Empowering Inclusive Classrooms: Embracing Banned Books and LGBTQ+ Literature with Pinder's Pages
ALA recently released their 2023 State of America’s Libraries PDF and I am astounded by the numbers. I stepped away from my role as a library director in a small Connecticut town because my physical and mental health deteriorated rapidly over just a few short months. After nearly a year without a full-time director, my former library found someone to fill the role, only to have them walk away in under a year. While that library’s future leadership remains uncertain, one thing I can be sure of is my commitment to uphold and share the books and voices that are trying to be silenced. If you too would like to help, keep reading.
Building a diverse and inclusive classroom library is crucial for educators who are passionate about promoting social justice, racial equity, and gender affirmation. One way to achieve this is by incorporating banned books and LGBTQ+ literature into the curriculum. Pinder's Pages offers a wide range of such books that can be a valuable addition to any school classroom.
By including banned books in the curriculum, educators can encourage critical thinking and foster discussions around censorship and freedom of expression. These books often tackle important themes such as racism, discrimination, and social inequality, providing students with different perspectives on these issues. Supporting initiatives like We Need Diverse Books, Rethinking Schools , Learning for Justice, and Edutopia are all resources to stay up to date on the latest information, tools to use in the classroom, and ways to gain community support.
Publishers Weekly keeps us up to date with the shocking figures by sharing more information about how challenges to books continue to rise ahead of Banned Books Week (Oct 1-7 2023).
PEN America has taken on the important task of documenting and tracking the bans and challenges faced by books that touch upon sensitive topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, social justice, and gender affirmation. Their dedication to preserving intellectual freedom is commendable. Find the spreadsheet here. They, too, have a new report released this week finding nearly 3,400 instances of book banned in public schools in the ‘22-’23 academic year ALONE. Read more on PEN America here in Publishers Weekly.
Similarly, LGBTQ+ literature plays a vital role in creating an inclusive environment where all students feel seen and represented. By featuring stories that explore diverse identities and experiences, educators can promote empathy, understanding, and acceptance among their students. After the release of the American Library Association’s report, GLAAD released a toolkit for community action and response to help combat the commonly asked questions and challenges the top books face.
Pinder's Pages provides access to an extensive collection of banned books and LGBTQ+ literature that can help educators create an engaging learning environment that celebrates diversity. By incorporating these powerful narratives into their classroom libraries, educators can inspire their students to become informed global citizens who actively challenge injustice.
Stay informed and educated! Explore Pinder's Pages today to discover curated lists for the perfect additions for your classroom library!
