This past week has been The American Library Association’s Banned Books Week as well as the 7th anniversary of opening the lending collection of the Children’s Diversity & Justice Library, a free community lending library, now with nearly 2,500 books in the collection, all connecting with one or more of fourteen primary dimensions of diversity and justice.
We began this library, because we knew that all people – including children – deserve to see themselves, their families, people they love and their life experiences reflected in literature. They also deserve to learn how to understand and be respectful of people, identities, cultures and ideas that differ from their own. And we wanted to make it easier for them to have access to the books that do these things and tell these stories. We also believe that difference is beautiful, necessary and worthy of being celebrated and that being exposed to ideas that they or their families don’t share is life-affirming, life-nurturing and even life-saving. This is how we become good neighbors, kind humans and learn to critically evaluate information and identify authenticity; essential skills for life as citizens of a democracy.
In the seven years since the CDJL began lending diversity and justice themed books, we have seen a tragically ironic co-occurring phenomenon in which there has simultaneously been greater publication of, and demand for, diverse children’s literature, but also a vicious backlash against diverse voices and stories in especially children’s and teens books in public and school libraries resulting in record breaking numbers of books bans and challenges across our country. This makes free community lending libraries like the Children’s Diversity & Justice Library all the more important and now fulfilling roles we never imagined.
As we approached these dual events, the ALA’s Banned Books Week 2025, and our own anniversary, we took some time to evaluate our collection which has grown five fold in seven years and now includes the beginnings of a mobile collection that will allow us to more easily get to where our readers are with the books they want and deserve.
197 books from the CDJL collection, listed by title below, are found on PEN America’s list of 6,870 instances of book bans in the 2024 - 2025 school year. These bans represent nearly 4,000 separate titles. This unique and diverse collection increasingly becomes an island as we face the fact that 119 and 335 titles respectively have been banned from the schools in each of two surrounding counties. The majority of banned titles on the PEN America list are Teen books – 100 of those both banned somewhere in the country and held in our collection. But quite a few middle grades and juvenile books are included too, as well as 36 picture books and 5 board books with titles that include “An ABC of Equality,” and “Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent.”
Keep in mind, all these books are specifically targeted by name for removal or restriction from access. But an even bigger issue is a kind of “shadow ban” — books that will never be shelved in the first place, are having access restricted even if they are still in library collections, or are being quietly removed because of new legal restrictions or worry about backlash or reprisal. Picture books in particular are threatened in this way. Many many more of the books in the CDJL will never be found in public or school libraries, or can only be found in special segregated collections with names like “the parenting collection.” Readers may never discover these titles because if they are shelved at all, they have been relegated to separate shelves where they can’t easily be encountered by the average casual shelf browser.
We know why this is happening. Books are being banned in schools across the country, or segregated in our public library collections, or not made available for loan in the first place because some people believe that if kids aren’t introduced to diversity, aren’t told honest stories about justice and the painful parts of history, aren’t exposed to ideas that they or their families don’t agree with, then they will never be affected or influenced by them. We know that isn’t true. In fact, what we don’t know CAN hurt us because what we don’t know keeps us ignorant and doesn’t allow us to learn and grow and do better. What we don’t know can also make us feel alone, like we might be the only one to have a certain kind of experience or feeling or family or belief. And when we believe we are alone, we are less powerful.
But, we can push back against the silencing and hiding of ideas and identities by continuing to provide free access to diverse and justice oriented books and by READING BANNED BOOKS!
Children’s Diversity & Justice Library Holdings Found on the PEN America 2024 - 2025 Index of Book Bans
Board Books
An ABC of Equlity by Ewing, Chana Ginelle
Antiracist Baby by Kendi, Ibram X.
Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race by Madison, Megan
Yes! No! A First Conversation about Consent by Madison, Megan
A is for Activist by Nagara, Innosanto
Picture Books
What Riley Wore by Arnold, Elana K.
Something Happened in Our Town by Celano, Marianne
Bodies are Cool by Feder, Tyler
Calvin by Ford, J. R.
