Banned Books Week

Next week is "BANNED BOOKS WEEK". Americans will highlight the annual event October 4 - 10 with the theme “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read,” featuring artwork by Hyesu Lee, Loveis Wise, and Mikey Burton.

Honorary chairs include:

• Bess Kalb (author of the Buffalo Fluffalo series)
• Tony Weaver, Jr. (Weirdo)
• Youth honorary chairs: Marshall Romero and Azeemah Sadiq
  bannedbooksweek.org                                                                                                                              Key Events and Activities

Organizations such as ALA, PEN America, and the American Booksellers Association will host events, panels, screenings, and community actions. Examples include:

• Virtual and in‑person discussions on censorship
• Screenings of The Librarians documentary
• Panels featuring banned authors
• Community action events like Let Freedom Read Day on October 10, 2026
  pen.org

Resources and Participation

• ALA Store: Posters, bookmarks, stickers, and merchandise
• Digital kits: Available for libraries, schools, and bookstores
• Physical kits: Distributed to participating bookstores (limited supply)
• Advocacy tools: Templates, guides, and resources to support intellectual freedom
  bookweb.org
• • 
    

Context: Book Challenges

The 2026 campaign also responds to rising censorship:

• ALA tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, with 5,668 titles banned—the highest number ever recorded.
• Nearly 92% of challenges were initiated by organized pressure groups.
  bannedbooksweek.org
• • 
    

Banned Books Week 2026 serves as a major annual effort to defend intellectual freedom and highlight the escalating challenges to the right to read. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Banned Boks Week is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and highlights the value of free and open access to information. The theme of this year's event is "freed between the lines".

The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on or derived from communities across the United States. You can also view previous lists by year as well at OIF. 

The list of the most banned books for 2026 will be available in April of 2026. However, some books have been repeatedly banned or challenged throughout history. If you're curious about the most frequently banned books of all time in America, here is the 100 most frequently challenged books by decade | Banned Books. If you'd like to know the books that were most challenged of 2025, click here. Ten of the most frequently banned in high schools:

• 1984 by George Orwell
  Call Number: PR6029.R8 N49 1984
  Publication Date: 1984
  Reason: pro-communism ideas, sexuality

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Performed by); Emory Elliott
  Call Number: PS1305 .A1 1996
  ISBN: 0585363447
  Publication Date: 1999-01-01
  Reason: racism

• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
  Call Number: PS3537.A426 C3 1979
  ISBN: 0316769533
  Publication Date: 1951-07-16
  Reasons: offensive language, unsuited for certain age groups

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  Call Number: PS3573.A425 C6 1982
  ISBN: 0156028352
  Publication Date: 2003-05-28
  Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for certain age groups

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Matthew J. Bruccoli (Preface by)
  Call Number: PS3511.I9 G7 2000
  ISBN: 9780684830421
  Publication Date: 1996-06-01
  Reasons: reference to drugs, sexuality, and profanity

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  Call Number: PS3551.N464 Z466 1997
  ISBN: 9780394429861
  Publication Date: 1970-01-12
  Reason: sexually explicit

• Lord of the Flies by William Golding; E. M. Forster (Introduction by)
  Call Number: PR6013.O35 L63 2003
  ISBN: 9780399529207
  Publication Date: 2003-10-28
  Reason: profanity, sexuality, racial slurs, and excessive violence

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  Call Number: PS3537.T3234 O2 2002
  ISBN: 9780142000670
  Publication Date: 2002-01-08
  Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence

• One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken kesey
  Call Number: PS3561.E667 O5 2002
  ISBN: 9780670030583
  Publication Date: 2002-01-28
  Reasons: profanity, unsavory theme, sexuality, and racism

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  Call Number: Adult PS3562.E353 T6 1982
  ISBN: 9780061743528
  Publication Date: 2010-05-11
  Reasons: offensive language; racism

If you would like more information about banned and challenged books, contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, or oif@ala.org. Another god source of information on banned books is the "Libraries and Center for Academic Technology" site by Butler University: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684

How about you? How many of these banned books have you read? How do you feel about the idea of banning books in schools and libraries?

Fall Writing

This week marks the official start of Fall! Although, you wouldn't know it in southeast Texas with temperatures hitting near 100 degrees as I'm writing this. I'm looking forward to the changing season. I'm also hoping to increase my writing output as I've been too distracted to write as much as I would like lately. 

In that vein, I thought I would share some writing prompts - not all of them are season related, but you can make them such if you wish. I hope they inspire some wickedly wonderful Autumn tales!

1) Write a Fall or Halloween special for your favorite television show.

2) Design your own school of magic: what does it look like? what subjects are taught? Who are the teachers? What are some of the back-to-school traditions?

