In celebration of National Library Week, we’re uplifting the voices of challenged books, from epic fantasies to romances and queer stories. We proudly stand with authors, librarians, teachers, booksellers, and fellow readers against book banning. We strongly believe everyone should have access to books and actively support organizations championing the freedom to read. As we mark the second annual #RightToReadDay, Macmillan Publishers remains steadfast in our commitment to combat book banning.
THE TALK BY DARRIN BELL
“Bell’s deft drawings perfectly complement the text, with a watery bluewash and panels of varying sizes and shapes matching the contemplative mood. Funny and nerdy—note multiple references to Star Wars—the book is also deeply moving. Part memoir and part intellectual awakening, Bell’s memoir is a triumph. A beautifully drawn book, rich with insight, humor, and hard-won knowledge.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
COOL FOR THE SUMMER BY DAHLIA ADLER
“Larissa Bogdan has spent most of her high-school career madly in love with Chase Harding, football star with a heart of gold. But Lara has always been most comfortable in the shadow of her louder, more ambitious best friends . . . As she jumps back and forth in time between Lara’s summer with Jasmine and her fall with Chase, Adler digs into one girl’s exploration of her own desires. Written in Lara’s dry but vulnerable voice and strung through with humor, warmth, and sensuality, this romance will speak to any reader who has ever struggled to know their own heart.”—Booklist (starred review)
LOBIZONA by Romina Garber
“Garber’s gorgeous novel combines the wonder of a Hogwarts-style magic school with the Twilight-esque dynamics of a hidden magical species that has strict rules about interacting with the human world.”—Booklist (starred review)
A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS
“A wild new take on Beauty and the Beast in a world where humans and the faeries who once enslaved them live separated by a wall erected under Treaty. The sexual tension and deadly action are well-supported by Maas’ expertly drawn, multidimensional characters and their nuanced interpersonal dynamics. A satisfying conclusion to the storyline leaves the door open for future books.”—Publishers Weekly
SIMON SNOW TRILOGY BY RAINBOW ROWELL
“The funny, wised-up dialogue, the tumultuous, sweet, and sexy love story—is grade-A Rowell . . . almost impossible to put down.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
GRASS BY KEUM SUK GENDRY-KIM
“Gendry-Kim’s thoughtful storytelling and exquisite brushwork brilliantly convey Ok-sun’s story, producing an uncommonly powerful reading experience about one woman’s enduring struggle for agency over her own life and body.”—Library Journal
THE DEAD AND THE DARK BY COURTNEY GOULD
“Gould’s debut is haunting . . . Characters are the focal strength of this book, which is a slow-burn story with an immersive setting that feels like a character in and of itself. The darkness spreading over Snakebite exposes the truth about small-town ideology and oppression, loneliness, secrecy, and what makes a family or a home.”—Booklist
Please visit the ALA website for further information on challenged books to see how you can get involved in combatting book banning and to help raise awareness about the freedom to read.
THE TALK by Darin Bell; 9781250805140; available now
COOL FOR THE SUMMER by Dahlia Adler; 9781250888471; available now
LOBIZONA by Romina Garber; 9781250239136; available now
SIMON SNOW TRILOGY; 9781250828002; available now
A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES; 9781639730193; available now
GRASS by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim; 9781770463622; available now
THE DEAD AND THE DARK by Courtney Gold; 9781250861092; available now
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