This anthology includes essays, short stories, comics, and poems by authors whose books have been banned, interspersed with lists of recommended books that address the topics that have come under fire, as well as tips on how to resist book challenges and organize against them. This is a well-balanced collection and strong throughout, but I thought the essays were the most effecting portions. The ones by Elana K. Arnold and Bill Konigsberg were particularly powerful and have stuck with me; they center around the two authors' experience with sexual assault as young people.
I felt inspired both to read banned books and to advocate for readers' rights. The book is galvanizing and encouraging. I also appreciated that in the beginning the editors specify the difference between book bans and book challenges--two things that are often conflated. It also does a nice job of communicating how politicized book banning has become, as well as the importance of having books available for young readers to learn from and see themselves in.

Banned Together: Our Fight for Reader’s Rights
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5

Banned Together tackles a difficult topic: book banning, and how that affects young people. I love that there’s an anthology made specifically for teens to educate and explore when, where, and how books are being banned.

In particular, I enjoyed comics like Maia Kobabe’s “I Made the Most Banned Book in America” where they combined stats and art. “O-Town Blues” by Brendan Kiely accurately shows how difficult it is to make your voice heard, especially when your parents oppose your personal views.

The checklists and resource lists were also incredibly useful! This is a great resource for teens curious or confused about book banning 📚

#bookstagram #yanonfiction #bannedtogether #bookbanning #bookbans #anthology #yabooks #yaanthology #bookreview #bookrecommendations

*Substacks review will be uploaded at the end of February.

I really enjoyed this collection. There's a mix of short story, personal essay, poetry, and graphic novel. I really enjoyed the resource sections presented between authors. Would highly recommend for teens.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. I’m not sure if teens will find this book, or find it moving, but I think I can use excerpts in my classes. The mixed media of essays, graphics, and poetry make the material more engaging than typical nonfiction. Some pieces strayed from book banning and censorship more than I would have liked.

It's really sad a book like this has to exist but I'm glad it does because it's so informative and has a lot of helpful references for teens who want to read books they feel are relatable for them. I also like that these authors are trying to fight back against the book banning community. I feel like no book should ever be banned simply because the subject matter makes a small group of people uncomfortable because what makes one person uncomfortable makes another person feel heard.

I liked that each author had their own way of talking about the struggles of book banning and how it's affected them and their careers. The book banning community does a lot of hurting others simply because they feel like they have to right to pick and choose what all children read instead of just their own children.

Props to Ashley Hope Perez and all the other authors who contributed to this book, I will always want to support any author who has had a book banned.

Banned Together is an incredible timely and deeply important book. In a time where diverse books are being challenged and removed from libraries across the US, the authors in this collection write directly to the teens affected most by the bans. They make it clear that banning the books will not ban our existence or our stories, but that it will make those stories harder to access. The authors also give teens concrete actions they can take to resist book bans and educate themselves about experiences different from their own. The collection as a whole is authentically moving, and I think teens will find it an invaluable resource.

This book is about banned books; however, it is also a lot more. The book is really a collection of personal stories of discrimination: how books have both helped the authors overcome their hardships but also the banning of the individual authors’ books. The reader gets a real view about the effects of banning books, both on the individual and the community/society in which we live.

While some of the stories are sad, difficult and a little hard to relate to, others speak clearly. Thus, everyone should be able to find some story within the collection that speaks to them specifically. The only negative is that the number of stories and the book itself is a bit long. The illustrations are really good.

This is both a review of life and a call to action. Throughout the book are suggestions for reading throughout and for actions to take.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book.

This was a fascinating read, especially as a Canadian librarian. Book banning breaks my heart, because I don’t understand why adults would want their children to grow up without all the knowledge at their disposal.

I enjoyed reading this book, because I feel it gave me tools in case I face some book challenges, which I wouldn’t be surprised happens soonish.

I want people to love to read, and recognizing themselves in books is step 1 to falling in love with books and reading.

'Banned Together' is a powerful and necessary YA anthology that examines the growing wave of book bans and their impact on readers, authors, and communities. Featuring a range of personal essays, fiction, poetry, and graphic storytelling from 15 diverse, award-winning contributors, this collection is an empowering, accessible resource for those fighting for the freedom to read.

I was really touched by the vulnerability of the writers accounts —many of whom have seen their own books banned—sharing the emotional toll of censorship and the labor of bringing their stories to life. Their reflections highlight not just the personal pain of being targeted but also the broader consequences of silencing marginalized voices. The book also shines a light on the resilience of teens and librarians who continue to advocate for intellectual freedom.

Beyond its emotional weight, 'Banned Together' equips readers with practical tools and strategies to push back against censorship. It’s an essential read for young activists, educators, and anyone invested in the power of stories to challenge, heal, and inspire.

I echo the positive feedback given by several librarians and educators who have given reviews. I enjoyed the author's perspectives on their particular book and especially liked the mix of graphic novel and narrative.

What I did not like or appreciate was the lack of trigger or content warnings on one of the author's personal story. It hurt me so much, I have anxiety as I write this, because I went through the same experience. I did not wish to re-live it. I stopped reading, skipped the rest and went to another author in the anthology. (Please don't say I should go to counseling. I have but reading/seeing a similar sitch creates anxiety if I'm not prepared).

I have read several of the banned books contained in the anthology and books with similar subject matter (sexual assault) but these book's had an author's note of the subject or other content warning. I appreciated that and had a chance to prepare myself and choose if I wanted to read the book.

