STRONGER News - November 2025 - Stickers, BISG’s Challenge, and a Win in Georgia for the Freedom to Read

Hello freedom to read advocates!

It’s November and… it’s been a lot. And still, there is good to share, good work to do, and good community to do it with.

Here are seven updates for you to explore:

1) WE ARE STRONGER THAN CENSORSHIP Stickers with our friends at Microcosm have launched! Every 16 stickers funds our program buying and donating two books to offset one book challenge. Spread the word, and get your stickers now! https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/we-are-stronger-than-censorship/

For booksellers and librarians there, you can even see (and order) the stickers on Edelweiss: https://www.edelweiss.plus/#catalogID=5290755&page=1

2) Our friends at the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) have launched their “Season of Giving” challenge to raise $16,000 for We Are Stronger Than Censorship to buy and donate 2,000 books to offset 1,000 book challenges! You can donate to the BISG challenge here.

Their generosity and support was covered by Publishers Weekly, Words & Money and Shelf Awareness.

3) When books for the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl were censored, young people in Georgia spoke up. Eight of the twenty titles had been removed by the Bowl’s Steering Committee - all of which were published for young adults and the young people were excited to read them. When they found out about the censorship, students organized a petition and began reaching out to organizations, authors, media, and community members. And guess what? Because of the pressure, the committee voted to reinstate all titles to the Reading Bowl!

So proud of these young people speaking up for themselves and the importance of the freedom to read! Read the interview with three of these incredible students at Book Riot.

4) Philomena Polefrone is the Associate Director of the American Booksellers Association’s American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), and wrote this piece for the European and International Bookseller community: “Book Bans: What I Wish We’d Known.” It’s worth reading and sharing.

5) Red Wine and Blue offers this excellent resource “The Reality of Project 2025” that goes beyond just fighting book banning to include fighting back against many of the other Project 2025 goals. 

6) We are running a marathon, not a sprint. Take a break. 

You know how they tell you on airplanes, that you should put your own oxygen mask on first? That’s because if you can’t breathe, you’re not going to be able to help anyone else. Same here.

Also, like with a choir, if everyone is singing you can sustain a note (or a song) for a long time, much longer than any of us could do alone. And when we’re taking a breath, it’s good to know others are carrying the tune! 

Like they sing in High School Musical, We’re all in this together…

7) Our friends at Amazeworks were at a Banned Books Bingo event in Minneapolis, MN, and represented not just some wonderful books in the We Are Stronger Than Censorship program but also the fantastic reader guides they’ve put together for the books! If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the discussion guides at our website here – there are four new ones since last month! 

Remember that together, WE ARE STRONGER THAN CENSORSHIP!

Stay safe and strong,

Lee and Tasslyn