Censorship news and advice for librarians and educators from School Library Journal
Nintendo Magazine Pulled From Middle School Library By Rocco Staino - 03/31/2009
A magazine cover of a woman holding a gun has led a middle school principal to pull it from the media center, over the objection of the librarian. More
Roanoke Schools Temporarily Removes ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ By Lauren Barack - 11/04/2009
Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV, 1999) is in trouble again—and this time it’s been removed from shelves as it goes through the review process outlined by Virginia’s Roanoke County Public Schools.
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KY Library Fires Circ Staffers for Refusing to Check Out Graphic Novel By Lauren Barack - 11/04/2009
Two circulation staffers at the Jessamine County Public Library (JCPL) in Nicholasville, KY, have lost their jobs for refusing to let an 11-year-old girl check out a book in the graphic novel series, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Their reasoning? She was too young.
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When Weeding Is Wrong: A principal asks for banned books to be removed from the collection By Pat Scales - 11/01/2009
A parent of one of our eighth graders came into the library and began pulling books off our shelves. She ended up stacking 15 books on the circulation desk—including The Giver, The Chocolate War, Monster, and Looking for Alaska—and demanded that we permanently remove them from our collection.
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Scholastic to Sell 'Luv Ya Bunches' at Middle School Book Fairs By Rocco Staino and Debra Lau Whelan - 10/30/2009
Scholastic has reversed its decision to censor Lauren Myracle’s controversial Luv Ya Bunches (Abrams/Amulet, 2009) from school book fairs and will make a slightly sanitized version of the title available at middle schools in spring 2010. The novel, however, still won’t be for sale at elementary fairs—even though it specifically targets that age group.
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Scholastic Censors Myracle’s ‘Luv Ya Bunches’ from Book Fairs By Rocco Staino - 10/21/2009
Don’t expect to see Lauren Myracle’s new book Luv Ya Bunches (Abrams/Amulet, 2009) at Scholastic school book fairs this year. It’s been censored—at least for now—due to its language and homosexual content.
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'Twilight' Catches Heat in Time For Banned Books Week By Lauren Barack - 09/30/2009
Just in time for Banned Books Week brings word that Stehenie Meyer's popular vampire series, "Twilight," is being cast out of schools—this time in some Australian elementary schools—with the four novels being relegated to segregated sections of libraries where younger students can’t check out any of them
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SLJ Covers 2009 A bigger and better view of SLJ's covers from 2009
BookExpo America 2009: SLJ's Day of Dialog School Library Journal held a Day of Dialog in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America on May 28, 2009 at the Brooklyn Public Library. Full story: bit.ly/1a0G7o
2008 National Book Awards Nominees in the young people's literature category graced the red carpet on Awards night Nov. 20, 2008.
The Alvin Ho Collection, Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape (library.booksontape.com). 2009. ISBN 978-0-7393-7997-4. $38. Gr 2-4–Alvin Ho, a quirky Asian-American second grader, is articulate at home but so afraid of school that he is unable to speak while he is there.
Clowning around at the second annual Atlantic City Free Public Library Family Fun Festival last weekend. About 2,500 people came out to enjoy the beautiful day and the many festivities, including an array of performances, face painting, poetry readings by local teens, games, and music.
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The Alvin Ho Collection, Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape (library.booksontape.com). 2009. ISBN 978-0-7393-7997-4. $38. 
