The American Library Association threw its support behind two so-called “banned books” tours organized by Penguin Random House and The New Republic in response to efforts by parents and red states to remove inappropriate books from children’s shelves and classrooms. The bookmobiles hit the road in celebration of #BannedBooksWeek to distribute copies of the books in what it calls the “most affected communities.” But here’s the kicker: Anyone anywhere in the country can buy these “banned” books.
One of these self-described “bold new initiative[s] to combat censorship and celebrate the First Amendment,” will be touring through Oct. 28. To fight the “new laws and regulations limiting the kinds of books kids can access,” one bookmobile handed out books including Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, I Am Jazz, and How to Be an Antiracist — all of which are readily available on Amazon to be shipped directly to your door overnight.
Concerned parents and lawmakers have contested the content of books that leftist activists now characterize as “banned.” Some have been moved from children’s shelves due to pornographic imagery, while others have been taken out of classrooms due to divisive ideologies that condition children to hate themselves or others based on the color of their skin. The nuance and maturity these “banned” books demand are at the crux of the issue, but the ALA and affiliate sponsors insist these books should remain accessible to children of any age in libraries and classrooms on
