October 27, 2025
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PEN America has released its annual report on the book banning crisis in K–12 public schools, naming the top five most banned titles and authors. PEN found that “the campaign to censor books is increasingly routine,” with Florida, Texas, and Tennessee leading the nation in instances of banning. more
Judge Alan D. Albright of the Western District of Texas ordered a permanent injunction against HB 900 on October 21 in Book People Inc. v. Wong, writing that the mandatory book rating law “compels speech, is void for vagueness, and is an unconstitutional prior restraint” on booksellers. more
Publishers and freedom-to-read advocates are supporting plaintiffs in Little v. Llano County by encouraging the Supreme Court to review a First Amendment decision by the Fifth Circuit. The case would determine how much control public officials exert over library collection decisions, from book removals to approved selections. more
Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles granted student plaintiffs a preliminary injunction on October 20, ordering five Department of Defense Education Activity schools to cease implementing three presidential executive orders and to return censored books to school shelves. more
And Tango Makes Three authors Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, whose First Amendment claim against Florida’s Escambia County School Board was dismissed in federal court, will appeal to restore their picture book to public school library shelves. more
Following Baker & Taylor's collapse, two companies with long histories serving the school library market will expand to the public library sector. Follett CEO Britten Follett called public libraries “the perfect space for us to grow and a natural extension of our business.” more
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Publishing Professionals Against Book Bans, a new resource-sharing community affiliated with Authors Against Book Bans and geared toward industry insiders, will host its first virtual town hall, “Book Bans and the Art of Protecting Authors,” on October 28. more
With classrooms and school libraries across the U.S. embroiled in censorship efforts, a team of authors have assembled their advice for right to read advocacy in Ban This! How One School Fought Two Book Bans and Won (and How You Can Too). more
At the 114th national council of teachers of English annual convention in Denver, November 20–23, educators from around the country will gather to celebrate, inform, and uplift each other. more
The lineup of more than 1,000 educational sessions will provide educators with support, best practices, and inspiration as they explore how to address such issues as banned books, AI technology, literacy and writing instruction, and instilling a love of reading in their classrooms. more
A recent NCTE survey shows educators overwhelmingly value diverse literature—but need help getting it into classrooms. more
Six children's authors appearing at NCTE discussed their new books, and their hopes for this year's conference. more
Jumpstart, a national organization that recruits and trains adults to teach foundational literacy skills to preschoolers, is partnering with Little Free Library to expand the 20th anniversary celebration for its Read for the Record early literacy initiative. more
Among all the frights this month, young readers can look forward to a bit of fun with notable releases including a picture book following an unlikely friendship between predator and prey, a middle grade novel following a group of Swifties, the story of an alien in hiding returning to his spaceship, and more. more
First-generation Iranian American educator and author Ryan Bani Tahmaseb honors his father, an immigrant from Iran, and his ancestry in his forthcoming middle grade collection Persian Mythology: Epic Stories of Gods, Heroes, and Monsters, illustrated by Reza Dalvand. more
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School & Library Spotlight
Editor: Emma Kantor
Digital Producer: Michael Seidlinger
Assistant Editor: Iyana Jones
Editor: Emma Kantor
Digital Producer: Michael Seidlinger
Assistant Editor: Iyana Jones
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