Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights

by Ashley Hope Pérez (Editor), Debbie Fong (Illustrator)

Overview

A dazzling YA anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read, featuring the voices of 15 diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators.

Books are disappearing from shelves across the country.

What does this mean for authors, illustrators, and—most crucially—for young readers?

This bold collection of fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres explores book bans through various lenses, and empowers teens to fight back. From moving personal accounts to clever comebacks aimed at censorship, fifteen legendary YA authors and illustrators confront the high-stakes question of what is lost when books are kept from teens.

Contributors include Elana K. Arnold, Nikki Grimes, Ellen Hopkins, Kelly Jensen, Brendan Kiely, Maia Kobabe, Bill Konigsberg, Kyle Lukoff, MariNaomi, Trung Lê Nguyễn, Ashley Hope Pérez, Isabel Quintero, Traci Sorell, Robin Stevenson, and Padma Venkatraman; the collection is a star-studded must-read that packs strength and power into every last word.

Striking illustrations from Ignatz-nominated artist Debbie Fong pair perfectly with the searing, impactful narrative. Resources include tips from the Vandegrift Banned Book Club and other teen activists, as well as extensive recommended book lists, a How to Start Your Own Little Free Library flier, and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823458301
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/04/2025
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Ashley Hope Pérez grew up in Texas and is the author of three award-winning novels for young adults, including Out of Darkness, which received a Printz Honor and the Tomás Rivera Book Award—and was one of the top ten most banned books of 2021. Ashley is a former high school teacher and an assistant professor of world literatures at The Ohio State University. In 2023, Ashley was a part of PEN America’s lawsuit against Escambia County, Florida. She lives in Columbus with her two sons; find her online at www.ashleyperez.com.

Debbie Fong is an Ignatz-nominated cartoonist, illustrator, and author living in Brooklyn, NY. She is the author/illustrator of Next Stop, and the illustrator of What Can I Say? and How to Be a Person? by Catherine Newman. Debbie is the artist behind POMMO Press, an online shop where she sells colorful prints, stationery, and other fun goods. Find her online at www.debbiefong.com and @pommopress

Editorial Reviews

"Banned Together is an insightful, moving, and important resource for teens and all readers who are fighting the alarming rise in censorship across the U.S. It is filled with hard-won wisdom from authors whose books have been banned and who have themselves been targeted by right-wing hate. Give this to every young person to better equip them to stand up for their rights and their communities." —Malinda Lo, National Book Award Winner and New York Times-bestselling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club
 
"Banned Together is a mighty and massive resource, one that will, with any luck, act as not only a text of defiance, but also a text of massive inspiration. A heart-lifting body of work that will echo for generations." —Hanif Abdurraqib, Carnegie Award Medalist and MacArthur Fellow

"Powerful, necessary, and deeply honest, the stories, essays, poems and comics in Banned Together are beacons of hope, even more importantly, they are calls to action, compelling every reader to stand up and to get loud against the forces of hate and censorship on the rise in this nation. An incredibly insightful resource and road map, this dazzling anthology reminds us that the freedom to read is one we must fight for, relentlessly and together. I'm with the banned!" —Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Internment and This Book Won't Burn

"This book shines a beacon on banned books and encourages readers to discuss difficult topics, rather than pretend they don’t exist. Thank you to these incredible authors, who were brave and gracious enough to inform, to share their experiences, to let readers know they are not alone, that they are okay." —Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy and The Unwanteds

"Some of the most important voices of our day are being silenced across America, but they're proudly and vividly on display in this outstanding anthology full of knowledge, insight, and heart. Stories save lives, and one of the stories in this book could save yours." —Ryan Estrada, Freeman Award-winning author of Banned Book Club and No Rules Tonight
 
"In our fight against book bans, here is my weapon of choice! This brilliant and powerful book provides hope and a rallying cry that empowers all readers to defend our right to read!" —Ellen Oh, award-winning author and founding member of We Need Diverse Books
 
"A beautifully inspiring reminder that unreasonably harsh censorship by extremists harms children and threatens our constitutional rights." —Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree and Young People's Poet Laureate Emeritus
 
"The voices in Banned Together say 'Hell no!' to those who seek to erase them and their communities. With fear, ferocity, and love—yes, love—their words hold so much for so many." —Dr. Debbie Reese, award-winning co-author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People

From the Publisher