Utah has added Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott to its list of books banned at all public schools; the Texas state board of education wants legislation giving it  control of school library collections; and Crank by Ellen Hopkins remains on South Carolina high school shelves, but students will need parental permission.

SLJ will reveal the 193 titles selected for this year's Best Books list starting November 19 and culminating November 25 with a live webcast.

Parents and patrons want the LGBTQIA+ romance by Alice Oseman removed; a Tennessee district orders the immediate removal of 150 books; and a school board is set to review collections in a Virginia district in search of "sexually explicit" material that goes against policy.

In 2022, Ashley and Jeff Wall founded MamaBear Books, a Texas-based boutique children’s book publisher. MamaBear inspires imaginative play for young children with hilarious adventure books like The Day I Had a Bulldozer, The Day I Had a Dinosaur, and Lucy and Her Unicorn Get a Sparkle Puppy.

SLJ remains committed to the work. There is much to be done.

School librarians Andrea Trudeau, Tom Bober, and Amanda Jones created Librarians Building Libraries, a nonprofit with a mission to “collaborate with library communities worldwide, providing resources, training, and innovative solutions that promote literacy and provide access for all.”

The South Carolina Board of Education allowed three classics to remain in libraries and classrooms but removed seven titles from all public schools; Arizona district pays nearly $90,000 to settle book ban lawsuit; 25 books and graphic novel series removed from a Pennsylvania district. 

We don’t yet know what Donald Trump’s second term will mean for education and libraries, but the incoming administration had made its priorities and goals clear. Here are just some of the things we are watching.

Family members who collaborate talk about the dynamics (and ground rules) of their creative partnerships.