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We all must go to bat for banned books
My one-bedroom apartment groans under the weight of books. They crowd overstuffed bookshelves, nightstands, windowsills, and even sit atop a rarely used record player. Many of these books I’ve read, but many of them I haven’t. And at no point does the plethora of books stop me from acquiring more. To be in the presence of books is to be in the presence of friends, and one can never have enough friends.
And, most of the time, I am utterly ungrateful for this embarrassment of riches. The fact that I can read whatever I want, whenever I want, just seems like a given. As a child, the only time I can remember anything coming between me and a book was in 7th grade, when we had to have our parents sign a permission slip if we wanted to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. (An excellent strategy to entice 13-year-olds into reading, truthfully. I think every kid in my class read Perks that year.) I wonder, would I be a different person if my reading options had been limited? If the books I loved—and that I saw myself in—were demonized?
In case you didn’t know, we’re in the middle of Banned Books Week, which ends this Saturday, October 10. Launched in 1982, this week is dedicated to combating efforts to censor reading material across the country. Despite this effort, there has been an alarming surge in book bans in America since 2021, and numbers remain at historic highs today.
Did you know all of these books have faced bans?
That’s why I’m dedicating today’s Worth the Read to all things book bans. I’ll be sharing statistics and resources to help you stay informed and involved no matter how much time you have. Because the truth is, if we—avid, excited readers—don’t go to bat for banned books, who will?
We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?
—Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Small disclaimer before we continue on: Nothing in this email has been sponsored, paid for, or pitched to me. These are all just organizations and resources I personally support and believe in!
The state of book banning in America
I thought I knew how bad things were, but then I saw the numbers presented like this:
All images © American Library Association. Banned Books Week is ® American Library Association. Let Books Be is ©2026 American Library Association.
Organized campaigns to ban books aren’t just becoming more common—they’re surging.
Learn how to take action against book bans
Pix Plus subscribers get the rest of this issue: who's behind book bans, where they're happening, and a guide to taking action, from quick wins to ongoing habits. Plus, my favorite banned books!