The Right To Read: Combatting Coordinated Censorship Episode 212

The Mt. San Antonio College Podcast

“This book makes me feel understood…I see parts of myself within this book and reflected in ways that I didn't think I would ever hear anybody reflect them.” Listen in to hear Mt. SAC students, like Jimmy Smith, thoughtfully reflect on the book Flamer, written by Mike Curarto, who you’ll also hear from in this candid and informative discussion about banned books and the ways in which we can combat coordinated censorship.

We’ll explore the importance of the freedom to read, the power of books, and the damage that censorship causes.

First, we’ll hear from a few students, and then you’ll join me for a conversation with Mike Curato, the author of the graphic novel Flamer, which has been the target of coordinated censorship efforts.

And finally, Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, Director of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture, will talk about the book banning in the U.S., providing her perspective as the 2022-2023 President of the American Library Association. Enjoy.

Resources:

Kim Earhart, Censorship in US History Textbooks,

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 50th anniversary ed. Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2009. Print. Mt. SAC Library, General Collection, 823.914 Ac45t 2009 https://caccl-antonio.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CACCL_ANTONIO/1c1rl6n/alma991000274809705277

“Chinua Achebe, The Art of Fiction, No. 139 ” The Paris Review, Winter 1994.

https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1720/the-art-of-fiction-no-139-chinua-achebe

“Florida Scoured Math Textbooks for ‘Prohibited Topics.’ Next Up: Social Studies,” New York Times, March 20, 2023.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/us/florida-textbooks-african-american-history.html

“Whose History? How Textbooks Can Erase the Truth and Legacy of Racism,” Thurgood Marshall Institute, Jakiyah Bradley, February 2023.

https://tminstituteldf.org/books-censorship-black-history/

“Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories.” New York Times, Dana Goldstein, January 12, 2020.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/12/us/texas-vs-california-history-textbooks.html# Additional access link (requires Mt. SAC login)

Mike Curato

Mike Curato, Author and Illustrator

Curato, Mike. Flamer. First edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2020. Print. Mt. SAC Library, General Collection; 741.5973 C922f

Austrian, J. J. Worm Loves Worm. First edition. New York, N.Y: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2016. Print. Mt. SAC Library, Children’s Collection

Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada

Mt. SAC Library Banned & Challenged Books Booklist

Office for Intellectual Freedom. “Censorship by the Numbers.” American Library Association, 8 Apr. 2025, www.ala.org/bbooks/censorship-numbers

PEN America. “Book Bans.” 04 March 2025, https://pen.org/book-bans/ PEN America tracks book bans and fights censorship in public schools and libraries across the country.

Penguin Random House, “Read Banned Books.” 2025, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/banned-books/ Links to book resumes (used for justification for inclusion of materials), organizations you can support, and actions you can take.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. “Challenge Reporting.” American Library Association, https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/report Form for reporting book challenges, censorship, and other challenges to libraries, library services, and library workers and communities.

Unite Against Book Bans, “Unite in Your Community.” https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/ A campaign by the American Library Association to share information and data about book challenges, support actions against book bans, and provide access to news, tools, and resources.