Ep. 130: A Book Challenge in our Backyard

EQ: How has anti-LGBTQ sentiment seeped in local school boards?

Hope is joined by guest Gavin Downing, a teacher-library in the Kent School district who recently experience a very intense effort by some community members to ban a young adult book, Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by L.C. Rosen. In this episode, we dig into the timeline of events, discuss the recent rise in book bans and how we can all be more proactive in our support of students’ rights to read diverse perspectives and experiences.

Related Links:

• When Your Book Gets Banned by the School Board

• List of 50 Books Texas Parents Want Banned from Libraries

• Book Bans Rise: Grounds for Moral Panic?

• ACLU Threatens Possible Legal Action if KSD Board Removes Book

• Author L.C. Rosen’s Statement

• Kent School Board Votes Against Banning

• KSD board voted NOT to ban the book

Do Your Fudging HW:

• We can’t do this alone–reach out to SD, let them know/policies for district; shore them up BEFORE the challenge comes in; school board; public library

• How folks can support you/prevent the banning of books in KSD or in their local districts