Illustration by Julie McLaughlin
For information and links related to Mahmoud v Taylor, the US Supreme Court case involving Pride Puppy, please check out our linktr.ee for interviews and media.
In January 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States announced they would hear the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case brought by a group of parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, who sued the school district for the right to opt their children out of using certain books they argued were against their religious beliefs. The case, which involved nine LGBTQ picture books including Pride Puppy, was heard in April, and in late June, the court ruled in favor of the religious plaintiffs.
The authors and illustrators of these books issued a joint statement with the help of PEN America: you can read it here, along with author interviews about the case. Robin and Pride Puppy illustrator, Julie McLaughlin, also shared a personal statement on social media.
Pride Puppy has been widely misrepresented by right wing media and book banning groups, and this misrepresentation was repeated and amplified at the Supreme Court. Robin wrote an article for Macleans Magazine about this experience and Julie McLaughlin addressed this misrepresentation here. For more articles and interviews, please see the Pride Puppy link tree above.
Editorial cartoon of the 9 SCOTUS judges reading the 9 picture books, by Sarah Brannen.
Book Challenges: Resources and Organizations
CANADIAN AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS AGAINST BOOK BANS is a group of over 150 published authors and illustrators standing against all book bans and defending the freedom to read in Canada.
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.
EVERY LIBRARY
A national organization for librarians in the US, Every Library supporting libraries dealing with book bans and political interference, and offering pro bono consulting to librarians.
THE CANADIAN LIBRARY CHALLENGES DATABASE 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.
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.
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
“an empowering and critically timely blueprint for action” - Kirkus
BANNED TOGETHER: OUR FIGHT FOR READERS’ RIGHTS is a new anthology that includes Robin’s essay, Wings of Pages and Words. Published in March 2025, and edited by Ashley Hope Perez, it is a wonderful collection of pieces by authors whose books have been banned. The book has already earned five starred reviews and it is a great resource for any teen or adult wanting to learn more about book bans and how to fight for the freedom to read.
“… 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.”
“This light in the darkness is an inspiring call to action and an essential addition to all collections.”
An “empowering and critically timely blueprint for action.”
This anthology “acts as a call to action and a form of protest, using the power of words to inspire hope and unity.”
Robin's other challenged books
Many of Robin’s other books have also been challenged or banned, ranging from picture books like Pride Colors, to non-fiction books like Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle, Queer History A-Z, Kid Activists and My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights. Several of Robin’s novels have also been challenged or banned, 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. Robin has spoken about some of these challenges with Freedom to Read Canada and PEN Canada, and on the Orca Book blog.
