As summer wraps up and students return to school, a notable shift in extracurricular activities is emerging. Many students are now engaging in social justice causes, driven by the increasing prevalence of book censorship. This shift is part of a broader cultural battle over access to diverse content. As book bans escalate, particularly targeting books on race, gender, and … [Read more...] about Political Climate in High Schools: Responding to Book Bans
censorship
New Harry Potter Book Amid Controversy: ‘From the Wizarding Archive’
Harry Potter fans have a lot to look forward to this fall with the release of a new addition to the Wizarding World. J.K. Rowling’s beloved series began in the 1990s, has sold millions of copies and inspired eight movies (plus a spinoff series). The captivating story follows Harry Potter as he fights the evil Lord Voldemort. Although the series has been praised for … [Read more...] about New Harry Potter Book Amid Controversy: ‘From the Wizarding Archive’
New Children’s Book on Palestine Raising Reader Fury
Readers in New York City are up in arms over a new children's book that takes young readers through an alphabet journey of Palestine. Called P Is for Palestine, each letter represents terminology based upon proud Arabic heritage. The complaint? There's no mention of Israel. Protesting parents haven't indicated why they feel Israel should be mentioned in a book that … [Read more...] about New Children’s Book on Palestine Raising Reader Fury
How eBooks Can Save Banned Books
It's Banned Books Week, a popular celebration for rebel readers put on by the American Library Association. For thirty-five years, the ALA has encouraged readers to explore the list of books that have been banned or challenged in schools, libraries, and even retail sales in order to exercise their right to read. Unfortunately, in this climate of political angsts and … [Read more...] about How eBooks Can Save Banned Books
Clean Reader Controversy: Censorship, or Right to Read?
"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” --Mark Twain One of the recent controversies in publishing involves the creation of an app called Clean Reader that has authors of every level crying censorship. Built by two parents who claim their daughter was upset by the amount and … [Read more...] about Clean Reader Controversy: Censorship, or Right to Read?
Censoring Indie Authors
With so much attention focused on the US when it comes to self-publishing, it's easy to forget that this is a worldwide indie author movement, and that companies like Kobo are connecting readers across the globe, making it possible for a reader in Denmark to enjoy a work of science fiction written by an author in sub-Saharan Africa. But while US authors happily further the … [Read more...] about Censoring Indie Authors
The Impact of eBooks on the Fight Against Censorship
Following yet another living, breathing attempt at book banning--this time in Boise, Idaho, where school board members voted to remove Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian--a student-led petition resulted in a major donation from the book's publisher. Seventeen-year-old Brady Kissel presented a petition with over three hundred signatures to the … [Read more...] about The Impact of eBooks on the Fight Against Censorship
Ellen Hopkins, eBooks, and the Fight Against Censorship
Young adult author Ellen Hopkins is no stranger to controversy. Her teen books--which deal with very difficult yet realistic subject matter such as drug addiction, suicide, and self-harm--are often found hovering near the top of the lists of books that have been banned in schools or libraries. But an event this week shed new light on an age-old problem: censorship. Hopkins … [Read more...] about Ellen Hopkins, eBooks, and the Fight Against Censorship
Marvel Censors Miracleman for Some Digital Readers
Someone at Marvel Comics decided that their new edition of Miracleman needed to be censored for digital release—but apparently not everyone is on board with that. Last week, Marvel released the first of a planned series of reprints of the Alan Moore/Neil Gaiman run of Miracleman. Miracleman itself has a tangled history, having started off in the early 1950s as Marvelman, a … [Read more...] about Marvel Censors Miracleman for Some Digital Readers
Kobo: Writers Free to Write What they Want, We’re Not Compelled to Sell It
Amid the uproar and media firestorm surrounding the recent discovery of inappropriate subject matter available in the children's digital sections of some ebook retailers' websites, Kobo and several other self-publishing platforms took a bold stance and blocked self-published titles from sale until a thorough review could be conducted. Angry accusations filled the social media … [Read more...] about Kobo: Writers Free to Write What they Want, We’re Not Compelled to Sell It
Can The Book Genome Project Solve the Riddle of Categorizing eBooks?
The anger over the decision by several retailers to stop carrying self-published titles continues to rage, as it is even extending to authors whose books were not even remotely close to the adult nature of titles that stores like WHSmith and Whitcoulls railed against. Authors have taken to launching change.org petitions and their social media platforms to vent and try to … [Read more...] about Can The Book Genome Project Solve the Riddle of Categorizing eBooks?
The “Saga” Saga: It Wasn’t Apple After All
The internet lit up on Tuesday after writer Brian K. Vaughan made this announcement: "Unfortunately, because of two postage stamp-sized images of gay sex, Apple is banning tomorrow's SAGA #12 from being sold through any iOS apps." On Twitter, Facebook, comment strings, and message boards, fans denounced Apple for a seeming double standard, refusing to carry a comic because of a … [Read more...] about The “Saga” Saga: It Wasn’t Apple After All
PayPal Backs Down from eBook Ban
After a firestorm of angry protests and a grassroots petition campaign, PayPal has reversed its previous ban on using the online payment method to sell ebooks that contain themes of rape, incest, or bestiality. PayPal had initially informed ebook distribution platform Smashwords that it would have to remove approximately 2,000 “offensive” ebooks or risk losing PayPal as a … [Read more...] about PayPal Backs Down from eBook Ban
Authors Strike Back Against PayPal’s Censorship of Smashwords
Smashwords, the popular online ebook distribution platform that recently celebrated the uploading of the 100,000th title to its catalog of digital editions, found itself embroiled in some controversy over a request from PayPal that it remove nearly 2,000 titles that the online payment company considered inappropriate or offensive. Failure to do so would result in the … [Read more...] about Authors Strike Back Against PayPal’s Censorship of Smashwords