Tomorrow, November 28, 2024, is Thanksgiving. 

On this day of gratitude and respect, let’s take a moment to remember how deeply entwined this holiday is with the history of Native people. We invite you to join us in supporting Native communities, authors, and bookstores, not only during Native American Heritage Month, but year-round. 

To conclude Native American Heritage Month, we offer a selection of banned books about Indigenous experiences by Indigenous authors.

Indigenous books are frequently targeted for bans with claims that they are “divisive” or that centering Indigenous voices is somehow “racist.” In many cases, the unspoken reason is that they challenge triumphal narratives of American history, forcing people to think critically about who gets to tell their histories and which voices are marginalized.

These banned books, a mixture of children’s, YA, and adult, all appear on the PEN America Index of School Book Bans sometime from 2021 to 2024.

1. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
2. Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
3. Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell
4. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell
5. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, Robbie Robertson
6. Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson
7. At the Mountain's Base by Traci Sorell
8. The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz
9. Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman by Sharice Davids and Nancy K. Mays
   

This list is also available as an article on BookWeb.

The King’s English Bookshop has been serving Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1977. Today, The King’s English is a pillar of Utah’s indie community and a nationally recognized name.

Bookselling This Week met with co-owner Anne Holman to learn more about the store’s history, its growth, and what’s in store for the future.

• Saturday, November 30: Indies First
• Monday, December 2 at 2:00 pm ET: Black Booksellers Affinity Group
• Thursday, December 5 at 2:00 pm ET: Neurodiverse Community Affinity Group
• Monday, December 9 at 2:00 pm ET: LGBTQIA2S+ Affinity Group
• Wednesday, December 11 at 2:00 pm ET: BIPOC Affinity Group
• Friday, December 20 at 2:00 pm ET: Disability Community Affinity Group
  

1. Indies First
The 12th anniversary of Indies First will take place Saturday, November 30! 

Spread the word with these Indies First assets and don’t forget to take advantage of this year’s publisher specials!

If you still need ideas for Indies First, we’ve got you covered! Check out our list of resources and suggestions.

2. Libro.fm’s Shop Small Sale
Libro.fm’s Shop Small Sale runs from November 26–December 2. 

Use these Shop Small Sale assets from Libro.fm to remind customers that they can grab bestselling audiobooks at a great price AND support your store.

3. AMIBA’s Plaid Friday and Cider Monday
Join the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) in celebrating Plaid Friday and Cider Monday. 

4. Indie Bookstore Rewind
Inspired by Spotify Wrapped, Indie Bookstore Rewind lets you revisit the stories that defined your customers’ reading year. 

We’ve created digital and printable assets that bookstores AND customers can use to create unique Indie Bookstore Rewinds!

5. Year-End Indie Bestsellers List
Check out the Year-End 2024 Indie Bestsellers List (coming December 4!) to see this year’s bestselling titles. (This list will include data from the Thanksgiving weekend.)

6. Jólabókaflóð
Encourage your customers to join in on the “flood of books” with Jólabókaflóð, the Icelandic tradition of gifting books on December 24 (then curling up to read them with a cup of hot chocolate)!

7. Q4 Holiday Calendars
Need ideas for fresh displays or social media posts? Grab the November and December marketing calendars, where we’ve got you covered with important dates and suggested language.

This Week in Book Bans

In Maryland, Carroll County school board officials removed five more books in the county that tied Maryland with South Carolina in book bans last year. In New Mexico, Albuquerque Public Schools saw a tense board meeting, with Moms for Liberty demanding bans on LGBTQ+ books and counter-protesters responding. In North Carolina, Richland public schools removed the Unico: Awakening manga. 

South Carolina will consider four more books for statewide book bans, including a Literature textbook that emphasizes diversity and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street. In Tennessee, Rutherford County librarians had to drop everything to remove 150 books. In Texas, Lamar Consolidated ISD banned any books discussing gender fluidity, going beyond requirements of state law. And Utah has added a 14th book to its list of statewide bans.

End-of-Year Donations

Please consider American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) when you make your year-end donation decisions. ABFE is the bookseller’s voice in the fight against book bans — a fight that is getting more challenging all the time. You can learn more about where your donations go and make a one-time or recurring donation at bookweb.org/donate.