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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Olivia Empson

‘Knowledge is power’: new app helps US teens read books banned in school

table of banned books in a bookstore
The nationwide fight over what is appropriate for children to read is happening in tandem with a broader legislative push to restrict the teaching of certain topics. Photograph: Ted Shaffrey/AP

Maia Kobabe’s 2019 memoir Gender Queer is an after-dinner favorite in Jen Cousins’ house. The family lives in Orange county, Florida, and all four children read the book when their mother first brought it home two years ago. She had to; she couldn’t stop crying when she read the last page.

For Saffy, her second oldest, who is now 14, Kobabe’s memoir is more than an after-school read. It has become a lifeline. Saffy came out as non-binary two years ago and finished the book in just an afternoon. Looking up at their mom, they said they finally felt seen.

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