For information and links related to Mahmoud v Taylor, the US Supreme Court case involving Pride Puppy, please check out our linktr.ee site with all the up-to-date interviews, media, podcasts, and more.
Pride Puppy is, unfortunately, not the only one of my books to be challenged. My other books that have been challenged range from picture books like Pride Colors, to my non-fiction books like Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle, Queer History A-Z, and My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights. Several of my novels have also been challenged, including When You Get the Chance, co-written with Tom Ryan. These challenges have been in Canada and the US, and have affected books in both school and public libraries. I have spoken about some of these challenges with Freedom to Read Canada and PEN Canada, and on the Orca Book blog.
Book Challenges: Resources and Organizations
PEN America has statistics on book bans, up to date banned book lists, and many useful resources for fighting back against censorship and supporting the freedom to read.
UNITE AGAINST BOOK BANS has tips for attending school board meetings, and a form to report book challenges and censorship in your community. They also have book resumes that you may find helpful in defending a specific book against a challenge.
WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS has many resources to help you respond when books are challenged in your community.
Canada’s ANTI-HATE NETWORK has a guide on what we can do to fight back at the local level, by preventing hate groups from taking over school boards in our communities.
The Canadian Library Challenges data base lists book challenges- and their outcomes- at Canadian libraries.
The Canadian Center for Free Expression creates profiles of challenged books, as well as linking to many useful and interesting articles.
PEN Canada defends books and writers around the world, and brings a focus on Canadian issues related to book challenges, censorship, and free expression.
New Anthology on Fighting Book Bans
BANNED TOGETHER: OUR FIGHT FOR READERS’ RIGHTS is finally here! I am so thrilled to have an essay in this amazing anthology. Published in March 2025, and edited by Ashley Hope Perez, this book has already earned five starred reviews and it is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about book bans and how to fight for the freedom to read.
Kirkus calls BANNED TOGETHER an “empowering and critically timely blueprint for action.”
Publishers Weekly writes, “… a manifesto against book banning delivered by the authors whose livelihood is on the line, this collection movingly reminds readers of the power they have against censorship…. Powerful reading for a crucial moment.”
Booklist says this anthology “acts as a call to action and a form of protest, using the power of words to inspire hope and unity.”
And School Library Journal writes, “This light in the darkness is an inspiring call to action and an essential addition to all collections.”
