As librarians, educators, and parents continue to defend young people’s freedom to read, many have come to depend on valuable resources that support their cause. That’s why the Children’s Book Council and its charitable arm, Every Child a Reader, have decided to acknowledge the heroic efforts of those working behind the scenes. This year, the organizations will be honoring author, poet, and writing teacher Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson as the first-ever recipient of their Free Speech Award.
The creation of this prize comes at a time when the right to access books of one’s own choosing has been significantly compromised. According to the CBC’s executive director Carl Lennertz, the opportunity to pay tribute to those who have been diligently fighting against book bans was long overdue. In addition to the CBC’s distribution of #FREADOM coloring pages and Free Speech Kit mailers, he wanted to acknowledge the efforts of individuals. “I’ve been thinking for a while that among the many, many champions for free speech, Tasslyn had not been properly recognized and honored,” he told PW. “I saw all her great work in partnership with EveryLibrary [Institute] and PEN America, and it’s time to shine a light on her invaluable work.”
A Call to Action
A lifelong lover of reading and writing, Magnusson turned her passion into a profession, earning an MFA in writing for children and young adults and then teaching creative writing and mentoring teen writers. In the fall of 2021, while listening to YA novelist Laurie Halse Anderson speak about the proliferation of book banning, her ears perked up. “Someone said we should keep track,” Magnusson said. “I knew how to use Google Sheets—sort of—and I wanted to help, so I made a spreadsheet and started looking for articles and information [about these challenges].”
Magnusson posted her initial findings on Twitter and invited others to offer their feedback and input on book bans in their local libraries and schools. She quickly heard from numerous authors and librarians who not only contributed additional information but shared their concerns. She connected with Book Riot editor Kelly Jensen, whose own work promoting anti-censorship enabled Magnusson to build a robust database, cataloguing thousands of book challenges. This online resource, available free of charge, provides data on book titles, actions taken against them, and status reports. Updates are made periodically and publicized through EveryLibrary Institute’s website—a partnership that Magnusson continues to maintain. “There are a lot of people who have asked me to help in different ways across the author and library spaces, and I try to help whenever I can,” she said.
The CBC will honor Magnusson in a virtual ceremony this spring, during which Lennertz will discuss her work via Zoom, and via subsequent outreach to the Every Child a Reader community. Co-sponsors of the 2025 Free Speech Award—Publisher Spotlight, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, and the Bessie A. and Harold M. Stratton Fund—will help to raise funds for 250 new children’s books, which will be donated to libraries and charities of Magnusson’s choice.
While Magnusson was honored by this recognition, she was quick to point out that her work has not been done alone. In addition to acknowledging the parents, journalists, teachers and librarians, she salutes the writers for embracing these books and standing up to hate. “We create a world that is better when young people can explore literature that speaks to them authentically and meets them where they are at—not where adults imagine they should be,” she said.
