Welcome to Litsy!

NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center

The NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center is such a great resource for English teachers. I had browsed their website before, but didn't realize that they offer real guidance for dealing with censorship. The action kit and database feel especially useful right now. It's comforting to know there is a place backing teachers up when these tough conversations come into the classroom.

Gorgeous little sapphic (?) romance novella featuring an ace heroine and a robot who runs a tea shop. Examinations of SFnal AI personhood, ethics, nurture, and autonomy.

And I'm done! Nine graphic novels, nine text novels/novellas, and a poetry book.

#LGBTQIA2025 @Kenyazero

#WithTheBanned

#WithTheBanned

Hey all! I can‘t believe it‘s already time for discussion again. Like always, I‘ll tag everyone in the first post. 3 questions total this time. #WithTheBanned

Turquoise - Magic 🩵 #PrideRec2025 @PuddleJumper
The top two series are favorites, with interesting magical systems and lovely romances at the heart. Then there are FT Luken's books, which aren't a series, but all have different magical aspects. Spell Bound is my favorite but they're all great in different ways ✨

Pen America “Banned In the USA“

Just looked through Pen America‘s “Banned in the USA” report and it's astounding how many books are being pulled, without any real process. Of course, many of the titles deal with identity, race, and queerness. It's not just bans but the quiet removals too. Makes you think about who gets to decide what stories are appropriate and what voices do or don't matter in schools.

This year for #PrideMonth I wanted to challenge myself to read all of the letters in the Pride spectrum (well the most common at least - LGBTQAI)

I found that Intersex, Asexual, and Queer were the most difficult books to find.

Q- while queer is often used as a catchall category I was really looking for authors who specifically called themselves Queer, and it turned out harder then I had first thought.

These are the books I read.

A lyrical YA story about a boy trained as an art their and the boy he falls in love with that changes everything. Very Greek with Icarus and Helio as our main guys! I thought there were a few unusual and interesting ideas in this story, and I overall enjoyed the writing, even if some of the elements were a bit too fantastic.

“‘While the meaning of a book may be informed by the author‘s intentions, it isn‘t defined by them” (of 67).
This is a wow statement that I think is important to remember as readers take on a book. It‘s how we interpret and understand books that make them what they are to us, the author does not define everything in it so that the reader is left to their own devices. Students should know and learn that early in their learning journey.