3) Create a legend about your city.

4) Write an acrostic poem.

5) Write about a Thanksgiving dinner attended by your favorite fictional character.

6) Write a scene from the POV of Alexa or Siri.

7) Create a fake news report.

8) Write a retelling of your favorite Shakespeare play.

9) Write a scene that takes place in your favorite bookstore or coffee shop.

10) Write about a character who has terrible luck.

11) Write a Fall scene without using the word pumpkin.

12) Write about the worst possible break up you could imagine.

13) Make up your own conspiracy theory.

14) Write a story that takes place in a corn maze.

15) Write a ghost story.

16) Take a favorite Christmas song and rewrite the words to be about Halloween, or Thanksgiving.

What are you writing? Are you trying any of these? Any other prompts you want to share?

Finding the Fredericksburg Literary Scene

In June, I enjoyed a brief stop in Fredericksburg, Texas. While this was by no means my first trip to this amazing town, it was the first time I could enjoy some time with a fellow book lover. If you ever have a chance to stop here, I highly recommend:

1. Fredericksburg Book Festival: Held annually in January (with the next event scheduled for January 16, 2027), showcasing prominent regional authors like Lawrence Wright and Sandra Cisneros.

2. Books on Main: A downtown shop at 409 E Main St featuring Texana, Texas history, and regional fiction.

3. Easy Company Books & Coffee is a cozy, independent bookstore and cafe located in the heart of downtown. Inspired by the legacy and resilience of World War II’s famous "Easy Company" paratroopers, this literary spot serves as a welcoming community hub at 308 E Main Street.

4. Pioneer Memorial Library: Housed in an 1881 historic former courthouse at 115 W. Main St, serving as a central community and literary anchor

5. Historic Pioneer School House Museum: The historic one-room schoolhouse in Fredericksburg, Texas, is located on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum.

How about you? Have you been to Fredericksburg, Texas? Have you visited any of these stops?

Labor Day and 25th Anniversary of 9/11

This week offers Americans the chance to commemorate two different historical priorities as well as a chance to read books and watch movies that honor both occasions.

First, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

In 1906, Upton Sinclair published The Jungle. His goal was to expose the deplorable conditions at factories in Chicago and other American cities.

In 1979 Irving Ravetech and Harriet Frank Jr. gave us the screenplay for Norma Rae - a young single mother and textile worker who agrees to help unionize her mill despite the dangers involved.

Interested in a few more "labor" themed books? Check out this list of twenty best labor day books.

Secondly, The 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks occurs this week on Friday. Veterans Affairs (VA) cemeteries and communities nationwide are hosting volunteer events and National Day of Service and Remembrance activities to honor the victims and first responders.

Meanwhile, many reports indicate President Trump and other national leaders plan to mark the solemn anniversary at the Pentagon memorial site rather than Ground Zero.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is holding its annual commemoration ceremony at the Memorial Plaza, where families of victims will read aloud the names of those lost. Many other institutions, including Penn State University and Hanscom Air Force Base, are also hosting events and ceremonies to remember the attacks and honor the victims and first responders. You can also participate in the #RemembertheSky digital commemoration or the 9/11 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience offered by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. 

How to Observe the 25th Anniversary

A live Broadcast: 9/11 Memorial Museum

• Attend a Ceremony: The main event is at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, with family members reading the names of the victims, according to a Facebook post. Many other commemorative ceremonies, such as one at Hanscom Air Force Base and Sherwood Island State Park in Connecticut, will also be taking place. 
• Participate in Digital Events: Join the #RemembertheSky digital commemoration by posting a photo of the sky, or take part in the 9/11 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. 
• Leave a Tribute: Visit neverforget.org/remember to leave a message of remembrance and tribute on the Remembrance Wall. 
• Learn from First-Person Accounts: The 9/11 Memorial & Museum offers a 30-minute film with personal stories from first responders, family members, and other survivors.
• Watch from home: National Geographic releases emotional 9/11 special to commemorate the 25th anniversary. See more: https://abc7ny.com/post/national-geographic-releases-emotional-trailer-new-911-special-reunited/19658054/
• See some of my thoughts and experiences with students today: click links below.

How about you? What are some of your favorite labor inspired reads? Do you remember? Are you doing anything to commemorate this day? Is your town? To learn more about this event and how to commemorate. check out the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

IWSG: Archetypes and Other Repeats

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

SEPTEMBER QUESTION - Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate toward in your writing?

MY ANSWER - I don't think I have one archetype that I gravitate toward, but I've noticed I usually have at least one character who is oblivious to some fact that other characters pick up on faster. I think I do this because I have so often felt like I was clueless about something or someone.

How about you? Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate toward in your writing?