Letter from 1,300 Children’s and YA Authors on Book Banning
May 19, 2022 by We Need Diverse Books
We, the undersigned, authors and illustrators of books for children and teens, condemn the efforts by organized groups to purge books from our nation’s schools. Our concern is not for the books themselves, but for the children, families, and communities who are caught in the crosshairs of these campaigns.
This current wave of book suppression follows hard-won gains made by authors whose voices have long been underrepresented in publishing. Just ten years ago, less than seven percent of children’s books featured characters who were Black, Indigenous, or people of color (source: Cooperative Children’s Book Center). Representation is finally increasing thanks to the work of groups like We Need Diverse Books. The current banning efforts are part of a strong and purposeful backlash against books written by BIPOC authors. Books with characters who are LGBTQIA+ have been vehemently targeted and frequently misrepresented.
When books are removed or flagged as inappropriate, it sends the message that the people in them are somehow inappropriate. It is a dehumanizing form of erasure. Every reader deserves to see themselves and their families positively represented in the books in their schools. These books are important for all children. Reading stories that reflect the diversity of our world builds empathy and respect for everyone’s humanity. At a time when our country is experiencing an alarming rise in hate crimes, we should be searching for ways to increase empathy and compassion at every turn.
A particularly insidious feature of the current attacks is the flood of accusations that anyone who seeks to give readers access to diverse books is a “groomer,” “radical,” or “pedophile.” These charges are abhorrent and without merit, and they have been leveled against not only authors, but against teachers and librarians. We strongly condemn this slander against our colleagues and our nation’s educators.
A book may not be for every student, but—as we know from the many letters we receive from young readers—a single book can matter deeply to an individual student. Nearly all campuses have an existing system to handle a parent’s concern with their own child’s reading material. Pro-censorship groups seek to overwhelm these systems by pressuring schools to pull entire lists of books from shelves “for review.” Some extremists have intimidated authors, educators, and school board members online and even threatened them with violence. This has created an atmosphere of fear that has led to “soft censorship” in many districts. Books are quietly removed
or never purchased at all. Authors are never invited to speak, for fear of drawing the wrath of these groups.
Libraries are bastions of the First Amendment. They provide equal access to a wealth of
knowledge and ideas for all public school students. When individuals and organizations seek to advance their own political agendas or personal beliefs by censoring books, they infringe upon students’ constitutional rights.
