Forbidden Library: Book Banning in the United States *In-Person* *NEW*

The New York Times recently reported that the American Library Association “noted 729 complaints against 1,597 books” in 2021. Why is this happening? What books have been challenged most over time? What books are being challenged most today? We will explore these questions and examine how banning books might affect children, education, politics and culture. Finally, we will look at how banned books have shaped us and the world we live in. Instructor: Joshua Frank

Sections

Instructor

Joshua Frank has worked as an educator for twenty-nine years--as a teacher, an administrator and a trainer. He has designed and implemented innovative, data-based programs for at-risk middle and high school students, helping them to set and reach specific academic goals. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at UMass/Amherst, and Master’s degrees from UMass/Boston and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His areas of interest include working with at-risk students, fostering positive, effective teacher-student relationships, and promoting cultural competence and equity in schools. Josh’s 2007 Education Digest article, “When White Educators Discipline Students of Color,” was republished as a “classic” in the August 2015 Connections: The Journal of the National School Reform Faculty.