Calling the Doves: El canto de las palomas by Herrera, Juan Felipe
Jacob's New Dress by Hoffman, Sarah
The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Hot Mess, Lil Miss
I am Jazz by Herthel, Jessica
IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All by Johnson, Chelsea
My Princess Boy by Kilodavis, Cheryl
Families, Families, Families! by Lang, Suzanne
Julián at the Wedding by Love, Jessica
Julián Is a Mermaid by Love, Jessica
Call Me Max by Lukoff, Kyle
When Aidan Became a Brother by Lukoff, Kyle
Téo's Tutu by Macias, Maryann Jacob
Twas the Night Before Pride by McClintick, Joanna
My Rainbow by Neal, DeShanna
Sparkle Boy by Newman, Lesléa
The Family Book by Parr, Todd
My Footprints by Phi, Bao
This Day in June by Pitman, Gayle E.
My Maddy by Pitman, Gayle E.
Marley's Pride by Retener, Joelle
And Tango Makes Three by Richardson, Justin
She's My Dad!: A Story for Children Who Have a Transgender Parent or Relative by Savage, Sarah
Jack (Not Jackie) by Silverman, Erica
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Thom, Kai Cheng
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Thorn, Theresa
Introducing Teddy by Walton, Jess
Grandad's Pride by Woodgate, Harry
Sharice's Big Voice by Davids, Sharice
When a Bully is President by Gonzalez. Maya
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Higginbotham, Anastasia
Be Amazing: A History of Pride by Napoles, Desmond
Were I Not a Girl: The Inspiring and True Story of Dr. James Barry by Robinson, Lisa
JUVENILE
A Boy Called Bat by Arnold, Elana K.
You Be You!: A Kid's Guide to Gender, Sexuality, and Family by Branfman, Jonathan
Who Are You? The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity by Pessin-Wedbee, Brook
In Our Mothers' House by Polacco, Patricia
A Child's Introduction to Pride: The Inspirational History and Culture of the LGBTQIA+ Community by Prager, Sarah
Too Bright to See by Lukoff, Kyle
Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History by Prager, Sarah
middle grades
A High Five for Glenn Burke by Bildner, Phil
Ban This Book by Gratz, Alan
Brown Girl Dreaming by Woodson, Jacqueline
Ciel in All Directions by Labelle, Sophie
Different Kinds of Fruit by Lukoff, Kyle
Don't Ask Me Where I'm From by De Leon, Jennifer
Ghost Boys by Rhodes, Jewel Parker
Gracefully Grayson by Polonsky, Ami
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Blake, Ashley Herring
Lily and Dunkin by Gephart, Donna
Little Rock Girl: How A Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration by Tougas, Shelley Marie
Melissa by Gino, Alex
Mosque by Macauley, David
One Half From the East by Hashimi, Nadia
One True Way by Hitchcock, Shannon
Out of My Mind by Draper, Sharon M.
Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Community by Caldwell, Stella
Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Reynolds, Jason
The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism by Jewell, Tiffany
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Cartaya, Pablo
The List of Things That Will Not Change by Stead, Rebecca
The Moon Within by Salazar, Aida
The Pants Project by Clarke, Cat
The Serpent's Secret by DasGupta, Sayantani
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Arlow, Jake Maia
This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us by Locke, Katherine
This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Levy, Dana Alison
What Was Stonewall? by Medina, Nico
Woke: A Young Poets Call to Justice by Browne, Mahogany L.
You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P by Gino, Alex
Zenobia July by Bunker, Lisa
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Jewell, Tiffany
Teen
19 Love Songs by Levithan, David
A Queer History of the United States For Young People by Chevat, Richie
A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by G., Mady
A Scatter of Light by Lo, Malinda
Alex as Well by Brugman, Alyssa
All American Boys by Reynolds, Jason
All Eyes on Us by Frick, Kit
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages by Mitchell, Saundra
Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again by Bourne, Shakirah
Almost Perfect by Katcher, Brian
American Street by Zoboi, Ibi
Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Folman, Ari
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Sáenz, Benjamin Alire
Autoboyography by Lauren, Christina
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Cronn-Mills, Kirstin
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jennings, Jazz
Between the World and Me by Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Kuklin, Susan
Beyond the Gender Binary by Vaid-Menon, Alok
Brave Face: A Memoir by Hutchinson, Shaun David
Children of Blook and Bone by Adeyemi, Tomi
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Adeyemi, Tomi
Chlorine Sky by Browne, Mahogany L.
