Written by: Nicole F. at Brisbane Library
Every year, San Mateo County Libraries observes Banned Books Week, which amplifies the importance of intellectual freedom and opposes censorship. Join us during Banned Books Week, September 22-28, to explore the significance of the freedom to read and raise awareness about current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries.
Talking about banned books is one of the many ways to defend our right to read and encourage open conversations about different viewpoints. Understanding why these books are challenged helps us advocate for them more effectively. These discussions promote intellectual freedom and ensure diverse voices remain accessible to everyone.
Check out our tips and resources on reading between the lines and discussing banned books with those around you.
Guided Tips for Meaningful Conversations
We’ve gathered tips to guide meaningful discussions about banned books for peers, opens a new window and parents, opens a new window. Use these suggestions to encourage thoughtful conversation and embrace diverse perspectives.
Book Connections
Book Connections by Teaching Books is an online resource with various discussion guides, activity suggestions, and resources for learning from a book. This is a free resource available to San Mateo County Libraries cardholders through the California State Library’s COMPASS program for students. Here are some books with resources from authors, publishers, teachers and other readers to help you talk about challenging topics found in banned books.
Books with Discussion Guides
Check out the list of tools and resources below, sourced from authors, publishers, teachers and other readers, to help you engage effectively in conversations about banned books.
Children’s Books
The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Comic-style stories in graphic novels, like The Adventures of Captain Underpants, opens a new window by Dav Pilkey, help visual learners engage in reading while improving their reading comprehension skills. For example, the Series Teacher Guide from Scholastic, opens a new window shares how children can learn about descriptive verbs and how they make the story fun and engaging.
Bad Kitty, opens a new window by Nick Bruel is a great book to help children learn about the different emotions they experience. The Series Activity Sheets from Macmillan, opens a new window shows a fun way to identify and draw how we express emotions.
Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall helps readers understand that there’s more to someone than what others see on the outside. Find great activities like There's More To Me Than You Can See Crayon Project in the Lesson Plan from Human Rights Campaign, opens a new window. This activity invites readers to express their likes, dislikes, feelings, and other prompts to explore identity.
YA Books
Explore the concept of a memoir-manifesto and how All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto, opens a new window by George M. Johnson might empower others to understand and advocate for their queer black peers. The Book Club Discussion from Cannonball Read, opens a new window also offers a prompt to explore forgiveness and accountability.
Graphic novels like Flamer, opens a new window by Mike Curato also help boost readers' confidence, especially with stories and images that readers may relate to. Mike Curato shares discussion questions, opens a new window asking readers to explore usage of color in the book. Readers may listen, opens a new window to author Mike Curato talk about the creation of Flamer in Teaching Books. It also invites readers to express their imagination with a drawing exercise.
In Gender Queer: A Memoir, opens a new window by Maia Kobabe, readers may gain a better understanding of gender, identity and belonging through Maia Kobabe’s (e/em/eir pronouns) experiences in eir memoir. The Lesson Plan from Diamond Bookshelf, opens a new window by Dr. Katie Monnin offers a great table to explore the questions that come up in Gender Queer, along with resources or people that helped or didn’t help em find answers. Monnin also includes an opportunity for readers to explore their own answers and resources to the questions Kobabe poses in eir memoir.
There are great guidelines for discussing Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, opens a new window by Jason Reynolds, like the Family Discussion Guide from Richland Library, opens a new window and its questions to help people understand privilege. There’s also a detailed Educator Guide from Hachette Book Group, opens a new window that breaks down the key points to learn from various chapters throughout the book.
Adult Books
The Reading Toolkit from the State Library of Ohio, opens a new window provides discussion questions along with various activities to explore the setting of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and more. Readers may learn more about internalized racism and the culture of white beauty standards. Readers may also explore photos of the book’s setting in Lorain, Ohio during the1940s through the Cleveland Memory Project.
In the Time of the Butterflies
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a historical fiction that offers the opportunity to learn about the history of the Dominican Republic under Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina's dictatorship and the underground resistance. The Reader Guide from National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, opens a new window provides some history and literary context along with discussion questions for the book.
The Lesson Plan from Deschutes Public Library, opens a new window provides readers an to opportunity learn more about Afghanistan’s history and culture so that they may have a better understanding of the setting in The Kite Runner, opens a new window by Khaled Hosseini. They provide brief timelines and information that would be helpful in book discussions.
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