On Wednesday, students in the Banned Books elective heard from a guest speaker, Jeff Trexler of the Comic Book Defense Legal Fund. He is an attorney whose organization helps comic book/graphic novel authors and illustrators whose works have been challenged in court by people seeking to ban them from libraries, schools, and bookstores. Most recently, Trexler successfully defended the book Gender Queer by Sonoma County native Maia Kobabe against a major legal challenge in Virginia. Kobabe, who uses e/eir/em pronouns, wrote and illustrated Gender Queer to recount the story of coming to understand eir identity as nonbinary and asexual. It has become the most commonly banned and challenged book in the country this year. Trexler spoke with students about the history of challenges against comics and graphic novels, and outlined the current legal landscape. He also pointed out that comics have long been defenders of inclusivity and representation–including a trans comic book hero from the 1940s! 

On Thursday, students visited Dominican University of California to see an exhibit of artwork by Kobabe, including panels from Gender Queer as well as works from eir website and zines. Students viewed the various examples of Kobabe’s artwork, then each chose one piece to reflect on and write about. One of the themes that emerged from much of their writing was how relatable and universal Kobabe’s themes and content are, regardless of readers’ sexual or gender identity. Many commented on how reading Kobabe’s book can help develop empathy and understanding of others’ differences. 

Need a book recommendation based on your preferred aesthetic? Want to argue about the best Nancy Drew book ever? Wondering what’s the best beverage to accompany a reading of The House in the Cerulean Sea? 

The BookTok Exploratory has been hard at work creating book-themed videos to help readers find new page-turners! Please check us out @buckeyebookers on TikTok. (Remember to keep all comments school-appropriate, as they are being monitored!) If you’d like to create a BookTok to add, please contact Michele for more information. 

This week marked the return of a favorite SAPA tradition: Books Night Out. This popular Buy-In Party, offered at our Big Night Out fundraiser each year, gives parents the chance to come together for some snacks, some wine, and some thought-provoking discussion in a quarterly book club format. This week’s book was Crying in H Mart, a memoir about grief, culture, and food by Michelle Zauner. It was a fun evening and a very interesting conversation, and members are already looking forward to the next meeting. 

The Lit Club is SA’s most lit club! Club members meet during lunch to discuss books ranging from literary classics to current bestsellers. Check out this compilation of book recommendations from club members.

Whether you find your next read on Tiktok, through Lit Club's list, or in your local library, it's the perfect time of year to cozy up with a good book. Happy reading!