The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil
Published by Tilbury House Publishers on November 28, 2023
Key Words: Resistance, Determination, Culture, Diversity, Protest
Summary: The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale features Kanzi, the main character in the author’s previous book, The Arabic Quilt. Kanzi is leading her class to the library and is excited because she loves books, and she wants to get her Teta a book with Arabic words. However, when Kanzi arrives at the library, she finds the diverse books missing. Kanzi’s teacher explains that many diverse books have been banned by the school district, upsetting Kanzi and the other students, who cannot find books to relate to. The class, inspired by the book banning, hosted a bake sale to protest, resulting in the ban being lifted and gaining funds to buy diverse books.
Book lesson: This book illustrates the importance of diverse books and representation in schools. Additionally, the narratives of the different characters in the story illuminate the damaging effect that book bans have on children. For children reading the story, it teaches them to stand up for what they believe in and not to give up hope.
Censorship: Not banned or censored
Highlights: The children’s responses to the book ban, with diverse kids expressing their feelings in various ways, are my favorite parts. With Kenzi, when she feels angry about the book ban, she communicates that feeling by writing a poem about her emotions. Another highlight in the book is Kenzi’s growth from the previous book that featured her, becomingmore confident in her identity and standing up for herself.
Children’s identity: The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale affects children’s identity by bringing awareness to the harms of book banning and the importance of diverse representation in all areas of life. Any child would be inspired by this book, pushing them not to be defeated by any hardship or experience, instead, to find a way to have their voices heard.
Sense of how others perceive us: While the previous book about Kenzi had a distinct section focusing on how others might perceive her and being bilingual, in this book, she was proud of her identity and culture. Although at times, like when reciting the poem she wrote at the protest, Kenzi gets nervous due to her fear of how others perceived her. Nevertheless, this fear no longer stops her, as she pushes herself, and with the support of her family, she can overcome her anxiety.
Sense of Culture: There is a significant sense of culture, with the discussion of Egyptian culture, as it remains importantfor Kenzi and her family.
Sense of Belonging/community: The sense of community and belonging grows throughout the book. In the beginning, when Kenzi found that the books with people who looked like her were removed, she began to feel like she did not belong and was not important. Yet, in the end, when her friends and family supported her in the protest bake sale, she started to feel like she belonged, and her community supported her, and she put all of her hesitations aside.
