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Jessica Horton

@jessicahorton.bsky.social
4.3K followers 186 following 633 posts

Graduate (of law). Writer (of words). Maker (of quilty things). Lover (of randomness). Cofounder (of www.letdavisread.org). She/her.

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Reposted by Jessica Horton
Alex Brown 🇵🇸 (they/them) @bookjockeyalex.bsky.social · 18h
It's Banned Books Week. My fellow librarians, listen carefully: your book displays should be almost exclusively writers who are alive. Yes, I know classic literature is also being banned, but most of those authors are dead. They aren't suffering financially from bans and challenges.
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Steve Ammidown @stegan.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
If you only center inanimate objects in your conversations about censorship, you’re doing it wrong. #bannedbooksweek
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Steve Ammidown @stegan.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I love that everyone’s excited about #bannedbooksweek, but please remember that there’s so much more to it than just buying or reading a banned book. Its also about people- librarians, educators, and readers- Kelly’s body of work is a starting point to understand this more.
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Maggie Tokuda-Hall @maggietokudahall.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Here's the thing: most books that are banned don't make the lists that get circulated each #BannedBooksWeek. If you're a book creator and your book gets banned, please respond to this post with your book and its buy link on bookshop.org. That way we can support indies and banned books 💛
bookshop.org
Bookshop.org: Buy books online. Support local bookstores.
A better way to buy books online. Every purchase financially supports local independent bookstores.
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Rob MacWolf, Werewolf Hitchhiker @robmacwolf.thevoice.dog · 04/10/2026
I'd like to once again remind you for #BannedBooksWeek that Huckleberry Finn and Animal Farm don't need you to go out of your way to read them. Instead, support a book, and author, who a ban can actually hurt.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I really appreciated the framing of this article (and not just because it quotes @letutahread.bsky.social and me). This is an underreported part of the book banning story in Utah—especially since the governor’s wife has made literacy part of her platform.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The state not knowing what’s happening with book bans is a feature, not a bug. Districts don’t keep complete records (e.g., they don’t follow their process (see Washington) or have deleted records (see Davis)), and USBE never verifies that districts actually follow policy before removing books.
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Reposted by Jessica Horton
kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Utah banned SEVEN more books from all public schools yesterday, bringing the total number of state-sanctioned bans in the state to 44. More than half of those bans happened in 2026.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This song is everything! So grateful for Martha and all the other freedom to read champions who bring joy to this fight. Freedom to read people are the best people ❤️📚❤️
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is state-mandated book banning being perpetuated here. It is the Dan Patrick level "we're going to downgrade your school" banning from Texas, but in Florida. Thousands of books will be removed, and you'll probably never know about it.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The veggie garden didn’t do so great this year, but at least my fruit quilting was on point! And of course, it wouldn’t be a quilt picture without Ham rushing over to model 😅😂
A fruit sampler quilt featuring a range of different patchwork pieced fruitA golden retriever posing next to a patchwork quilt
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Utah friends! Let Davis Read, along with @letutahread.bsky.social, the Davis County Library, Davis Indivisible, and @utahlibraries.bsky.social, are hosting a screening of the The Librarians at the Clearfield Library on Tuesday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required.
daviscounty.librarycalendar.com
The Librarians Film Screening - Celebrating Intellectual Freedom and the Right to Read | Davis County Library
Librarians emerge as first responders in the fight for democracy and our First Amendment Rights. As they well know, controlling the flow of ideas means control over communities.
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Leila Green Little @ifightforbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
GREAT piece today from @heykellyjensen.bsky.social with collab from @sarahlamdan.bsky.social, @flfreedomread.bsky.social, and @tasslyn.bsky.social. Awesome quote from @maggietokudahall.bsky.social. Read it. It’s good. bookriot.com/book-censors...
bookriot.com
“We Need To Tell The Story”: Literary Advocates Nationwide Reflect On Five Years of Relentless Attacks on the Freedom to Read
Advocates for the freedom to read across the country share their wins, challenges, and opportunities as the work enters year six.
