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Articles on Book bans

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A display of books that have been banned in various places is on view at a community gathering space in Washington, D.C. Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books

Current precedent relies on a 1982 case in which five justices generally agreed there were limits on a school’s power to ban books, but they didn’t agree on why.
Librarian Sharice Towles checks in books at the main branch of the Reading Public Library circulation desk in Reading, Penn. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians – they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves

Librarians are defending the rights of readers and writers in the battle raging across the US over censorship, book challenges and book bans. That conflict has even changed how librarians are trained.
A crowd of parents in Orange County, Calif., protest the firing of Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen. Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Superintendent turnover is increasing and gender gaps are barely budging, but accurately assessing the consequences remains a challenge

New research on school superintendent turnover rates reveals that divisive political issues are contributing to the problem of instability among school leadership across the US.
A high school student in California holds a sign in protest of her school district’s ban on critical race theory curriculum. Watchara Phomicinda/The Press-Enterprise via Getty Images

I’m an educator and grandson of Holocaust survivors, and I see public schools failing to give students the historical knowledge they need to keep our democracy strong

There have been numerous efforts to limit students’ access to books and curricula about certain historical and societal topics. But history itself shows democracy suffers when people are uninformed.
Author and producer Judy Blume and actors Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams at the premiere of Are You There God It’s Me Margaret in LA. Chris Pizello/AP

Even the word ‘period’ is now politicised. That makes Judy Blume’s classic ode to puberty especially relevant

Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret is a coming-of-age story about identity, relationships, and relationships with your own body. It’s frequently challenged – and enduringly loved.
People wait in line for a free morning meal in Los Angeles in April 2020. High and rising inequality is one reason the U.S. ranks badly on some international measures of development. Frederic J. Brown/ AFP via Getty Images

US is becoming a ‘developing country’ on global rankings that measure democracy, inequality

The United States came in 41st worldwide on the UN’s 2022 sustainable development index, down nine spots from last year. A political historian explains the country’s dismal scores.
Illustration detail from the cover of Andy Griffiths’ international bestseller, The Day My Bum Went Psycho (Pan Macmillan).

Teacher sacked for reading bum book to students: the latest conservative book ban

A teacher was fired this month for reading his favourite picture book, I Need a New Butt, to kids. It’s an example of how US conservatives are focusing on school boards as weapons in the culture wars.

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