In honor of Banned Books Week, October 1st through 7th, NPQ brings you this special newsletter celebrating books that widen our world. The attacks on freedom of expression through banning books in schools and libraries has ticked up over the last couple of years, targeting works with themes centered on race, history, sexual orientation and gender, and LGBTQ+ writers and writers of color. There are points of light in the darkness, however. First, Illinois recently banned book banning, becoming the first state requiring libraries to adopt anti-banning policies in order to receive state funding. Next, nominees for the prestigious Caldecott Medal for children’s picture books are increasingly diverse, giving young readers powerful examples of authors and characters who reflect their world. Then, from the NPQ archives, the 2021 Vindictas collection sought to reverse the suppression of female voices by republishing works by “forgotten” Latin American women authors. Finally, PEN America’s 2023 index of banned books in America lists over 1,500 unique titles affected by bans this year. Some at NPQ have made this our required reading list. Feel free to join us.