Robin Stevenson

Or just eat it. No stuffing required! They're so good!

Cheering Canadian #kidlit friends fighting for the right to read! (And embarrassed at this US export)

Authors & Illustrators Speak Out Against Book Bans In Alberta. Text reads: Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans, a group of published writers and artists from across the country, strongly opposes the recent efforts by the Alberta government to ban books in the province’s schools. We support the rights of young people to read freely and to access books in which they may see people like themselves and their families on the page, and in which they may learn about the lives of other people different from themselves. We support their right to find the stories they need and the information they seek.

Slide 2: Text reads: The reality is that young people have access to many kinds of media and various forums for content. Books, especially now, are a crucially important and appropriate way for them to learn about all topics, including sex and sexuality, as they develop their understanding of the world and their own relationships and identities. In the context of rising censorship and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ backlash in the United States, we are particularly distressed to see a Canadian province adopting the same book banning playbook pushed by far-right American groups like Moms for Liberty. We are concerned that the new guidelines will be used to target 2SLGBTQIA+ books, a practice that not only censors books and undermines student access, but also sends a harmful message that stigmatizes 2SLGBTQIA+ people and suggests that stories about them do not belong in schools. Footer: Canadian Authors & Illustrators Against Book Bans.

Slide 3: As writers and illustrators, we support the work done by teachers and librarians to develop diverse and inclusive collections in schools, and we urge all levels of government to consult with them about any issues related to books in schools. As writers — and for some of us, also as teachers and as parents — we understand the value and importance of allowing students to choose the literature they want. Students who choose the books they want are empowered, allowing them to improve literacy. Footer: Canadian Authors & Illustrators Against Book Bans.

Slide 4: We believe that the best way to ensure school libraries meet the wide-ranging needs of students is to provide adequate funding for school librarian positions. Book bans do not protect children. Children do not need to be protected from books in their school libraries. They do need to be protected from the kinds of hate, bigotry, and discrimination that often motivate attempts to ban books. We stand against all attempts at book banning in Canadian schools and libraries, and we hope you will join us in this. Message is signed, Canadian Authors & Illustrators Against Book Bans.

Canadian authors and illustrators are speaking up against book bans in Canada, especially recent moves by Alberta's government to censor books in schools. If you are a published Canadian author or illustrator, please join us! CAIABB sign up page: www.karijones.ca/canadian-aut...

Trump seems to want a tent revival — in the federal workplace New guidance allows proselytizing at work and the religious right to exploit their persecution complex

"For most Americans, it’s common sense: You don’t harangue your coworkers because of personal beliefs and behaviors...

But to hear Republicans tell it, being required to leave people alone is the 21st century equivalent of feeding Christians to the lions."

www.salon.com/2025/08/01/t...

Not a library book, but when I was a kid I bought a Trixie Belden book at a garage sale and it had 13 four-leaf clovers pressed inside its pages 🍀

Debunking the Myths: Responding to the Most Common Arguments for Book Censorship Book censorship arguments often disguise efforts to erase diverse voices. Responding with facts, empathy, and First Amendment values helps protect everyone’s right to read.

If you find yourself discussing the freedom to read, you may need to debunk some common myths. The @freedomreadproject.bsky.social has put together this resource for you

A blue background. On the left is a flag with a Black Power symbol. To the right is the book cover for the Kids Books of Black History in Canada. Below is the Kids Can Press logo. Text reads "August 1 is Emancipation Day".

August 1 was officially recognized as Emancipation Day across Canada in 2021 thanks to the work of Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, MP Majid Jowhari and Rosemary Sadlier, author of THE KIDS BOOK OF BLACK HISTORY IN CANADA.

this is an excellent resource -- thanks for sharing, and let's spread it, #kidlit friends!

THIS

Announcing the Finalists for the 37th Annual Lambda Literary Awards This year marks 37 years

We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Lambda Literary Awards! lambdaliterary.org/2025/07/anno...

Huge congratulations Phil- so happy for you!

Blueberry is correct

Awww her smile!!!

