In recent years, librarians, educators, book creators, politicians, and other adults have increasingly discussed issues of intellectual freedom and young people's right to read. Following on the heels of these discussions, more books have been published for children and teens about intellectual freedom, often with a focus on book challenges and bans. Books addressing this topic have expanded not only in quantity but also in range, with titles about the right to read aimed at early elementary through high school students. Through fictional and nonfictional accounts, these stories introduce young people advocating for intellectual freedom through a variety of techniques, including starting underground collections, writing editorials and social media posts, and speaking at school/library board meetings. Through these examples of advocacy, the books also explore the reasons for many book challenges and bans, including their subject matter and creators' and characters' marginalized identities, as well as examples of actual books that have been censored. Our presentation highlights trends among the youth books about book banning, such as the intended audiences for the books, the intersectional identities of the young advocates, the ways in which they engage in advocacy work, and the support they receive from adults. We will also booktalk some newer materials and describe resources for further exploring these topics in youth libraries.
