CLN: Campaign censors diverse voices

For those in our community who don’t know it, there is a group working tirelessly to censor and remove books from our local libraries and schools.

I am alarmed by the list of supposed “dangerous” books on CleanBooks4Kids website. While they claim to be protecting children, their targeted list tells a different story. Many of these books are by authors of color or include LGBTQ characters and themes, revealing a troubling bias.

Consider "The Poet X" by Elizabeth Acevedo, a National Book Award winner about a Dominican American girl finding her voice through poetry. Or "Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda" by Jean-Philippe Stassen, which examines the aftermath of genocide with sensitivity. "I’ll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson, which has won the Michael L. Printz Award and was named a Stonewall Honor Book, portrays love and identity with rare nuance. These books along with hundreds more are among Cleanbooks4kids censoring goals. These books aren’t dangerous! Instead, they offer authentic and necessary perspectives.

The goal of this campaign seems clear: to erase diverse voices from our libraries. By removing these stories, we deny children the opportunity to see themselves or learn about others. Libraries should champion inclusion and understanding — not narrow worldviews.

Let’s protect the diversity that make our libraries vital to everyone.

TAMARA SINES-KERMELIS

Concerned Reader and Lover of Books

Hayden