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Tasslyn - AKA Dr. Sasslyn @tasslyn.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Proud of this work - and even prouder to work in collab with @heykellyjensen.bsky.social , @stephanaferrell.bsky.social @sarahlamdan.bsky.social and Arielle from @freedomreadproject.bsky.social! There are folks around the country doing amazing things - raise them up! bookriot.com/book-censors...
bookriot.com
“We Need To Tell The Story”: Literary Advocates Nationwide Reflect On Five Years of Relentless Attacks on the Freedom to Read
Advocates for the freedom to read across the country share their wins, challenges, and opportunities as the work enters year six.
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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Anyone free in Boise today! Danny Caine is doing a workshop at the public library on how to write a public comment. Public comments are a relatively rare opportunity to speak directly to your leaders so you want to make the most of it.
boisepubliclibrary.libcal.com
Danny Caine Workshop: How to Write a Public Comment
There is an art to a good public testimony. You generally have two minutes to share your valid concerns and convince those in power to act in your interest. That puts a lot of...
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Texas Freedom to Read Project @txfreedomread.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Texas Senate Bill 13 allows anyone (including Dan Patrick and Bonnie Wallace) to formally challenge books in the school district in which they live. Every district should respond to every request or demand to remove any library book, by following their EFB Local library materials policy.
Still screenshot of Bonnie Wallace and Dan Patrick from August press conference over library books they falsely claim are “illegal”. Dan Patrick is holding the book “Do Animals Fall in Love”
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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Postcards are a simple but effective way to make elected officials hear your input. Here's a quick template to help you write your own or even host a postcard writing party!
docs.google.com
How to write a postcard FTR campaign.docx
RHODE ISLAND FREEDOM TO READ ACT (S0238, H5726) POSTCARD CAMPAIGN You are invited to write a postcard to your state legislators to express your thoughts on the Rhode Island Freedom to Read Act…
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Huzzah! The ACLU’s lawsuit challenging Utah’s book banning law cleared the first hurdle! 🥳🥳🥳
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
USBE rejected our appeal of Fight Club today. Unfortunately, the motion to hold Davis School District accountable failed on a 7-8 vote.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
An absolute waste of taxpayer time and money. Imagine if over the last many years of librarians telling them they've manufactured a panic instead... But then they wouldn't get to do state surveillance on those very librarians! www.sltrib.com/news/educati...
sltrib.com
Are book vendors intentionally selling pornographic content to public schools? Utah is spending $60K to find out.
Utah is launching a $60,000 effort to take a closer look at how books get onto public school library shelves, including what role vendors play in the process.
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Maggie Tokuda-Hall @maggietokudahall.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
earnest request: if you have kids in your life ages 3-8 whose interest in STEM you'd like to encourage, by all means please consider preordering WHAT DO PEOPLE DO AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM. if you preorder by Monday I'll sign it for 'em. mrsdalloways.com/book/9781452...
mrsdalloways.com
What Do People Do at the Science Museum?
A fun, vibrantly illustrated behind-the-scenes tour of the inner workings of a natural history museum and all the incredible people who work there! Welcome to the Science and Natural History Museum! H...
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Dolly and her Imagination Library making me cry on my kid’s birthday 🥲
A birthday wish from Dolly Parton to one of my children who receives books through Dolly’s Imagination Library. It reads, “Dear 🥳🎉 [I redacted my child’s name with emojis], Birthdays are special to me, just like you are. Here’s a special wish just for you. Love, Dolly 

There’s a picture that links to a YouTube video where Dolly sings happy birthday and says, “You keep reading. And remember, I will always love you.”
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Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton, among a thousand other amazing things she did in her life, gifted over 330 million books to kids through her Imagination Library program. Her passing is a tremendous loss to the world, but you can support the program today to keep it going imaginationlibrary.com
imaginationlibrary.com
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library | USA, UK, IE, CA, AU
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas.
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William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 25/08/2026
[Exit Queen.]
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Davis School District (UT) didn't follow procedure when they banned FIGHT CLUB. It'll be interesting to see this play out, given that they've been responsible for many of the state-wide bans. www.sltrib.com/news/educati...
sltrib.com
This Utah school district didn’t talk about ‘Fight Club.’ Now, it could be in trouble with the state.
Davis School District’s decision to uphold a ban of the Chuck Palahniuk novel without discussion likely violated Utah procedure, state officials say.
