in an accessible manner.
I genuinely appreciated the ways this book defied some of the most common issues I see with non-fiction:
- it provided information and stories about how tragic and dangerous book banning is, AND it offered hopeful stories and concrete action plans to fight against it.
- it was so authentic. You can deduce exactly what the author thoughts/beliefs/values are and I actually love that. Too many authors try to “both sides” things or keep themselves out of the narrative, but I’d rather know if the person who is writing this info actually believes in it and fights for it too, ya know? If I just wanted info and resources, I would search online.
This is a big issue with many slimy tentacles that are spread out across society and government. The author did a fantastic job of plucking out the most critical bits and relaying them in an accessible manner.
August 28, 2026
This book wasn't so much a practical how-to guide (but it does reference the ABA's Right to Read Handbook for a practical how-to guide) as a summary of the book banning movement, it's aims, and it's different areas of attack. It was interesting in its description of the book banning movement as part of a larger far right scheme to dismantle public education, proliferate Christian views, and to eliminate the inclusion of marginalized and "diverse" identities in our society through eliminating their stories and their safety.
August 30, 2026
While somewhat repetitive throughout the chapters, there are many good tips and resources for the fight against book banning. It also broadened my understanding of how deep this issue goes.
Listened to the audiobook version, read by the author. The author speaks very quickly, and it feels like he didn't have time but was obligated to narrate his own book.
Thank you Libro.fm and Pear Press for the ALC
Listened to the audiobook version, read by the author. The author speaks very quickly, and it feels like he didn't have time but was obligated to narrate his own book.
Thank you Libro.fm and Pear Press for the ALC
Review of advance copy
I found this book on a shelf at my local bookstore and it really spoke to me. I loved the history and the practical tips for fighting book bans.
When fighting back against book bans, people often feel alone. This book was a reminder that there are others out there to help AND there are others out there that need our help.
When fighting back against book bans, people often feel alone. This book was a reminder that there are others out there to help AND there are others out there that need our help.
Review of advance copy
This is an excellent book discussing the current efforts by groups in our society to ban books and try to limit what is available to us. Topics covered include how libraries, schools, bookstores, prisons and areas such as the Gaza strip are being affected. The book also offers ideas on how to preserve our rights to have books available to us.
August 11, 2026
Excellent guide to the current historic wave of censorship attempts fomented by extremist Christian nationalists. Each chapter ends with a checklist of specific actions readers can take, and the book ends with a roster of organizations working for intellectual freedom. Repetitive at times — especially in the chapters on Gaza and prisons — but a worthy, urgent, practical call to action.
September 9, 2026
How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and Why We Fight Them
By Danny Caine
(Nonfiction)
❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
It’s an interesting look at the history of book bans, the groups that demand the bans, and the groups that fight the bans. It includes suggestions about how the individual can support the organizations that are working to protect the public’s right to art and feee speech.
By Danny Caine
(Nonfiction)
❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
It’s an interesting look at the history of book bans, the groups that demand the bans, and the groups that fight the bans. It includes suggestions about how the individual can support the organizations that are working to protect the public’s right to art and feee speech.
June 10, 2026
Fighting book bans is increasingly important and this had a ton of great information about how people are keeping books from those who need them most. I only wish this book was longer so that I could learn even more.
July 3, 2026
There were some good ideas in this book (supporting a teen who is trying to fight for a book), and I learned some things (like about the censorship that happens in a lot of prisons). The author lost me a little in the parts that included so much about Palestine.
September 17, 2026
This is a useful collection of stories about book banning and how to stand up against it. One star had to be deducted because it was repetitive in nature and therefore, could have been a bit shorter. Overall would recommend if you’re interested!
September 19, 2026
“If the process of imposing community standards ignores or silences vulnerable community members in favor of those in power, that's a kind of violence.”
“Through writing, we fight back, not for our rights, but for our life. An attack on a people's stories is an attack on a people themselves.”
“Through writing, we fight back, not for our rights, but for our life. An attack on a people's stories is an attack on a people themselves.”
September 25, 2026
Such an important book in these times. Some of the information was familiar, but I had never considered the censorship in the prison system. I learned a lot, and I'm thankful for Caine's suggestions on how to help.
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Review of advance copy
One of the most important books you could pick up at this time. Don't miss this one when the full edition comes out.
June 13, 2026
This was a good, short, sharp read. It provides a clear frame of reference for both the history of book bans and the current state of affairs.
July 10, 2026
Such an important read! It is short to listen to, definitely recommend. Then go buy the ABA Right to Read Handbook and defend access to books in your community.
July 20, 2026
This was an interesting read on a topic that is very important to me.
Read
July 27, 2026Grateful for the work he does to support indies and put books in the hands of the readers who need them most.
September 6, 2026
Critical Score: 4
Personal Score: 4
Total Score: 8
Personal Score: 4
Total Score: 8
October 8, 2026
so important and so thought provoking especially as a writer and a library worker and patron.
June 10, 2026
A super short audiobook that is SO IMPORTANT to be knowledgeable of right now. Again, no rating because it is non-fiction. I thought the author did a great job narrating and researching for this audiobook. I learned about some things that I hadn't heard of before and got a review on things I already knew about as a librarian. Take a look if this topic interests you.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews