AMHERST — A picture book taking readers through the day in the life of a Black girl concludes with characters holding their hands high, displaying signs reading Black Lives Matter, Lift Every Voice, No Human is Illegal, Water is Life and Spread Love.
“For me, this book was a response to my nieces and my nephews around the Black Lives Matter movement, and not having someone speaking to them about the mattering of their lives,” author Breanna J. McDaniel, who is based in Atlanta, told a group of fifth-grade Fort River School students via Zoom last week.
Yet even though she saw the contents of her “Hands Up!” publication as positive and uplifting, the book, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, was banned from a school district in York, Pennsylvania, in 2021.
Amherst author Megan Dowd Lambert, who read McDaniel’s book to the students and came to the classroom, has had two of her books challenged for removal from libraries and other places, based on depictions of same-sex couples.
“Our world is a diverse one, and children need and deserve to see that diversity
represented in their books,” Dowd Lambert said.
The two writers offered insights to students advocating for turning state legislation into law to prevent such bans from continuing.
“An act regarding free expression” passed the Massachusetts Senate in November, and the hope is that the Massachusetts House of Representatives will take it up before the end of the legislative session.
“If passed, the bill would make it harder for people to ban books in Massachusetts,” says fifth grader Eleanor Green. “We hope this extra protection will keep books on the shelves, and make sure kids like us can always find characters they identify with.”
“We think book bans are a problem,” added fifth grader Miriam Goran-Watts. “We want to try to get this to be the law. It felt important to really acknowledge this, and that we could do a lot of things to stop it.”
Joined by classmate Owen Lakota, Eleanor and Miriam recently wrote a letter to the Gazette and, along with other fifth grade classes, got to meet in their classrooms with state Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst. They have also been in contact with state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, who endorsed their appeals in a video message she recorded from the State House.
Calling them “game-changing, transformative” students, Comerford said it is important that students be able to read a wide range of books with varying viewpoints and diverse characters. “Your’e advocacy gives me hope,” Comerford said.
Tim Austin, the fifth grade Caminantes program English teacher, said the annual civics lessons try to effect positive changes and make a difference in the community and state, always beginning with brainstorming. Two other fifth grade classes are focusing on other topics selected by their peers, one for addressing climate change and the second on protecting woodlands across the state.
Austin said the students who pursued action against book bans were likely inspired by a column Northampton author Grace Lin wrote for the Gazette in March. Lin’s experience is similar to McDaniels’ in that her “A Big Mooncake for Little Star” has been banned because it supposedly promoted critical race theory, while “Dim Sum for Everyone!” is under review in Florida due to its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” content.
McDaniels praised the students for showing up together and helping authors who face frightening situations.
“The things people were saying about the books that were banned were not true and it was really hard to hear that my book was being taken out of schools and libraries because people felt that it would hurt children with the ideas in it,” McDaniels said. “I cried quite a bit and I worried that more book bans would come, which they did.”
She thanked the students for their work, who gave themselves applause. “That you all have a plan is a big deal,” McDaniels said. “It makes me feel grateful to think of what you all are doing.”
And she expressed continued amazement. “That is bananas and pajamas,” she quipped.
Dowd Lambert also spoke to third through sixth graders during the day, giving other students insights into book bans and how they harm authors who can spend more than a year writing and then more time getting their works published.
What the students heard jibed with what they had previously learned.
Miriam observed that many bans focus on LGBTQ+ characters. “There’s a lot of really weird reasons for why something gets banned,” Miriam said.
Eleanor said some of the other bans might touch on racism, as McDaniel’s book does. “A book might have certain details someone didn’t want to hear,” Eleanor said.
Owen added that it’s unfair if people can’t access books with LGBTQ+ characters or other perspectives. “If people want to read books like that they should be able to,” Owen said.
Fort River Librarian Molly Millay told the students that book challenges are growing, from fewer than 300 unique titles a year before 2020 to 4,235 in 2025, according to American Library Association statistics. Amherst has avoided book banning issues like other communities, in part because the librarians at the Amherst and regional schools pursued a policy that sets out a clear process if concerns arise.
“So luckily in Amherst, we have not had issues of book banning like in other communities,” Millay said.
Other projects
Fifth graders are focused on ensuring forests are not clear-cut for development.
“We’re trying to protect 462,000 acres of forestland in Massachusetts,” said Abbie Schmeiser.
Aaya Aslam explained that there are a trio of bills in the Legislature, with H. 5216, “An act relative to forest protection,” one of the main ones.
“A lot of forests are getting cut down,” Aaya said. “We think it is important that people can’t cut down trees because there are many important things we get from them.”
Those students will be at the Second Saturday tree planting with the Public Shade Tree Committee June 13, coincidentally along East Street near the school, and will be giving out saplings at the Amherst Farmers Market and have a petition for people to sign.
Avery Watkins said that 70 saplings have been donated. Those came from Amherst Nurseries, Wanczyk Nursery, Gardeners Supply Co. and the town committee.
Domb told the students about her concerns regarding a power company removing trees along a corridor, while Comerford said forest protection is critical for sequestering carbon and maintaining a biohabitat.
“I’m so glad they’re advocating to keep them safe, and to keep them whole and healthy and valued,” Comerford said.
The Campaign to Fight Climate Change got significant buy-in from peers.
“It was a project we all loved and though it was a good idea,” Isabella Lopez-Daza said, adding that classmates were excited by a letter sent to the editor.
Ida Boice said this is a problem that can make an immediate impact.
“Our project is we’re trying to stop climate change, which is a really big problem,” Ida said. “The biggest part of the problem is really the amount of carbon dioxide we’re putting into the atmosphere.”
Their letter suggests putting solar panels on the State House roof as a symbolic way to get others to do similarly.
Though Domb cautioned that the State House roof is in some disrepair and adding solar panels may take a lot of time and money.
Lucy Nahm said the class is trying to get to 501 signatures on a petition and has been impressed with the conversations so far.
“It was good to have different perspectives on our campaign,” Lucy said.
The students have done some solicitation in neighborhoods, and because many are in the Caminantes dual language program, where they are fluent in both Spanish and English, their petitions and appeals are being done in both languages.
