In libraries and schools across the United States, book bans are on the rise, with books on sexuality, gender and race taking center stage and a cultural conflict over what stories children should be permitted to read. This isn't new. There's a long history of book bans in this nation. But there are some ways in which this latest cycle of censorship is different, and perhaps even more alarming.
Genevieve Ford is an associate professor of English at Utah State University and a fierce defender of children's literature.