Many in the publishing industry believe that book bans harm all kids, by restricting their access to knowledge. Sailaja Joshi argues that they inflict particular harm on kids of color and LGBTQ kids, who might go though their entire childhood not seeing themselves represented in books. “The book bans just reinforce their sense of isolation and marginalization,” Joshi says.
With so many books being pulled from libraries, Joshi wants to work outside the school system to get books to kids. In 2021, she launched a nonprofit called For The Love of Reading that brings diverse books to places where kids might otherwise struggle to find books that reflect themselves. Joshi was inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which mails millions of free books each month to children in under-resourced communities. Joshi’s organization receives donations to buy new books on diverse issues, and gift them to kids in “book deserts.” She sees this as a way to help bolster the sales of diverse authors, but more importantly, to empower kids.
“I always remind people that if books weren’t powerful, they wouldn’t try to limit our access to them,” Joshi says. “Putting diverse books in the hands of children is a revolutionary act in this country.”
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