I have actually joked that Pride Puppy could be used as a Rorschach test (see Gorsuch's interpretation, for example, which revealed more than we all wanted to know about him; these conversations should be kept between patients and shrinks perhaps)

There's an old joke: Guy's shrink shows him ink blots and asks what he sees. "People having sex," he says each time. Shrink: "You seem to have an obsession with sex." The guy: "Me?You're the one with all the dirty pictures!"

See also: the right's determination to find porn in LGBTQ+ books.

The Ryan Estrada Method This is in no way the only way, or the right way, to approach this. Like everyone, I come at this topic from a unique perspective. But this is the system that has evolved over my hundreds of banned bo...

A while back I wrote a guide for fellow authors who want to speak up at meetings about the freedom to read. It is for a hyperspecific audience, but the tips might help you fight your fights as well.

"Safeguard your independent media and defend your national archives," writes Anna Nemzer, who launched the Russian Independent Media Archive with fellow exiled journalists in 2023. Resist takedowns and censorship, she says, or "truth begins to disappear." thehill.com/opinion/whit...

Native Tribal Leaders Push Back on Gender-Affirming Care Restrictions for Their Citizens Native American groups say tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for their LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit citizens.

“Already, tribal citizens and leaders say some people have had trouble accessing gender-affirming care in recent months, with some community members being denied hormone treatments or having their medications delayed, even in places where gender-affirming care remains legal. “

Same, and I don't even live in the US.

Artist Amy Sherald has canceled her upcoming show at the Smithsonian The artist, best known for her portrait of Michelle Obama, said the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery wanted to keep her portrait of a trans woman out of the exhibition American Sublime.

The artist, best known for her portrait of Michelle Obama, said the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery wanted to keep her portrait of a trans woman out of the exhibition American Sublime.

The Ugly Stereotype Beneath the Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQIA+ Books The nine picture books cited in Mahmoud v. Taylor are not pornography. Nor are they obscene. What is obscene is a Supreme Court decision that denies the basic humanity and equality of LGBTQIA+ people.

Yes, absolutely. The same thing happens with picture books; this is how kids' books about families with two moms or about a trans kid get called sexually explicit. Good article on this here: www.slj.com/story/The-Ug...

We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families. For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering. Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them. We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza. It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there. Joint statement on Gaza from AFP, AP, BBC News and Reuters

BREAKING: JOINT STATEMENT FROM REUTERS, BBC NEWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS & AFP.

Warning that their staff face death by starvation in Gaza.

Horrifying and unprecedented.

Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship

Amy Sherald says the Smithsonian suggested removing a painting of a transgender woman as the Statue of Liberty from her upcoming show at the National Portrait Gallery “to avoid provoking President Trump.” Sherald: “I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship”

My current solution involves a lot of tahini and also pistachios, but I'm not sure at what point this ceases to be called a salad.

Graphic novels get the worst of it! Look at Alberta's book ban BS: naming 4 books, and they're ALL queer, and all ALL graphic novels or memoirs.

Also books WITH pictures.
🏳️‍🌈🐕🏳️‍🌈🐕🏳️‍🌈🐕

Thank you so much! 😊

Pride Puppy! Check out Pride Puppy! - <p><strong>&#9733;"[A] sheer delight and will be a welcome addition to shelves everywhere. Highly--and proudly--recommended." --<em>Kirkus Reviews</em>, starred review </stron...

1: I really love Pride Puppy!

I don’t usually like ABC books, but it’s an actually-good ABC book with a story that’s fun to read.

And it’s got lovely complex images with fun seek-and-find.

bookshop.org/p/books/prid...

National Day of Action. Read OUT Loud. Saturday Aug 2. Join us for a 24 hour read aloud of queer kids books.

Read OUT Loud, a national day of action in support of queer kids’ books & the kids who read them, is Aug 2-3. Watch part of the 24-hour read aloud on Zoom, sign up to read during the Zoom, or attend in-person events at bookstores and other venues. #BookSky #MomSky mombian.com/2025/07/22/r...

Some of my kid lit peers in Canada think I'm overreacting about Alberta's new guidelines, arguing (like Danielle Smith) that this is about protecting kids from porn. But this exact rhetoric has led to bans of many LGBTQ+ books in the US- and we can expect it here. This article explains so well.