Copper Sun by Draper, Sharon M.
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Khorram, Adib
Dear Martin by Stone, Nic
Flamer by Curato, Mike
Forever is Now by Lockington, Mariama J.
Frankly in Love by Yoon, David
Full Disclosure by Garrett, Camryn
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Kobabe, Maia
Girl Mans Up by Girard, M-E
Gravity by Deming, Sarah
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction by Krosoczka, Jarrett J.
History Is All You Left Me by Silvera, Adam
How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Kendi, Ibram X.
I am J by Beam, Cris
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Sánchez, Erika L.
I Wish You All the Best by Deaver, Mason
Keeping You a Secret by Peters, Julie Anne
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Lo, Malinda
Lawn Boy by Evison, Jonathan
Let's Talk About Love by Kann, Claire
Light It Up by Magoon, Kekla
Lighter Than My Shadow by Green, Katie
Little and Lion by Colbert, Brandy
Long Way Down by Reynolds, Jason
Maus 1: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Spiegelman, Art
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Andrews, Jesse
Michigan vs. the Boys by Allen, Carrie S.
Modern HERstory by Imani, Blair
Needlework by Watts, Julia
Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage by In This Together Media
Night by Wiesel, Elie
Odd One Out by Stone, Nic
Parachutes by Yang, Kelly
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Satrapi, Marjane
Pet by Emezi, Akwaeke
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Knisley, Lucy
Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition by Hill, Katie Rain
Shatter the Sky by Wells, Rebecca Kim
Shout by Anderson, Laurie Halse
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Albertalli, Becky
Some Assembly Required by Andrews, Arin
Something Like Gravity by Smith, Amber
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Reynolds, Jason
Starfish by Bowman, Akemi Dawn
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Slater, Dashka
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie, Sherman
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Joseph, Frederick
The Book Thief by Zusak, Markus
The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Spiegelman, Art
The Downstairs Girl by Lee, Stacey
The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Other Identities by Levithan, David
The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World by Wind, Lee
The Gender Quest Workbook: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity by Testa, Rylan Jay
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Lee, Mackenzi
The Hate U Give by Thomas, Angie
The House on Mango Street by Cisneros, Sandra
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Reyes, Sonora
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Khan, Sabina
The Mirror Season by McLemore, Anna-Marie
The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege by Kiely, Brendan
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Chbosky, Stephen
The Poet X by Acevedo, Elizabeth
The Running Dream by Van Draanen, Wendelin
They Both Die at the End by Silvera, Adam
They Called Themselves The K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Bartoletti, Susan Campbell
This Book is Gay by Dawson, Juno
This Is My America by Johnson, Kim
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Prince, Liz
Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Gonzales, Kathryn
We Are Not Yet Equal by Anderson, Carol
When the Moon Was Ours by McLemore, Anna-Marie
When We Make It by Velasquez, Elisabet
With the Fire on High by Acevedo, Elizabeth
All Boys Aren't Blue by Johnson, George M.
Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir by Nehanda, Walela
Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives MatterChambers, VeronicaJuliet Takes a Breath by Rivera, Gabby
adult
A Queer History of the United States by Bronski, Michael
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Bongiovanni, Archie
An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Ortiz, Paul
Becoming Nicole: The inspiring story of transgender actor-activist Nicole Maines and her extraordinary family by Nutt, Amy Ellis
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Noah, Trevor
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Wilkerson, Isabel
Fun Home by Bechdel, Alison
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made For Whiteness by Brown, Austin Channing
Raising the Transgender Child by Angello, Michele
So You Want to Talk About Race by Oluo, Ijeoma
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Kendi, Ibram X.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Skloot, Rebecca
The Transgender Child: Revised & Updated Edition: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-binary Children by Brill, Stephanie A.
The Transgender Teen: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-binary Teens by Brill, Stephanie A.
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Khan-Cullors, Patrisse
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About RaceTatum, Beverly Daniel