This is such an important and necessary book for teens. Not only is it an anthology of essays, poetry, short stories, and comics from banned authors about how bans have affected their lives and what it means for the children and teens who are losing access to so many books, but it is also filled with facts and information for readers to learn about what is truly happening within the U.S. and what book bans really mean. I especially loved the addition of reading lists that suggested various banned books for readers to check out. This is such a comprehensive introduction to book bans, and I learned so much from it! It should certainly become required reading for middle and high schoolers, and I hope that many young people feel empowered after reading to take action against any book challenges or bans in their area. However, this book truly can be beneficial to people of all ages, and I hope it will be able to transcend its target audience.

It's so sad that this book needs to exist. That makes it an important book. And it's a must read for every young reader out there.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"I chose to be this light, over and over, rather than be engulfed in darkness - or perpetuate it. To me, that's everything."

This book is so relevant and necessary right now. It's got the potential to make a lot of people mad but I loved the boldness and dedication these authors have to making sure that stories about all walks of life are accessible to young readers. I think I highlighted about half the book, but what struck me most was not necessarily the statistics, but the author's stories. Even if you don't see eye to eye on every issue or personally would choose not to read certain books, Banned Together does such a great job of revealing the hearts of the people behind the pages. People whose works are inspired by their lived experiences and who want to help others see themselves. There are times when these books save lives, bringing awareness to the silenced, harmful realities experienced by teens which are called too 'taboo' by those trying to ban them. It reeks of privilege when you think you can choose the standard everyone else should live by, and I hope one day these people will wake up and realize that this agenda will only continue to divide us. The contributors of this book say it better than I do, but lets continue to educate ourselves, seek to understand outside perspectives and know that we don't always have to agree but we do have an incredible opportunity to make others feel loved and seen regardless of personal beliefs. Buy this book and support authors and librarians who are fighting tirelessly to protect the rights and liberties of readers across the US! Happy Reading :)

Banned together is an anthology of Sixteen authors describe their personal experiences with book banning. Their stories are told through their experiences in a multitude of different formats, which include verse, comic strips, graphics, short stories, etc. They provide recommendations that young adults can take to combat book banning and provide a plethora of book recommendations for readers to devour. The authors provide the reader with the knowledge and inspiration to take what they learn from this book to read banned books across a wide range of topics, such as LGBTQ and racial disparities, and to take action to bring these topics to the attention of their community. Very well-written and timely important. This book is a wonderful call to action for fighting against book bans.

A very informative and important book for our current times. I appreciate that this issue is being highlighted. This collection as a whole was a very enjoyable, if sometimes desperately sad, read. As a person with a chronic illness, Kelly Jensen's "Our Whole Radical Anatomy" was my personal favorite work, but they are all very strong.

Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights, edited by Ashley Hope Pérez and illustrated by Debbie Fong, is a young adult anthology that provides the views, thoughts, and recommendations of fifteen banned authors as they relate to book banning. Their stories are told through their experiences in a multitude of different formats, which include verse, comic strips, graphics, short stories, etc. They provide recommendations that young adults can take to combat book banning and provide a plethora of book recommendations for readers to devour. The authors provide the reader with the knowledge and inspiration to take what they learn from this book to read banned books across a wide range of topics, such as LGBTQ and racial disparities, and to take action to bring these topics to the attention of their community. The writing is well done and their stories paint a good picture of their lived experiences and why they continue to push out books that will most certainly be banned. I enjoyed having all of these points of view and a lot of resource lists as they will provide young adults with recommendations that they may not have even known about or considered. This book easily allows the reader to pick up the book and stop at their leisure as the “chapters” are fairly short and they stand alone. I would recommend this book to young adults who want to learn more about the real life issues of diverse individuals. I would recommend this to individuals of diverse backgrounds who want to be inspired and find books that they can relate to. I would recommend this book to those who want to inspire change and bring the issues of our diverse world to the attention of our neighborhoods. This book is relevant to our current time and I thank the editor, illustrator, and authors for this work. I want to thank Holiday House for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!! As a librarian, it can be hard to see the difference we are making or if our job even really matters. Books like these show our job is incredibly important. I know just how challenging book bans are and how they drain the fight out of librarians. Eventually, you hit a point of exhaustion. Everyone says libraries are important, but when it comes to the librarians needing people to help them stand, you'll find an empty crowd. Not too mention the lowest pay with a job that requires a master's degree. This book is like a crutch showing authors care and are a little boost. I hope people will read this and realize they hold all the power over a small minority.

Powerful and very timely collection of YA authors and illustrators sharing works of fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres which shows how book bans impact many of the teens who need it the most. Not only did I enjoy the writing pieces, many of which were deeply personal, I absolutely loved the recommendations of banned books to read that many of the contributions to this anthology included. All of the contributors have banned books themselves, and have experienced their books being targeted by conservative and misinformed groups, often times parents. I'm of the position that we shouldn't censor or ban any books, and the ones written by these authors are especially important, as it gives marginalized and often underrepresented teens a sense of belonging and being seen.

Highly recommend for high school and middle school classrooms. Recommended for ages 12+ and all adults.

I read a digital e-galley of this on a kindle so it was difficult to see some of the illustrations and graphic narratives. This doesn't take away from the book but I think a physical copy would be better suited. I plan on compiling a list of all the recommended banned books and reading them too (many I've already read).

Sixteen authors describe their personal experiences with book banning. Interspersed are suggestions for students, multiple resources and organizations to consult and assist. Comic-style illustrations. Back matter. Timely and well-written.

I am so glad that "Banned Together," an anthology by Ashley Hope Perez exists. This book includes a variety of perspectives and formats, such as graphic narratives, memoir, and poetry, as well as practical tips such as how to start a banned book club. Holiday House and Ashley Perez have given 15 banned-authors' stories a unified voice that is sure to inspire teens to take action. I hope that this book finds it way into libraries across the country.