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Author: Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio                                                          Illustrator: Tricia Tusa  

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From Her Majesty Queen Raina Al Abdullah of Jordan and award-winning children’s book author Kelly DiPucchio comes an inspiring story about celebrating similarities across cultures.

Lily and Salma are best friends. They like doing all the same things, and they always eat lunch together. Lily eats peanut butter and Salma eats hummus—but what's that between friends? It turns out, a lot. Before they know it, a food fight breaks out. Can Lily and Salma put aside their differences? Or will a sandwich come between them?

Culture: This book addresses international peace and understanding. It is a story of friendship that is tested over cultural differences. The author challenges children to be ambassadors of peace and tolerance. On one page Lily shows facial disgust when Salma eats hummus at lunch. Her face lets Salma know that they may not be friends anymore.

Feelings: What is it like to learn something new about your best friend's culture? This books emphasizes compassion, understanding, and cultural differences above all. Hummus and peanut butter and jelly never sounded so yummy! When Salma and Lil switch sandwiches, they learn that both sandwiches are delicious and that they really don't have any differences.

For an SEL takeaway, use this recipe to try hummus with students: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hummus-237832

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Author: Patricia McCormick                                                                                   Illustrator: 

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Sold is the TENTH most challenged book. It is the SIXTH most banned book in the United States.

Author statement regarding Banned status: "To ban this book is to erase the young people around the world who are currently enslaved. To ban this book is a disservice to the women who shared their stories with me so the world could know about their plight. And to ban this book is disrespectful to the young readers who want to know about the world as it is – so they can make a difference."

The powerful, poignant, bestselling National Book Award Finalist gives voice to a young girl robbed of her childhood yet determined to find the strength to triumph.

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. Lakshmi has been sold into prostitution.

Sold will soon be made into a movie. Watch the trailer here: https://soldthemovie.com/trailers/

Why it is Challenged/Banned: Sold is about a 13-year-old girl forced into sexual slavery. It contains explicit language to describe her assaults and trauma.

Rationale: This book is appropriate to share with middle school students who are learning about Sociology. The modern human experience cannot be undermined by banning a book that so accurately depicts the current strife across Earth.

Potential: Lakshmi believes she is capable of overcoming her situation. She continues to remember her mother's words when she left home, "simply to endure is to triumph."

Culture: This book brings awareness to the hardships faced in so many countries. Sold informs readers that cultures exist that often force young children to work and unfortunately to become involved in sex trafficking.

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Louis always interrupts! All of his thoughts are very important to him, and when he has something to say, his words rumble and grumble in his tummy, they wiggle and jiggle on his tongue and then they push on his teeth, right before he ERUPTS (or interrupts). His mouth is a volcano! But when others begin to interrupt Louis, he learns how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk.

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Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret includes frank discussions of sensitive topics – often challenging for tweens and adults alike. It's why girls love the book and adults challenge it. The book gives a fictional account of preteen girls grappling with puberty, religion and sexuality.

Why it is Banned/Challenged: This book has candid discussions of menstruation. It often poses Christian characters in a negative manner. This book is among the most challenged books in recent decades.

Rationale: Why use a boring Health book when you can read Judy Bloom? This book is a timeless classic that explains to all genders the everyday wonder and stress of growing up and questioning. Parents should thank Judy Bloom for explaining things to teens so eloquently and logically.

Coping with Stress: Margaret faces typical female challenges of puberty, but all the stress of friendship, fitting in, social pressure, and religious identity. She is insecure and self-conscious.

Goal Setting: Margaret choses to face her challenges and be herself. At the end of the book and the school year, Margaret realizes that she would rather be herself than pretend to be the person her friend wants her to be. Margaret is finally able to develop the confidence to be her own person and make her own choices.

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Author: Mary E. Whitcomb                                                            Illustrator: Tara Calahan King

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Velvet is odd. Instead of dolls that talk and cry, Velvet brings a milkweed pod for show and tell. She wins the class art contest using only an eight-pack of crayons. She likes to collect rocks. Even her name is strange—Velvet! But as the school year unfolds, the things Velvet does and the things that Velvet says slowly begin to make sense. And, in the end, Velvet's classmates discover that being different is what makes Velvet so much fun.

Solving Problems: Velvet is being bullied by classmates because she is different and unique. Without changing her own identity or uniqueness, Velvet is able to show her classmates that she is the perfect friend. In the end Velvet is the key to the friendship problems in the classroom.

Communicating: Velvet communicates with her special possessions and interests. Her classmates gossip, spread rumors, and bully Velvet. Her unfriendly classmates learn what it means to be a true friend.

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Author: Jamie Lee Curtis                                                                     Illustrator: Laura Cornell 

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In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, this a unique and beautiful story about adoption and the importance of a loving family. A beautiful adoption story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born also speaks to the universal childhood desire to know more about the excitement, awe, love, and sleeplessness that a new baby brings to a family.