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Florida Freedom to Read Project @flfreedomread.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
If you’re a parent in TX, please connect with @txfreedomread.bsky.social to make sure you’re informed as the impacts of this sorry attempt for attention and power continues to play out on the ground.
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Leila Green Little @ifightforbooks.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
THIS! ⬇️ Texas librarians and advocates, please understand this and communicate it to your administrators and school boards if they’re pushing to censor books.
We should all be asking
• Who created this latest list?
• What is their qualification for reviewing materials for teens or children?
• What is their agenda behind creating the list?
• Do they even have children in our schools?
• Are they even from Texas?
• What qualifies a book to be put on this list?
• Are they considering the work as a whole, which the Supreme Court decision Pico v.
Island trees requires?
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Texas Freedom to Read Project @txfreedomread.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and pearl-clutching pro-censorship political activist Bonnie Wallace held a press conference at the State Capitol yesterday, delivering an ultimatum to public school districts…
Screenshot of Bonnie Wallace and Dan Patrick from Texas Senate Conference Room Recording on August 19. Dan is holding a copy of the book, “Do Animals Fall in Love” while speaking patronizingly to reporters. Bonnie appears to be staring off into space.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
PUSH becomes Utah's 37th state-sanctioned book ban. The 1996 book must be removed from every public school in the state. bookriot.com/utah-bans-pu...
bookriot.com
Utah Bans Its 37th Book From All Public Schools
PUSH by Sapphire, published 30 years ago, is the 37th book now banned in all public schools in the state of Utah.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The Texas Lt. Governor Threatens Public School Librarians and Educators: “We’re Coming for the Books." He claims the state has a list of 2,200 books every public school needs to remove or face consequences. That list is one by conservative "activist" Bonnie Wallace. bookriot.com/dan-patrick-...
bookriot.com
Texas Lt. Governor Threatens Public School Librarians and Educators: "We're Coming for the Books"
Texas's Lieutenant Governor threatens public school librarians and educators over books in their schools.
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Let Utah Read @letutahread.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Hi readers! We're so excited to be hosting a screening of The Librarians with our friends at the The Utah Alliance Coalition. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-librar...
Event details for a screening of The Librarians on Wed. Aug. 26 at 6:30 at The Pearl on Main.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
See also book banners.
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Phil Bildner @philbildner.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
**Federal Book Ban Bill Update** Thank you to @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social for creating these useful graphics. Federal book banning bills are currently advancing through both the House and Senate. We are not powerless to stop them. Now is the time to do your part. Speak out. Spread the word.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Navigating the Brain Poisoning of Book Censorship. On parenting and reading picture books in an era of relentless censorship and intellectual control. buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com
Navigating the Brain Poisoning of Book Censorship
On parenting and reading picture books in an era of relentless censorship and intellectual control.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Small freedom to read win out of Utah today! A few months ago, Let Davis Read appealed Davis School District’s removal of Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). In short, DSD didn't follow its own rules when it removed this book on appeal.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The book banners in Davis School District (Utah) are mad that THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social was approved for high school curriculum. One lamented, “What happened to Shakespeare?” As with all things book banning, she’s so close. It’s right there in the title!
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
BOOK BAN BILL THREAD FOR JULY 27. The House is not currently in session. Representatives are spending the next month working in their own home districts. What does this mean? We won't see action on three of the federal-level book ban bills. That also means go see these people IRL if you can.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The Tools Book Banners Are Using to Target Books in 2026: Book Censorship News, July 24, 2026. Get to know the National Book Rating Index, BookLens, RatedBooks, and more tools being used to ban books across US schools and libraries. bookriot.com/tools-used-b...
bookriot.com
The Tools Book Banners Are Using to Target Books in 2026: Book Censorship News, July 24, 2026
Get to know the National Book Rating Index, BookLens, RatedBooks, and more tools being used to ban books across US schools and libraries.
