STRONGER News - August 2025 - Florida good news and Red Wine and Blue shout out!
It’s August 2025, and we’ve got some updates on book banning news (hurray for the Florida ruling affirming the first amendment does apply to books in schools), put some banned books in the spotlight, share our progress in pushing-back against book banning (we’re teaming up with 18 Red Wine and Blue TroubleNation groups across the country and one student group in Texas), and remind you of some great ways to get involved.
Book Banning Updates
On Wednesday, August 13, a federal judge struck down parts of Florida’s parental rights in education law (HB 1069) that have been used to ban thousands of books from public schools across the state. The ruling ensures that librarians and educators trained in literary value are the ones determining it — not politicians. The less great news is that the state will most likely appeal the decision.
For now, we are celebrating this important victory for readers and authors. We join with Stephana Ferrell of Florida Freedom to Read Project in her call for “the thousands of books that have been prohibited from student access without careful consideration of their value should be returned to shelves immediately. Florida cannot call itself the ‘freest state’ while it blatantly violates the First Amendment rights of our youngest citizens.”
We also want to highlight an important article by author Kelly Jensen over at Book Riot to help folks understand the impact of Mahmoud v. Taylor. Kelly points out how the decision is being weaponized by groups hoping to dismantle public education but in fact, doesn’t require or even necessitate change in districts beyond Montgomery County, Maryland. Read this important article so you can speak up for the diverse and inclusive books at your library and school board meeting!
Banned Books Spotlight
The ACLU got the list of the 596 books banned by the department of defense education activity, which removed these books from their schools around the world. We’re spotlighting six from that list, including:
Our program co-founder Lee Wind’s nonfiction for ages 11 and up, The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World
The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (And Recipes), edited by Nadia L. Hohn
Three titles from Katherine Locke, including the PIcture Book What Are Your Words: A Book About Pronouns
Four titles from Tash McAdam, including the YA mystery No One Left But You.
Four titles from Kyle Lukoff, including the middle grade Different Kinds of Fruit
And seven titles in the Click manga series by Youngran Lee
Often, the focus of book banning news makes it seem like it’s all about the top ten most banned books, but the harm of book banning is really impacting authors and their publishers, hurting careers and livelihoods in addition to taking an emotional toll. That’s part of why we want your help to fight back!
Remember, you can request any of these from your local library - or wherever books are sold!
And if you’re a teen (13-21) in an area where your library won’t carry these or other banned books, sign up for a Books Unbanned library card with the Brooklyn Public Library!
We Are Stronger Than Censorship Updates
18 Red Wine and Blue TroubleNation groups from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, and one student group from Texas will be helping distribute 1,000 books into the hands of readers for whom it will mean so much!
Which books? 50 copies each of 20 titles from 20 independent publishers, all of which have been negatively impacted by the chilling effect of book bans.
We do so much with the help of our partners, like Amazeworks, who are creating wonderful discussion guides for the featured titles. Check out the discussion guides posted so far on our website’s “Read & Discuss” page! We list all our partners on the We Are Stronger Than Censorship website, and always appreciate when our partners reciprocate – see our listing under “IBPA” on Amazeworks’ website here.
How You Can Help
Our friends at The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Youth Free Expression Program (YFEP) are launching Right to Read Night, a national campaign from Oct 5-11, 2025 to bring communities together in defense of the freedom to read. They’ve inviting bookstores, libraries, schools, and community spaces to host a shared reading event centered around Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson—we hope you'll consider creating an event or encouraging your network to participate. Details and resources here.
Not sure what you might wear to that event? Consider a WE ARE STRONGER THAN CENSORSHIP T-shirt or sweatshirt. Every purchase includes a $16 donation to buy and donate two books to offset one book challenge. We’ve sold over 140 shirts so far, raising more than $2,500 (meaning those sales raised enough to buy and donate 300 books to offset 150 book challenges!) Check out the collection today.
And remember that together, WE ARE STRONGER THAN CENSORSHIP!
Stay safe and strong,
Lee and Tasslyn