Hardcover Edition
The book Phillip Hoose wrote to honor the powerful Black history of Indiana driven by young people was deemed not appropriate for teens when it was moved —along with other Young Adult Nonfiction —to the adult section of the Hamilton East Public Library.
The entire Young Adult section was moved when the library board deemed some books in the section that depicted sex as “endorsing prostitution.”
“I wrote Attucks for young adult readers. I wanted them to know that people their age impacted a major American city…anyone growing up in Indiana – and elsewhere – deserves a chance to know this story. If it is found only in adult stacks, kids won’t notice it.” —Phillip Hoose
Thanks you to Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star for calling out this censorship and damaging limit on the historical exploration of teens.
“Meanwhile, a story that could inspire anyone, perhaps even kids in Hamilton County, is stashed somewhere in the adult 790 section, to be found only by young readers willing to leave the area of the library designed specifically for them – young book hunters with time, patience and X-ray vision.”
—Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star