Not Another Banned Book features a great group of diverse friends working together to handle a variety of challenges, including: grief, divorce, speaking up for yourself, and book-banning. Author Dana Alison Levy did a fantastic job crafting Molly's voice and shining a light on realistic steps kids can take to keep books in their schools and in their communities -- my kids are really going to enjoy this one!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Dana Alison Levy, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Molly has always loved to read. It's given her a place to escape while things are sad and in disarray at home with the passing of her brother. Things are getting better until her school book club is closed due to a title that a parent disagrees with. Molly and her friends are angry. They start to think of ways to get their club back. Will they be able to save it?

A great middle grade book about speaking up for what you believe in and for fighting for what really matters to you!

4.5 stars

A really important read about the impact of book banning, Not Another Banned Book explores the theme that everyone is fighting their own battles and the importance of empathy found in diverse books.

Eighth grade is almost over, and Molly and her friends are ready to move on to high school. But when their book club is canceled due to complaints about the books, the kids try to come up with a plan to fight back.

I loved the topic so much. I adored the friends and all their various situations they go through while working together to fight the banning. Molly was actually my least favorite character, especially (spoiler) after she threatened to out someone. It would have been 5 stars if not for that.

I definitely recommend for kids, parents, teachers, and librarians to read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Actual rating - 4.5

I've read several middle-grade books about book banning, and I wasn't expecting anything from this one. But I was pleasantly surprised. I think what I appreciated was that the author added a layer of depth to the story. This could have just focused on the outrage over book banning, but she gave us characters who so clearly needed those books. They were all dealing with quite a lot in their personal lives, which showcased just why such books are necessary.

I also appreciated that the author gave kids constructive ways to deal with their outrage. This story is about activism and finding ways to channel one's rage into something positive.

Molly was a great protagonist, and I liked the friend group—they felt authentic. Overall, I thought this was great, and I hope the kids who need to read it can!

Dana Alison Levy's Not Another Banned Book is a timely and relevant exploration of censorship, grief, and the chaos of adolescence. Centered around a group of middle schoolers whose beloved book club is abruptly shut down, the novel delves into the power of literature to foster empathy, understanding, and social change.

The story’s protagonist, Molly, is a compelling character whose grief over her brother’s death provides a poignant counterpoint to the book club’s fight against censorship. Levy skillfully intertwines Molly’s personal journey with the larger issue of book banning, creating a narrative that is both emotionally resonant and thought-provoking.

While the novel effectively captures the ups and downs of adolescent friendship, and the challenges of navigating middle school, the pacing feels uneven. In the initial chapters we meet Mik, Kait, Alice, and Alex, a diverse cast of characters, but struggle to develop them beyond surface-level traits. However, the narrative gains momentum as the plot unfolds, and the characters begin to reveal their depth and complexities. Levy’s decision to focus primarily on Molly’s perspective limits the reader’s ability to fully connect with the other characters. While this gives readers an incredible view of Molly’s internal world, it also prevents the reader from experiencing the story from multiple viewpoints.

Despite its pacing issues, Not Another Banned Book is a valuable addition to the young adult canon. The novel’s exploration of censorship, grief, and the power of friendship is timely and relevant, and the characters are relatable and engaging. By highlighting the importance of diverse voices and perspectives, Levy encourages readers to question the status quo and to advocate for intellectual freedom.

Ultimately, Not Another Banned Book is a powerful story about the resilience of young people and the transformative potential of literature. While it may not be a perfect novel, it is undoubtedly a book that deserves a place on the shelves of middle school libraries and classrooms. A solid 3.75 stars.

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I ultimately did. Sure, as a Youth Services Librarian who lives in a state with major book banning attempts, I see myself in both the students wanting justice and in the librarian herself. It's ultimately a book that teaches kids what can happen when they take a stand. Sometimes the ultimate outcome doesn't occur but change still happens.

