Posts Tagged book bans

**ALERT** 3 Censorship Bills Active in Congress RIGHT NOW!

By on May 29, 2026   /   Oh MG News   /   Leave a comment

Oppose these 3 National Book Ban Bills

According to the American Booksellers Association (ABA), the bills currently in Congress right now can “can impose book bans nationwide in ways state and local governments would be powerless to resist.”

Contact your legislators today. The ABA has everything you need right here to do so, in just a minute or two.

More from ABA:

“Three national censorship bills are now active in Congress, targeting federal education funding in ways that would impact schools’ book purchases and have ripple effects across the book industry. Collectively, these bills would restrict books discussing race and gender in vague terms that would ban an uncountable number of books. Your US Representatives and Senators need to hear from you today so they know to look out for these bills: HR 7661 and HR 8705 in the House and HR 2616 in the Senate.”

Do your part by going to the ABA website to make your voice heard on this critical issue.

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“Star” in a Novel Written by an Acclaimed Author

By on May 1, 2026   /   Oh MG News  

PEN America Character Naming AuctionWant to protect writers and have a character named after you or someone you love in a book by an author like David Baldacci, Jennifer Egan, or Brigid Kemmerer? You’re in luck.

Place the winning bid in the PEN America Character Naming Auction and not only will you see your name in a future book, along with a signed copy, but you’ll support PEN America’s Author Safety Program, a program designed to protect writers facing harassment, threats, and intimidation both online and in person.

The auction ends on May 15, 2026 @ 5:00 PM ET, so go here to get your bid(s) in now. And learn more about the work PEN America does on behalf of readers and writers around the world.

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Book Bans Impact School Visits Around the Country

By on November 1, 2025   /   Oh MG News  

In just the past few weeks, multiple kidlit authors have seen their author visits canceled.

Talk on the True Story of the First Woman to Bike Around the World: CANCELED

Pedal Pusher

According to author Mary Boone’s piece in The Seattle Times, she was scheduled to talk about her book Pedal Pusher: How One Woman’s Bicycle Adventure Helped Change the World at the Tacoma Children’s Museum site on the U.S. Army base Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The book tells the true story of Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, the first woman to bike around the world.

However, a few days before the event, Boone was told the planned talk was off because it “violated the administration’s executive order restricting so-called “radical” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs across federal institutions.”

Book Talk Celebrating Freedom to Read: CANCELED 

According to BookRiot, Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard showed up at the Country Club Elementary School in San Ramon, California to talk about the current landscape of book bans and their book The Day The Books Disappeared, a picture book that celebrates the freedom to read. Upon arrival, the authors were told by the school’s principal they could not talk about book bans, nor could they mention “queer-centered stories at all.”

The Day The Books Disappeared

Ho and Kusin Pritchard said they didn’t plan on changing their talk, so they were sent home, and the students who’d been waiting for the talk to start were sent back into their classrooms.

What Can You Do?

  • Sign up for Authors Against Book Bans to be notified about actions you can take against book bans in your state.
  • Join PEN America protect the freedom to read.  They offer actions you can take to lend a hand.
  • Learn more about banned books from the American Library Association.
  • According to Unite Against Book Bans, attending your local library board, school board, and city council meetings is “one of the most critical actions you can take to fend off book bans.” Attending these events in support of the freedom to read is a powerful statement.
  • MUF contributor Patricia Bailey has other suggestions, too. Remember, most people do not want book bans, research shows. Don’t lose hope!

 

 

 

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