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It’s officially Banned Books Week, according to a coalition of readers and writers committed to preserving access to literature since the Banned Books Coalition formed in 1982.
In 2016, the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books in the U.S. was released. At the top was “This One Summer,” a coming of age story about two pre-teen friends.
What was such a seemingly harmless book doing on the list? It’s a little complicated.
According to co-creator Jillian Tamaki, the challenges have a lot to do with the Printz and Caldecott Honors that the book received in 2015. Tamaki told The Takaway, "Once it won those awards, people automatically thought 'picture book' or 'appropriate for children,' when in reality the Caldecott Honor is awarded for kids up to 14."
Its success may have led it to end up in the hands of some unprepared younger readers, but it also came under scrutiny for exploring the struggles kids endure when they’re asked to grow up before they’re entirely ready.
Today, to mark the 35th annual Banned Book Week in America, The Takeaway sat down with cousins Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, co-creators of, “This One Summer," to discuss the troubling experience of having their book challenged on such a wide scale.
How much do you know about banned and challenged books? Take our quiz below.
This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.