However, I found that there were two many characters in this book. Problem with having a bookclub that is vibrant and has many students. LOL As a result, I was getting some people mixed up. I cared about some and not others. And ultimately it wasn't too shocking who was the first complainer of the books. Because it is always someone who has a "reason" for hating the material (usually indicative of who they are and they are in denial

I know my library will purchase this book and it will be read. I hope educators use it in their libraries!

In her last year of middle school, Molly finds solace in LBC - her book club - where the students in the club read different books, discuss the hefty topics from gun violence, prejudice, and LGBTQIA+. Until someone reports the books as "offensive" and Mrs. Lewiston, the best treacher ever, is suspended and the books are removed from the classroom. Now, Molly and her group of friends go on the hunt on how to bring the book club back and find out the mystery of who reported the issue. They go to great antics - writing the author of one of their favorite books, sleuthing throug the school to see what information they can find, including breaking into the principal's office. They finally learn that book banning is a nation wide issue and they are set to find a way to stop it in their small, home town and bring the book club back for the next year even though most of them will be in high school. Molly is bright, determined, and riddled with the emotions of the death of her older brother and the pending move to a new home she feels is leaving him behind. She hides a lot of that information and emotions from her frineds, throwing herself into the book banning issue, and keeps everything hidden from her parents. Some of the plot threads, such as dealing with ex-friend, now mean girl Amelia, doesn't get wrapped up, but the look at book banning, why it's happening, and how kids can fight it with their parents help s well thought out and engaging.

Accurate and appropriate. A very important book for this time in society. This is a middle grade novel that brings forward marginalized voices and will open doors to important conversations.

This book has so much going on that at times it was hard to follow. There is the middle school drama, the banning of books, the favorite teacher being put on leave, the death of a sibling, the selling of the family home, and the LBGTQ+ issue - all in one book. I am sure it would be a good selection for a large public library with a large budget.

After a year of truly dealing with book ban issues across the country, I enjoyed a book where the students fight back. It’s a hard time to truly show how amazing finding the right book is for kids- especially during their 4-8 grade years when they are learning who they are through physical changes as well as social and emotional ones.

Kudos to Levy for writing a thoughtful, well-researched story about book banning that will inspire readers to become activists. The diverse cast of characters feels authentic and current, although the narrator wasn't always likable. Unfortunately, the long passages about book banning often felt didactic, which pulled me out of the story.

I recieved a free eARC of this book so I could read it and share my honest opinions. Thank you for the opportunity.

About 2 years ago, I started reviewing books in large part to make it easier for other teachers to comply with state laws that required that parents be notified of content in books accessible in schools. The hope I had was that maybe, just maybe, parents would be able to get information that a book wasn't scary just because it had a gay character, talked about racism, or might make someone feel bad.

This book takes the current rush to ban and restrict books...and even more, ideas, head on.

Molly's had a difficult last few years. Her older brother, who was chronically ill, died recently. Molly had taken on a lot of responsibilty, a lot of guilt, a lot of pain.

Her high point was the LBC, a book club at school that read and discussed hard to handle books-a way to connect to other kids and in many ways, to feel less alone because the book characters had to deal with hard stuff, too. Facilitated by an amazing teacher.

That is, until parents complain, and Ms Lewiston is placed on administrative leave. The complaints are familiar to anyone who listens to the news or has to select materials for kids now. Books with a single kiss deemed "too sexual" because the two characters were both boys. Books that talk about racially motivated violence deemed anti-american.

As the kids attempt to figure out what happened and try to save their beloved books and teacher, the book gets more and more reflective of the current situation in schools and communities and libraries. It does an excellent job of showing the true cost of these bans.

I want every school board member, every parent to read this book. To realize that, far from protecting kids just how much this has hurt kids like Molly. Kids who NEED these books, need these discussions, need the safety of exploring these topics through literature. And I want kids to read this book to see that they're not alone.

