October 1-7 is Banned Books Week, an annual event that uplifts and celebrates the freedom to read.

With the unprecedented rise of book bans nationwide, picture books are a surprising focus of the spike in efforts to restrict literature. Picture books accounted for 317 of the 1,648 titles that were banned during the 2021-2022 school year. Titles focusing on history, racial justice, gender identity, and the freedom to love were predominantly under attack. In many areas, state laws add pressure by dictating the types of books allowed in school and the policies districts must follow to add books to their collections.

Censoring books is a threat to democracy. Families should be able to raise children in environments that cultivate curiosity, compassion, and the freedom to read; children deserve access to a diverse range of stories and perspectives; and children from historically marginalized communities deserve books that reflect and speak to them. Moreover, the majority of parents (and voters) oppose book bans, affirming instead that a variety of books should be available to children on an age-appropriate basis.

Book bans are motivated by fears about what children should not know or talk about. Picture books that adults sought to remove from classrooms and libraries have been described as ‘dangerous,’ ‘grooming,’ ‘reckless,’ ‘racist,’ and ‘lying.’ For example, Julian is a Mermaid, a beloved book in Tandem’s collection, has come under fire because it might “confuse a child…to use drag clothing and makeup”—even though dramatic dress-up play is a time-honored practice in preschool classrooms and has been shown to foster healthy gender identities.

At Tandem, we ask a different set of questions. What do we want young children to know about complex topics? How can we talk with children about these topics in age-appropriate ways? Research shows that conversations between children and caring adults promote curiosity, critical thinking, and open-mindedness—all of which are key components of a democratic society.

Many of the most-banned picture books are in Tandem’s collection, which includes titles in over 26 languages, focuses on creators of color, and prioritizes titles featuring diversity across race, gender identity, disability representation, and family structures. We hold ourselves accountable for sourcing a book collection that reflects families’ home languages and cultures in the communities we serve. All of the titles in Tandem’s collection are high-quality and age-appropriate, and help caregivers set children up for a lifelong love of reading and learning.

Each year, Tandem helps build classrooms and home libraries by distributing high-quality children’s books. In 2022-2023, 40,000 children’s books were circulated from school to home through our StoryCycles program. To build families’ home libraries, we distributed thousands of books through community book giveaways, play-and-learn groups, family workshops, and other events.

Your support makes our work possible.

Our goal this year is to distribute 24,000+ books to build home libraries. Your support helps Tandem distribute high-quality, multilingual, multicultural books to children and families—promoting a love of reading and learning that will last a lifetime.

Check out our children’s book recommendation lists, including lists celebrating Pride Month, AAPI Heritage Month, Black History Month, and more.