How to Talk About Book Bans 101

The expansion of a classic’s universe is a kind of fanfiction. Fanfiction, according to Henry Jenkins, can be as much a critical commentary on the original work as it is a love letter. If you want to expand the universe of a classic novel, there are plenty that follow beloved side characters. From Shakespeare to Jane Austen to Arthur Conan Doyle, there are numerous discussions happening with the classics in the current literary landscape.  

Book bans aren’t new. That’s true both for the current wave, as well as in a broad, general sense. But the fact of the matter is every single day new people begin to learn about what’s happening, either because they have not been tuned in before, because they didn’t believe it was as bad as presented, or because they’re simply not engaged with the types of media covering the issue. Although there is a basic primer on how to fight book bans and censorship in 2024, distilled into easy-to-do, vital tasks following nearly four years of nonstop coverage on book bans, that kind of guide does not provide clear talking points for engaging in conversations about book banning with those who are unaware or completely new to the discussion.

This is that 101 guide. You can use it in conjunction with this more robust and detailed guide to the myths about book banning that keep being repeated.

See also: how Houston students are pushing back on censorship, and more library news.

What’s better than a regular-sized historical fiction book? A short historical fiction book that you can finish in the span of a weekend. That’s just math. All of these historical fiction books under 300 pages are short, sweet, and to the point. They’re not going to drag you along for dozens upon dozens of pages on side tangents about the Napoleonic wars (looking at you Victor Hugo). Instead, these books set the historical scene and get straight to the story. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.