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This time on The Children’s Hour, our summer interns Julia Wolfe and Sophie Anderson-Haynie have co-written and produced a program about Banned Books. They teach us what that means, the history of banning books, and how it’s even possible in the era of digital reading.

We also learn about something that’s being talked about a lot in the news, and is being used as a reason to ban books: Critical Race Theory. Julia and Sophie read us a book that is being banned in some schools because a few people think it teaches this college-level theory by telling the story the real-life Ruby Bridges. Listeners can decide for themselves.
The book tells about an historic moment in American history through Ruby’s 6 year old eyes for a second grade level reader. The book was originally published in 2009 by Cartwheel Books, and today can be found as a Scholastic Reader! in many languages.
Banned Books Week is celebrated every year the last full week of September. This year, that’s September 18 – 24, 2022. You can learn more about what children’s books are the top 10 banned children’s books of 2021, and why.
For a limited time, American teenagers ages 13 to 21 can get a free, unlimited library membership to the Brooklyn Public Library to check out digital books, as part of their National Teen BPL Card program. Learn more and sign up by clicking here!

We play an excellent mix of music in celebration of reading.
title | artist | album | label | duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
I'm Gonna Read (500 Books) | Turtle Dance Music | Add to the World | 2019 Autism Friendly Records | 02:03 |
The Transit of Venus | US Marine Band & Lieutenant Colonel Jack T. Kline | The Heritage of John Philip Sousa: Volume 7 | 2011 The Robert Hoe Foundation | 00:55 |
God Bless My Underwear | Hans Mayer | See You Later Alligator | 2010 Myther Music | 01:41 |
Stately Shadows | Blue Dot Sessions | Duck Lake | 2018 Blue Dot Sessions | 01:22 |
Favorite Book | The Bazillions | On the Bright Side | 2015 Adam Marshall | 02:38 |
The World Is Big, The World Is Small | Pete Seeger | cELLAbration | 2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings | 01:47 |
Gentle Chase | Podington Bear | Background | 2014 HUSH | 01:25 |
I'll Keep Reading My Book | Folk Club Kids | Folk Club Kids | 2021 Folk Club Kids | 02:38 |
Or So I Have Read | They Might Be Giants (For Kids) | Why? | 2015 Idlewild Recordings | 02:13 |
Sun Nation | Ketsa | single | 2020 Ketsa Reiki Music | 01:17 |
If Ya Don't Like Science (That's Fine) | The Deedle Deedle Dees | How to Fix America | 2021 Lloyd H. Miller | 04:07 |
P Flunked Funk | Podington Bear | The Box Set | 2008 HUSH | 01:54 |
In a Book | Aaron Nigel Smith & One World Chorus | Welcome to the Village! | 2012 Aya World Productions | 01:44 |
Simple Vale | Blue Dot Sessions | Cauldron | 2018 Blue Dot Sessions | 02:13 |
Read a Book (Converging Song) [feat. Billy Jonas] | Two of a Kind | Sing Me Your Story | 2012 Two of a Kind | 01:37 |
Bookworm | Caspar Babypants | Keep It Real! | 2018 Aurora Elephant Music | 02:10 |
Books | Eloise Greenfield | Hip Hop Speaks to Children | 2008 Sourcebooks Explore; HAR/COM edition | 00:41 |
One Tribe | 1 Tribe Collective | All One Tribe | 2021 Aya World Productions | 03:46 |
Rose Parade | M.K.Sol | Night's Edge | 2021 M.K.Sol | 01:48 |
Read | Katie Dwyer Music | Music Makes Me Happy | 2020 Katie Dwyer Music | 01:30 |
Soul Bless | Ketsa | Microcosm | 2020 Dominic Giam | 00:31 |
Drenched With Sorrow | Audiobinger | Open Road Music Vol 1 | 2015 Audiobinger | 00:17 |
P Flunked Funk | Podington Bear | The Box Set | 2008 HUSH | 00:33 |
Slow Line Stomp | Blue Dot Sessions | Union Hall | 2019 Blue Dot Sessions | 00:32 |
Humming | Crowander | Sweet and Joyful | 2019 Crowander | 00:38 |
Peace Within | Peter Rudenko | Inner Mechanics | 2015 Peter Rudenko | 00:44 |
Slow Dial | Blue Dot Sessions | Cauldron | 2018 Blue Dot Sessions | 00:58 |
The Book I'm Not Reading | Patty Larkin | A Gogo | 2006 Vanguard Records | 03:58 |
Love to Read | Mister G | The Bossy E | 2014 Mister G | 02:19 |
Can I Talk to You? | Podington Bear | The Box Set | 2008 HUSH | 01:12 |
Read a Book | The Schmooney & Friends | The Schmooney & Friends Music Show | 2007 Muse | 02:35 |