We call upon Congress, statehouses, and school boards to reject the political manipulation of our schools, to uphold the values of freedom and equality promised in the Constitution, and to protect the rights of all young people to access the books they need and deserve.
Signed, (for the complete list if those who signed, go to:https://diversebooks.org/letter-from-1300-childrens-and-ya-authors-on-book-banning/ )
Darin Shuler
Tanisia Tee Moore
Uma Krishnaswami
Chris Eboch
Arree Chung
Malia Maunakea
Laura Silverman
Richard Michelson
Ellen Hopkins
Robb Pearlman
Andrea Zimmerman
Faith Pray
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Jennifer E. Smith
J. Anderson Coats
Elise Gravel
Amanda Hosch
Ransom Riggs
Julia Kuo
Karen S. Chow
Dianne White
Corinna Luyken
Ty Chapman
Christine Taylor-Butler
Divya Srinivasan
A.J. Irving
David Wiesner
Lisa Moore Ramee
Gina Perry
Chuck Gonzales
Kelly DiPucchio
Jonathan Stutzman
bryan collier
Cheryl Keely
Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
Tamara Ellis Smith
Nancy Bo Flood
Dana J. Sullivan
Sharon Darrow
Amber Benson
Erika L. Jones
Chris Baron
Kelly Light
Dana Swift
Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh
Jennifer K Mann
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Anna Meriano
Juliana Brandt
Dawn Quigley
Supriya Kelkar
Jen Calonita
Jasmine Warga
Ronald L Smith
Victoria Aveyard
Rajani LaRocca
Jennifer Ziegler
Nidhi Chanani
Kami Garcia
Jeff Zentner
Gale Galligan
Angie Thomas
Dave Pilkey
Kate DiCamillo
Kwame Alexander
Avi
Jerry Craft
Dan Santat
Hope Larson
Varian Johnson
Romina Garber
Marianna Baer
Padma Venkatraman
Olugbemisola
Rhuday-Perkovich
Julie Murphy
Denise K. Lajimodiere
Laurie Devore
Soman Chainani
Jamie Lee Curtis
Mac Barnett
Megan Frazer Blakemore
Malinda Lo
Alex Segura
Kelly Yang
Naomi Milliner
Tracey Baptiste
Jon Scieszka
Veronica Roth
Shing Yin Khor
Supriya Kelkar
Shaenon K. Garrity
Alex Gino
Malayna Evans
Marie Lu
Laurel Goodluck
Randy Ribay
Courtney Summers
Jennifer Bertman
Libba Bray
Maulik Pancholy
Lin Oliver
Sarah Albee
Anne Wynter
Jessica Patrick
Kayla Cagan
Sara Ryan
Amy Spalding
Jordan Sonnenblick
Alexandria Giardino
Cory Putman Oakes
K-Fai Steele
Amy Novesky
Sayantani DasGupta
Erin Soderberg Downing
Donna Barba Higuera
David Bowles
Sarah Darer Littman
Nate Powell
Heidi E.Y. Stemple
Thyra Heder
Trung Le Nguyen
Mike Curato
Angeline Boulley
Barbara McClintock
Hannah Barnaby
Jeanne Birdsall
Steve Light
Maggie Rudy
Brian Floca
Malinda Lo
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Sherri L. Smith
Nicole Maggi
Gideon Sterer
Ginger Johnson
Kara Thomas
Debbi Michiko Florence
Maryrose Wood
Kristin Cashore
Carolyn Mackler
Lauren Castillo
Margo Rabb
Beth McMullen
Mary Winn Heider
Natalie Standiford
John Rocco
Judy Blundell/Jude Watson
Brian Selznick
Laura Ruby
Jessica Lee Anderson
Susan Kralovansky
Amitha Jagannath Knight
Jenn Reese
Mariah Fredericks
Oge Mora
Farrah Rochon
Jason Chin
Lisa Fipps
Greg van Eekhout
Catherine Linka
Lisa McMann
David Hyde Costello
Kristin Cast
Janae Marks
Kip Wilson