Developing a Sense of Purpose: This book explains the adoption process in a way that young children can understand. This book highlights the need children, especially children who have been adopted, have to hear their birth stories with as many details as possible.

Examining biases: This book has a page with a family tree on it. It includes her adoptive family and her birth family. This could be reassuring to a child who has been adopted since creating a family tree is commonly stressful and anxiety-provoking. This books gives adopted children a sense of belonging and that being adopted doesn't mean you are less of a family.

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Author: Jean Davies Okimoto and elaine M. Aoki                       Illustrator: Meilo So   

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Banned Self-Awareness: The White Swan Express

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Banned Self-Awareness: The White Swan Express

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One of three books about gay couples withdrawn from libraries in Singapore where gay sex is illegal. In a statement, the National Library Board suggested that gayness and family values are incompatible. Copies of the book were to be pulped. It was announced later that authorities in Singapore reversed their decision and stopped the national library from destroying the children’s book after its decision in July produced public outcry over literary censorship. Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim ordered the books be moved to the adult section, where parents can borrow them for their children. The book is about four couples – one of which is a lesbian couple – who travel to China to adopt baby girls.

Why it is Banned/Challenged: Homosexuality is a sensitive subject in Singapore. This book was removed from library shelves due to its depiction of LGBT people and same sex parenting.

Examining Prejudices and Biases: One problem noted with this book is that the children adopted were all Christened with new "Western" names. This could be viewed as a negative aspect to their culture. One adopted parent is a single mother. Another adoptive couple identify as a lesbian couple. The other adoptive couples are Asian and Caucasian.

Identifying Cultural Aspects: The story focuses also on the issue of female babies in China that always need homes. The White Swan Hotel is where most adoptive families stay in China.

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Author: Julia Cook                                                                         Illustrator: Anita Dufalla 

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Responsible Decision Making: What's in It for Me?

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Responsible Decision Making: What's in It for Me?

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Every day Noodle hears all about what he needs to do and why he needs to do it. He hears it from his parents, teachers and coaches, and he’s sick of it! What’s the point of making his bed every morning? Does it really matter how he kicks the soccer ball? And who cares if he plays the piano too fast or writes too sloppily?

This book is part of the Responsible Me series.

Anticipating Consequences: Noodle discovers why changing all his “need tos” into “I did its” will actually make him happier and more prepared to do whatever he’s asked.

Reflecting on One's Role to Promote Well-Being: This book strengthens character development and helps children use better social skills at school and at home.

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Banned Responsible Decision-Making: Lord of the Flies

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Banned Responsible Decision-Making: Lord of the Flies

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Bullying is rampant in Lord of the Flies. This book is continuously challenged due to profanity, sexual situations, and defamation toward minorities, God, women, and people with disabilities. Overall, it is a disastrous account of self-governing. The novel's themes include morality, leadership, and the tension between civility and chaos. The need for social order is particularly important in Lord of the Flies.

Why it is Banned/Challenged: Over the last 60 years, people have objected to the book due to its brutal violence, as well as its disturbing ideas concerning human nature and how humans differ little from animals when the boundaries of society are removed.

Rationale: This book is a tough one to support because it doesn't end well for the characters. However, what better way to teach about the boundaries of society and consequences of actions than to read a book where it goes South! Teaching the worse case scenario can scare you straight into compliance. In the end the characters pull themselves together and are lucky to have made at least one sound decision.

Thinking Critically: Lord of the Flies is a perfect literary example of thinking critically (or not thinking critically) through consequences

Analyzing Impact: Lord of the Flies is an exceptional example of analyzing the impact choices have on others. Without order, the characters in the book succumb to chaos and savagery.

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Banned Relationship Skills: All Boys Aren't Blue

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Banned Relationship Skills: All Boys Aren't Blue

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Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

One review of the book stated, "there's not one single person who wouldn't benefit from reading this book. There's no underestimating the life changing good this book can do in the hands of people who need it most."

Why it is Banned/Challenged: This books contains LGBTQIA+ content and profanity. It is also viewed as sexualy explicit.

Rationale: It's hard to disagree with someone who writes an autobiography. If it is their story to tell, who are we to ban? Everyone has a story to tell; some people just aren't brave enough to tell it. Johnson shares a journey of self discovery that may help everyone on their own journey through any period of their life that requires a shoulder to lean on.

Standing up for Rights: Johnson provides a brave account of his own life. It discusses race, sex, love, and family; things that are a part of our society yet are so different for each individual.

Managing Conflict: This book address sensitive topics including sexual assault, molestation, loss of virginity, homophobia, and racism. It also reinforces the impact a solid support system in place to navigate trauma.