Challenged Materials: A Primer on How to Respond

With Banned Books Week coming to a close, we in the YA community are watching in dismay as teachers and libraries are facing repeated–and sometimes, harassing–attempts to remove YA books from the shelves and the curriculum. Many folks have added their voices to the fight, and others, although they would like to help, are not sure what to say or to whom to say it.

Last summer, I discovered a letter on librarian James LaRue's blog. Mr. LaRue had written the letter in response to a challenge of o...