Meredith Davis
Bethanie Murguia
Aisha Saeed
Cecil Castellucci
Fran Manushkin
Raphael Simon (aka
Pseudonymous Bosch)
Carrie Jones
Pat Miller
Katie Bayerl
Misa Saburi
Matt McMann
Maurene Goo
Brendan Reichs
Kaitlin Ward
Andrew Farago
Chris Grabenstein
Edward Underhill
Tracy López
William Alexander
P. C. Cast
Preeti Chhibber
Gayle Forman
Priyanka Taslim
Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Kate Messner
Robin Stevenson
Stephanie S. Tolan
Margarita Engle
Mike Jung
Casey W. Robinson
Deva Fagan
Adam Gidwitz
Jenna Miller
ER Frank
Natasha Donovan
Heather Murphy Capps
Isi Hendrix
Evan Turk
Jacquetta Nammar Feldman
Megan Reyes
Kim Rogers
Traci Chee
John August
Aron Nels Steinke
Sylvia Liu
Lauren Myracle
MaryBeth Timothy
Emily Skrutskie
Brandy Colbert
Arigon Starr (Kickapoo Tribe of
Oklahoma)
Melissa Stewart
Laura Shovan
Heidi R Kling
Laura Parnum
Susie Ghahremani
Alyson Gerber
Ruth Chan
Tui T. Sutherland
Jimmy Gownley
Andrea Wang
Kiersten White
Tara Dairman
Jen Ferguson
Fran Wilde
Dahlia Adler
Marc Tyler Nobleman
Steve Orlando
Melissa Walker
Mark Oshiro
Joe Cepeda
Trisha Moquino
Lamar Giles
Robert Liu-Trujillo
Mary McCoy
Amanda Foody
Alex R Kahler
Laekan Zea Kemp
Mike Maihack
Samantha Berger
Claribel A. Ortega
Terry Catasús Jennings
Tirzah Price
Lois Sepahban
Maria Gianferrari
Alexis Larkin
Olivia Chadha
Kalena Miller
Leslie Stall Widener
Z Brewer
Shane Pangburn
Pat Zietlow Miller
Violet Lumani
Terry Widener
Rosiee Thor
Pamela Ehrenberg
Sara Ackerman
Lev Rosen
Margaret Stohl
Alysa Wishingrad
Gia Gordon
Liselle Sambury
Tom Angleberger
Eliza Kinkz
M.T. Anderson
e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
Jessica Lewis
Victor Pineiro
Rebecca Balcárcel
Judd Winick
A.S. King
Anne Broyles
Lisa Robinson
Miranda Paul
Baptiste Paul
Kristy Boyce
Payal Doshi
Holly Black
Paul O. Zelinsky
Joseph Bruchac
Caroline Gertler
Alexandra Alessandri
Staci L. Drouillard
Carter Higgins
Kiku Hughes
Lisa Stringfellow
Elaine Vickers
Amy Noelle Parks
Andrea M. Page
Melissa Dassori
Wendy Mass
Sarah Hovorka
Lisa Varchol Perron
Esme Symes-Smith
Precious McKenzie
Greg Neri
Haley Neil
Marie Rutkoski
Ibi Zoboi
Amy Reed
HM Bouwman
Renee Ahdieh
Colleen Paeff
Sarah Kapit
Karuna Riazi
Anne Ursu
Lillie Lainoff
Jake Burt
Tina Connolly
Susan Cooper
Raakhee Mirchandani
Conrad Wesselhoeft
Samantha M Clark
Trisha Speed Shaskan
Amy Tintera
Mónica Mancillas
NoNieqa Ramos
Stephen Shaskan
Nicole D. Collier
Amy Ignatow
Tara Platt
Nina Hamza
Shawn Peters
Emily X.R. Pan
Jessixa Bagley
Lea Foushee
Deborah Heiligman
Betsy Bird
Anne Nesbet
Leslie Connor
Sue Macy
Veera Hiranandani
Miranda Sun
Cece Bell
Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic
Susan Kuklin
Jennifer Wilson
Martha Brockenbrough
Kim Turrisi
S.K. Ali
Patricia Morris Buckley
Elizabeth Blake
Lori R Snyder
Kirsten W. Larson
Jaime Formato
Saira Mir
Thomas Lennon
Judy I. Lin
April Jones Prince
Susan Azim Boyer
Jenny Han
Joana Pastro
Lindsay H. Metcalf
Gloria Amescua
Tamika Burgess
Lindsey Lane
M.O. Yuksel
Ingrid Law
Swati Avasthi
Will Taylor
Elisa Stone Leahy
Darshana Khiani
Abi Cushman
