Banned Together is a wonderful anthology of narratives addressing the issue of book banning - mainly focussed on the US.

It introduced me to a number of authors I did not know - whose books I will now seek out - and was deeply informative regarding the ongoing issue of book banning. The variety of pieces made the book entertaining.

Highly recommend.

I’ve never read an anthology like this one before. As I read, I felt energized by the resources, from book lists to tips for pushing back against book bans to creating an oasis of banned books to share with others.

Some authors share personal stories about facing book bans or hate-filled emails in response to their work. Others share stories about formative events in their lives that led to them writing the stories they have for teens. They share the hope that their words will reach teenagers who have questions or who’ve faced similar challenges and that they’ll encourage readers.

A few authors share short stories showing the emotional impact that book bans have on people or what might drive someone to try to control what books are available to read. Some appear in prose, others in poetry, and others in graphic novel panels.

The format of the anthology is engaging and energizing. I found myself adding so many books to my reading list. I loved celebrating the books mentioned that I’m already familiar with. Reading helped me think through some of my questions surrounding my own content notes here and how they might be weaponized against authors and readers.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for ways to support authors of banned books. It offers great resources for fighting book bans and expanding allyship, too.

This is a FANTASTIC anthology aimed at YA readers that was written by a diverse group of authors, many of whom have had their own books banned. The point of this book is to educate and empower youth about what book banning is, examples of books that frequently get challenged or banned and provide inspiration for ways they can stand up against book banning. It is relatable, easy to understand and incredibly heartfelt and important. I wish every school and library would have a copy of this on their shelves and that it makes its way into many young reader's hands! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I say I'd adopt this book for my classroom, but it probably wouldn't be allowed. The irony. This essay anthology (with a few fictional pieces and poems thrown in) deals with the book banning issue we're facing. Head-on, it levels with kids why books are being banned and why that's not okay. It was informative, straightforward, and usually good writing. As an anthology, a few of the pieces were duller, but still, it's full of valuable information aimed at teens as to how they can join the fight on censorship.

“As for those readers who haven’t borne such painful experiences themselves, these stories plant seeds of empathy and compassion two things our world is sorely lacking, these days.” 🌱🤍

a special thank you to Net Galley and Holiday House Books for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Banned Together: Authors and Allies on the Fight for Readers’ Rights ed. by Ashley Hope Pérez & illustrated by Debbie Fong!! it’s an absolute privilege to receive an ARC & i’m so honored to be able to share a honest review in exchange. i’m beyond grateful to read an ARC so relevant to my own identity.

📚 publication date: march 4th, 2025

review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (03/01/25)
a powerful & crucial piece to read during the current U.S. political state. remember literature is, and always will be, political. stay educated, stay curious, and always be kind.

yes, the message on the value of books may get repetitive but each perspective adds to the argument. also the book is full of countless amazing books recommendations on topics like race, censorship, bodies and more!

the target placed on books, especially those relating to LGBTQ+ and POC experiences, only adds to damaging false narratives & seeks to eliminate critical thinking. if these experiences aren’t “appropriate” for young audiences, then is my own queer and indian-american young adult identity inappropriate for myself? if these experiences are not valued, then am i allowed to value any of my own?

as stated in the book, “…most important thing adults can do for young people is to allow them to experience their youth and to have the resources that let them thrive.” it is a privilege to have access to the education and diversity of experiences that i do now.

Banned Together is a young adult anthology with something for everyone - comics, essays, and poems. What weaves these pieces together is the theme of book banning and the negative impact it has on readers who most need to see themselves represented in books. I found the book a bit hard to read in digital format as it was hard to view some of the illustrations so I would recommend this one in print. I love that two of the essays referenced the Miller Test and explained the requirements for deeming a book to be "offensive". I also enjoyed reading about book banning from so many impacted perspectives.

Thanks to Holiday House, Peachtree, Pixel+Ink, and NetGalley for a review copy of Banned Together.

An anthology with writings by authors whose books have been challenged. There is a little bit of everything here: graphic renderings, lots of lists, information about how to fight censorship, true stories, and some fiction. I was hoping for a bit more fiction. I'm not sure if this will find a wide audience among teens, but I'm sure every library will buy copies of this for their shelves.

Banned together focuses on banned books and highlights the importance of reading about topics that have been deemed controversial versus banning them and pretending they don't exist. It is an anthology of authors telling how and why their books have been banned. Ashley Hope Perez who compiled these stores into this book got the idea after one of her own books became one of the most banned books in the U.S. It focuses on topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, grooming, abortion, black history in America, being trans and more. I especially love that after each story, the author includes a list of similar books on the same topic/recommended reading.

Thank you to all the author's who came together to write Banned Together and for partnering with NetGalley. I was able to get an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Arrives in stores March 2nd 2025

Let me preface my review with the following statement - if there is ever to be any criticism regarding this set of anthologies, it is done solely by those who stand against us and want to ban books and hurt/alienate people. It would be a literal move to minimize the work these contributors put into these stories and should be fought against.

Moving on - this is the perfect little anthology showing a sign of the times. Whether it be personal anecdotes or stories derived off of experiences by banned authors and contributors, Banned Together lives us to its namesake by bringing banned authors and contributors together. (pardon me, for this one, as I seem to have lost the plot)
There are no criticisms from this reviewer. If anything, I would implore readers to take a closer look at the contributions from Padka Venkatraman, Kelly Jensen and Brendan Kiely. It is vital that people have access to information; once that information is taken away, as a form of limiting intellect, then we lose what helps us function as a society.

Banning books is political. Banning books is dangerous. Banning books is censorship.

Thank you, Netgalley and Holiday House, for this advanced copy to review. Thank you to the contributors for sharing your stories.

This is an excellent, easy to read anthology of essays, short stories, poetry, and comics by authors who have all faced book bans. While it's perfectly aimed at middle and high school readers, it's also a great resource for librarians and teachers who are facing the increasing likelihood of books bans across the country or for anyone who cares about how to combat censorship and fascism. The chapters are short and the quality and variety of writing is artful. The anthology includes book recommendations and information about laws that protect against book bans and resilient stories of young adult book clubs and groups who have fought against books bans and won. Tips for how to handle and combat book bans are also given. While I hate that we live in a time where book banning is inevitable, this anthology gives me hope and reminds me that the answers for what we should and will do in response can always be found--in a book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House Publishers for the e-ARC. This one is out March 4th.

Excellent collection of thoughts and feelings about the dangerous and sad practice of book banning. The authors bring many perspectives, from the sadness, avoidance and fear they feel when their work is threatened, to the brave and hopeful action to support readers, books and authors that they see. I felt more positive at the end of the book, despite the many sad stories included. Each story offers yet another example of why all kinds of books are important to all kinds of readers.

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.