This blog post is by Brian Bannon, Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education, and Siva Ramakrishnan, Director, Young Adult Programs & Services at The New York Public Library, a Unite Against Book Bans partner.
Book bans reached a record high in 2023 and continue to rise at an alarming rate. At The New York Public Library, we stand with the American Library Association (ALA), Unite Against Book Bans, and libraries nationwide in defense of the freedom to read and in solidarity with the library workers and communities across the country who are being censored and threatened.
Books for All New Season
As we mark Banned Books Week across the U.S., The New York Public Library is building on our efforts to combat censorship with the expansion of our largest-ever anti-censorship initiative, designed to engage and inspire teens—the readers most affected by book bans—and we’re proud to continue our partnership with ALA in order to reach teens across the country.
As a cornerstone of our initiative, we’re pleased to announce the selections for this year’s Teen Banned Book Club and to declare submissions open for our all-new National Teen Art Contest.
Upcoming Titles and Special Purchase Options for Libraries
This year, our Teen Banned Book Club is shining a spotlight on graphic novels, starting with the bestselling Flamer by Mike Curato. We have an all-new discussion guide for Flamer as well as branded promotional materials ready to share with your teen patrons, students, and communities—as well as an opportunity to ask Mike Curato questions as part of a special author talk on November 21.
In addition, we’re pleased to announce that there are special purchase options available to libraries for all four of our Banned Book Club selections for this year:
- Flamer by Mike Curato (book club will run through November 2024)
- Run by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell (book club will run January and February 2025)
- Go with the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann (book club will run March and April 2025)
- The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (book club will run May and June 2025)
Librarians should contact the sales representative at their distributor to learn more.
New National Teen Art Contest: Spread the Word!
At The New York Public Library, we believe that what teens have to say matters. This year, taking inspiration from the graphic novel theme of our Banned Book Club, we’re asking teens to represent what the power of reading and the freedom to read mean to them through visual art using the medium of their choice. The grand prize winner of this National Teen Art Contest will win $500 and there are an additional 20 prizes of $250. Do you work with teens? If so, we hope you can get the word out to them about this great opportunity to become part of the national conversation! Learn more, get inspired, and find suggested activities on our website.
In addition to the cash prize, winners will also be published in a special edition of NYPL’s Teen Voices magazine and the grand prize winner will have the opportunity to have their winning entry exhibited at one of NYPL’s midtown locations. Last year’s contest attracted entries from almost 500 teens in 36 states and the resulting publication is available to read online. Are you affiliated with a public or school library? Request your own print copies to share with your teens.
Good luck—and thanks for helping to protect the freedom to read!