Andrea Menotti
Rochelle Hassan
Catherine Arguelles
Naz Kutub
Kara LaReau
Sarah Park Dahlen
Carol Kim
Nadia Salomon
Amanda Rawson Hill
Justine Pucella Winans
Lori Nichols
Laura Rueckert
Joanna Ho
Caroline Kusin Pritchard
Cylin Busby
Thi Bui
Sarah Street
Innosanto Nagara
Gigi Griffis
Ruta Sepetys
Adam Sass
Jen Wang
M.T. Khan
Katherine Applegate
Sheela Chari
Angela Burke Kunkel
Stephanie Burgis
Loree Griffin Burns
Jarrett Lerner
Jacob Sager Weinstein
Courtney Pippin-Mathur
Eliot Schrefer
Carole Lindstrom
Linda Urban
Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Jessica Young
Claire Bobrow
Andrew Maraniss
Steven Weinberg
Susan Eaddy
Trang Thanh Tran
Ann Braden
Jessica Vitalis
Lesléa Newman
Mika Song
Brendan Kiely
Brian D. Kennedy
Mónica Brown
Sean Petrie
Jo Knowles
Adib Khorram
Robert Broder
Karen Strong
Steve Sheinkin
Kathy Halsey
Breanna J. McDaniel
Kelly Starling Lyons
Sheri Dillard
Varsha Bajaj
Zoraida Córdova
Ryan T Higgins
Tameka Fryer Brown
Matt Tavares
Sarah Ahiers
Jamar Nicholas
Joanne Rossmassler Fritz
Meg Cannistra
Andrea Beatriz Arango
Peggy Thomas
Saraciea J. Fennell
Wendell Minor
Don Tate
Alicia D. Williams
E. Lockhart
Jane Yolen
Christine Heppermann
Anita Kharbanda
Linda Zajac
Brittany J. Thurman
Eric Smith
Charles Beyl
Charnaie Gordon
Renée Watson
Mari Mancusi
Molly B. Burnham
Alan Gratz
Kekla Magoon
Emma Carlson Berne
Gayatri Sethi
Debra Shumaker
Cynthia Platt
Vivian Vande Velde
Lisa Connors
Kate Klise
Reese Eschmann
Elizabeth Falk
Siman Nuurali
Valerie Bolling
Beth Ferry
James Riley
Nancy Ohlin
Jan Carr
Isabella Kung
Andrew Eliopulos
Elizabeth Acevedo
Grace Lin
Ellen Leventhal
Sheba Karim
David Small
Chris Tebbetts
Joyce Wan
Bree Paulsen
Corlette Douglas
Laurie Morrison
Sarah Warren
Abby Cooper
Daphne Kalmar
Sara Zarr
Jeanette Bradley
Javier Gimenez Ratti
Erin Petti
Stephanie Watson
Shadra Strickland
David Arnold
April Daniels
Leda Schubert
Gail Carson Levine
Kass Morgan
Eric Bell
Adam Rex
Julie Falatko
Sandra Nickel
Alliah L. Agostini
Alexandra Villasante
Olivia Abtahi
Rilla Alexander
Jennifer Gennari
Rachael Allen
Brad McLelland
Laura Gehl
Lisa J La Banca Rogers
Chantel Acevedo
Christina Díaz Gonzalez
Jenn Bishop
Laurie Halse Anderson
Crystal Allen
Dara Sharif
Anica Mrose Rissi
Marla Frazee
Matthew J. Kirby
Renee Kurilla
Becky Albertalli
John Claude Bemis
Brenda Seabrooke
Barney Saltzberg
Sheila McGraw
Laura Taylor Namey
Christy Mihaly
Tessa Gratton
Huy Voun Lee
Hayley Barrett
Melanie Ellsworth
Nikki Katz
Halli Gomez
Daria Peoples
Kirsten Miller
Kim Ventrella
Pam Munoz Ryan
Emmy Kastner
Jessica Verdi
Stephanie Greene
Kate Berube
John Coy
Rose Garcia Moriarty
Karen Yin
Vera Brosgol
Kim Holt
R.L. Toalson
Teresa Robeson
Sage Blackwood
Gennifer Choldenko
Mylisa Larsen
Priscilla Alpaugh
Amy Huntington
Aditi Khorana
Adrienne Maria Vrettos
David Goodner
Chris Barton
Rebecca Petruck
Rebecca G. Aguilar
TeMika Grooms
Tiffany Gholar
Lissette Norman
Amy Ewing
Kate Barsotti
Shannon Hale
Rachel Gozhansky
Julien Chung
Michelle Cusolito
Margaret Chiu Greanias
Kit Rosewater
Sarah Aronson
Allen R. Wells
Jodi McKay