Freedom to Read/Program Resources

As seen in the IFLS Keeping Up with Kids blog, December 6, 2023

• Thanks to Sam Carpenter at the Chippewa Falls Public Library for sharing this outstanding resource to help the public stand up for kids’ access to books:  The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Kids’ Right to Read Action Kit

• The Association for Library Service to Children (part of the American Library Association) has created a Toolkit for Program Challenges for library workers who are looking for help preparing for and responding to program challenges, including Before, During, and After sections.

Top 10 Challenged Books of 2017

Here's a link to additional resources and goodies, including social media shareables, digital graphics, and infographs!

Finding Sex-free, Swear-free, Magic-free Reads for Young and Young Adult Readers

As librarians, we devote effort to making sure that our collections include something for everyone and that we stand up for the freedom to read. Often this means books that are challenged for content like sexuality, realistic issues, race, ethnicity, LGBTQ characters or families and so on. However, it also means making sure we have reads on the shelf and the ability to provide readers advisory for our patrons on reads that don't involve subjects like magic, swear words, sex, drugs and so forth if that is what they desire.

Maybe you've already developed strong skills in this area, but I've discovered that it is an area where I could grow. To that end, it would be great if you'd share your book lists, resources, favorite series and titles, or publishers for conservative reads in the comments.

This article on Serving Conservative Teens from School Library Journal published on March 4, 2015 has good suggestions on inclusive services for this audience in general, as well as some title suggestions.

Giving Tuesday

We all know that Thanksgiving is followed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving back.

Taking place Tuesday, December 1, 2015, #GivingTuesday "inspires and encourages people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world."

Check out the #GivingTuesday website HERE.

Participants include the ALA Scholarship Program and the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Stotan All the Way

It's no surprise to anyone that Chris Crutcher is my hero and my all time favorite author. And

maybe as librarians, our favorite authors bare slightly more weight than for the average person. As librarians, sometimes our favorite authors change, sometimes there are just too many authors to choose from and sometimes who we read personally is different from who our "favorite" is professionally. In every single situation, Chris Crutcher, is my favorite. (He's even the password for my bank login) 

I follow him on Facebook. He doesn't post a ton. I'm okay with that because with his level of talent, I'd rather see him spending time writing books, speaking to kids and being a therapist to others who need him. This morning, he posted this letter. 

At the risk of blowing my own horn (like THAT would be a surprise to anyone) I'm posting this as WEAPONRY against the censors. My contemporaries could fill the Heritage House Hotel LOBBY with emails like this.

Dear Mr. Crutcher,

At the risk of being too presumptuous, I’m gonna go ahead and call you Chris. How’s it going Chris? Writing some good stuff over there? My name is (withheld), friends call me (withheld), I’m 21, maybe a little older than most of the kids who write to you, but I thought it was high time to do it. I’ve been home from my junior year of college for about two weeks now, and have been making my way through your books for the umpteenth time, and, in between tearing up every other chapter of Deadline, and getting pissed off at nearly every adult in Chinese Handcuffs, I started thinking (quite a feat for me) about how much your books have meant to me over the past eleven years.

I picked up Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes when I was in fourth grade, mostly due to the swimmer on the cover (I began swimming competitively when I was 8), and didn’t get into it right away. I think it was a little heavy for my ten year-old psyche, but about a year later I opened it up again and was hooked. I began a search for everything else you had written, in the library, and various bookstores in various cities. I was probably that kid that teachers both loved and hated during those years, annoyed that I wasn’t paying attention but happy that I was at least reading under my desk. It’s funny, though I’ve read each one at least six times, I can remember the first time I read each of your books. Chinese Handcuffs was read during a snowboard trip over winter break of my eighth grade year. I stayed up half the night finishing it, just weeping by the time I got to Dillon’s last letter to Preston: “God, how I wish you’d stayed.” That line haunts me, man. I probably almost screamed when I found Angry Management in a Portland bookstore when I was sixteen, and read it in between driving shifts with my mom on the drive home (to California). And Stotan, god, my copy of that has been through the wringer, and more often than not I think about it during long training trip swim practices. Sent a copy to my coach, even, as payback for giving the college team summer reading assignments.

I don’t think it was until this time around that I realized why I feel your books in my bones. These characters are me, Chris. Switch out a chromosome and you have me. I see myself in TJ Jones’ anger at the world, In Willie Weaver’s frustration with his broken body (though nowhere near as severe, I have a shoulder injury that messes with swimming all the time), in Dillon Hemingway’s need to fix everything, and Ben Wolf’s need to know the truth past what they teach you in school, and in their inability to keep their mouths shut when they should.

Your books have changed, and saved my life. The Sledding Hill helped me on my way to coming out, The Crazy Horse Electric Game helped me start to heal my own depression. And, to be honest, I’m not really sure why I’m writing this; I’ve never written to an author before, but I want you to know how much your books have meant to me, and I want to say thanks. For everything. And I already can't wait for the next one.

Stotan, all the way,

Withheld

Censorship and Intellectual Freedom and the right book for the right kids are very very close to my heart. As much as I adore Chris, I would probably haven't suggested his titles for anyone younger than high school. But sometimes, kids find what the need when the needed despite grade levels and age appropriate content and all the other jargon that we use to "guide" kids. 

If you've never read one of his books. Do yourself a favor, pick up Whale Talk. I promise, you won't be sorry.