National Banned Books Week begins Sunday and there couldn’t be a more important event as our country grapples with the constitutionally protected right of free speech, which includes the right to read. Presented by the American Library Association and the writers organization PEN America, this year’s motto is “Censorship is So 1984: Read for Your Rights.”

The annual celebration of the right to choose began in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in book challenges in libraries, schools and bookstores.

PEN reports its data shows efforts to remove books from school libraries and curricula often target books by and about LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, and themes of race and social justice. ALA documented 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials in 2024, across all library t

See Full Page