The books mentioned also make a really great reading list, for your own banned book club.

Unfortunately, I have no confidence that this book will be shelved in school libraries. But I'll be adding it to my "to buy" list for my little free library, which I put in two years ago for the same reason the RODS kids started stocking the ones in their community. I encourage others to do the same...because it's a story that needs to be heard and understood.

I loved the friendships that took the lead in the book. I especially enjoyed how the group text name always changed. That made me giggle. Molly's passion is exactly the kind of passion that middle schoolers are capable of, and I'm glad to see that highlighted in this book. I love that the passion was ignited by a love for reading and an inspiration from a teacher.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. The topic of this book is extremely relevant to what is going on today. Even though the banning of books has been around for centuries, it has always been the act of the cowardly in my opinion. Those who ban books want to ban the ability to think critically. I believe the author did a good job in highlighting the MC’s life struggles while also shining a light on the banned book controversy and the necessity of taking a stand.

Review is also posted on my Goodreads

I cannot wait for this book to be published because I can see this book being VERY popular at my library. I could imagine myself in this story as a teen and I think there will be a lot of teens saying the same once they read this book.

Perfect for fans of Gratz' Ban This Book, King's Attack of the Black Rectangles, Levithan's Answers in the Pages, Varne's Property of the Rebel Librarian, and Yang's Finally Seen.

And in case anyone thinks this is a new concern, let's not forget Hentoff's 1982 The Day They Came to Arrest the Book .

Wow! What a powerful and timely story with so many relevant topics to our kids today. This book is incredible and I would highly recommend it for middle school and up. I love the mention of so many other books within this one as well. I really enjoy when an author does that and I connect even more to the story bc I’ve read the same books. I already preordered the hard copy of this one!

A group of middle school students find their school book club becoming disbanded after someone reports one of the books controversial. The students set out to find who and why. In the midst of this, these students are also going through their own personal life issues. I thoroughly enjoyed that these students fought for what they believed.

There are great responses from the book club leader, Ms. Lewiston, that should be read and then re-read! A good novel for middle school and up, IMO. Make sure to read the authors notes at the end.

Thank you, Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the ARC.

As the middle school characters in the book are going through their own life issues, they find solace in their school book club. When the club is disbanded, the friends work together to find out who is behind it and why. Throughout the book, there is mention of popular middle school age books that have been banned and the reasons why. This is an important book to bring to light the realities behind book banning. It’s also a good book about middle school issues and friendships, and the realities of growing up.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Molly and her group of friends were fun characters and the side stories were good. There were some parts of the book I feel could have been more succinct and others that should have been expanded. All in all, 4 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC of #NotAnotherBannedBook by #DanaAlisonLevy in exchange for honest feedback.

Excellent!
Molly has had a lot of upheaval in her life for a 13-year-old. When her old brother died two years ago, her parents mourned so deeply that they almost stopped functioning. Her best friend Amelia seems to have suddenly become a different and unlikable person. The best, and sometimes only, constant in Molly’s life is the book club at school, where she and her book-loving buddies have open discussions. Until some outsider raises a complaint about a book, a beloved teacher is suspended, and all the “controversial” books are hauled away. Molly and her friends refuse to take this lying down, and they might have to resort to some drastic measures to make their feelings known…
Many important and timely lessons are artfully scattered throughout this book. The suspended teacher’s response to Molly when she’s feeling discouraged shows respect for the students’ feelings. It also points out the responsibility that a teacher has in following school guidelines for choosing teaching material.
I think this novel would be very inspiring for middle-grade and Y.A. students., especially with all the information about beginning “Little Free Libraries.” The author’s notes at the end are interesting, and obviously written from her book-loving heart!

Memorable Quotes:
“If children’s books were that powerful, wouldn’t we all be Very Hungry Caterpillars by now?” (Poster in Ms. Lewiston’s classroom)
**Now I really want a poster like that one!**
* I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*