Reading May Lead to Thinking, Redux
Bans and censorship are fascist attempts at controlling the narrative. Luckily, kids' book authors are made of steel.
As the Associated Press reported this week, the Trump Adminstration is ordering librarians who work for the Army and Air Force to review their collections to find — and remove — books connected to DEI, gender ideology and critical race theory. This is the latest purge of supposedly “woke” books being pulled from Department of Defense libraries (and DOD schools for military dependents), such as the 381 titles already deleted by the Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library.
Yikes.
Then, a couple days ago, Charlotte Agell (author, illustrator and Crash Report contributor) sent me a link to a “Banned Authors Speak Out” video by “Reads with Rachel,” a children’s-and-young adult book reviewer on YouTube. As a childless goat, pig and chicken farmer, I really don’t have much use for kid-lit, but upon Charlotte’s recommendation, I watched. And I encourage you to check it out too!
In the video, seven kids’ book authors (including Charlotte), explain how their books were banned, challenged, dissed or otherwise silenced by the close-minded fash who don’t want queer, POC and other marginalized voices to have a place in society or on library shelves.
Yikes.
Obviously, modern kids need all the help they can get navigating the perils of life. And books, magically, have the ability to clarify, justify and explain confused feelings and answer doubts. Books also have the wondrous power of making readers feel less alone in this crazy world.
That’s why the fash want to limit access to books. Because, as Charlotte made clear in her inaugural piece for The Crash Report, Reading Leads to Thinking, the chuddish oligarchy doesn’t want the next gen to question the failed current paradigm.
Charlotte, the author of many strong-voiced and mischievous books for kids and young adults, has a NEW piece coming out in tomorrow’s (4/20/25) Crash Report. Here, in case you missed it, is her first contribution warning of pending reading-related dooms.
Charlotte came to Maine from Sweden, via Hong Kong, for a liberal arts education and the 70s rock n' roll. (Who isn't searching for a heart of gold?) She's a lifelong public school teacher and the author/illustrator of many books for children and young adults. She believes that artists are emotional first responders and that art gives you questions, not answers. Which is why art is so dangerous and so necessary.
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