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 23/07/2026
1. School book bans are becoming so extreme in Florida, that one conservative school district is considering removing libraries altogether. Rodger Dailey, Clay County Chief Academic Officer, suggests replacing them with school stores, as literacy rates plummet. Subscribe to support our journalism.
erininthemorning.com
Clay County School District In Florida Considers Getting Rid Of Libraries In Response To LGBTQ+ Books
The proposal is the latest in the book ban saga that continues across Florida.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Whatever else happens, it’s already been a good day 😎
Picture of Smush by Hank and John Green showing a perfect 818 score
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Freedom to Read Project @freedomreadproject.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A “temporary” book removal can last months or even years. And when books are kept off shelves during delayed reviews, their circulation drops through no fault of student interest. Our newest article explains how this happens and why it matters. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/when_tempora...
freedomtoreadproject.org
When "Temporary" Becomes Permanent: How Delayed Reviews Turn Into Quiet Book Removals
Delayed book reviews manufacture low circulation, enabling controversial books to be quietly removed through routine weeding rather than transparent censorship.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
The GOP is obsessed with erasing trans people, their voices, and their stories. This is a FOUR ALARM fire, with the now fourth book banning bill introduced in Congress this year. If you're fighting about HR 7616 and HR 2616 and the CHARLIE Act, you need to know S 4925 is happening, too.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🚨🚨🚨 Republicans in the Senate have drafted S. 4925, their companion to the House's HR 7616 bill. This nationwide book banning bill shows the GOP's priorities during the quiet summer season. S. 4925 is already in the HELP subcommittee. bookriot.com/senate-bill-...
bookriot.com
Republican Senators Introduce Nationwide Book Ban Companion Bill, S. 4925
Republican Senators have introduced a nationwide book ban bill in the Senate, S. 4925 and it's a warning of their summer plans.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Found outside the kids’ bathroom. Pray for my soul.
A piece of paper on the floor that says “clogged toilet”
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Good morning, Utah banned its 36th book from all public schools this week. It's a Stephen King book. The state has banned more books in 2026 than any other since their new law was implemented–despite a lawsuit over this law. bookriot.com/utah-bans-it...
bookriot.com
Utah Bans Its 36th Book From All Public Schools
Utah has banned more books from public schools in 2026 than any other year, and this week, they added their 36th title.
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Meanwhile, school library budgets are being slashed in one of Utah’s biggest school districts…
sltrib.com
‘Wasteful and extravagant’: Here’s what Utah auditors found digging into the first year of school voucher spending
Utah auditors found several "wasteful and extravagant" purchases made through the state's school voucher program -- all funded by taxpayers.
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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Books Unbanned responds to book censorship by making sure teens can read freely, even when access is restricted locally. The program supports teens’ rights to read what they choose, think critically, and engage with peers across the country who care about intellectual freedom. booksunbanned.com/card
booksunbanned.com
Books Unbanned - Get a Card
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Freedom to Read Project @freedomreadproject.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Election season is here, and "Do you support book bans?" isn't the only question voters should be asking. Before you cast your ballot, learn what to ask and why the answers matter. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/beyond_do_yo... #FreedomToRead #BookBans #FirstAmendment #Libraries #Elections #Vote
freedomtoreadproject.org
Beyond "Do You Support Book Bans?" Questions Every Voter Should Ask Local Candidates
Local officials shape library and school policies, making it essential for voters to understand how candidates would protect the freedom to read and balance competing rights in their communities.
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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
SURE IS curious why and how one of the biggest book banning advocates in the state of Utah was allowed to volunteer to catalog books in a Davis School District library: www.sltrib.com/news/educati...
sltrib.com
A Utah book-ban advocate was given access to a school library system with private student data. The district says there was ‘no breach.’
The advocate, Brooke Stephens, was one of three parent volunteers tapped to help enter “titles, authors, ISBN numbers, and the like into our system for a large number of newly purchased books,” the di...
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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This article on Utah’s misogynistic court packing scheme is spot on. But one detail it missed is that Judge Michele Christiansen Forster, who was rejected in favor of all male nominees, has been a judge on Utah’s court of appeals longer than Stephen Dent has been a lawyer. #utpol
sltrib.com
All men and mostly BYU grads: A new commission makes its picks for new Utah Supreme Court justices
The Utah Legislature passed a bill striking a bipartisan requirement for a commission that suggests Supreme Court candidates to the governor. The picks are now all men and mostly from BYU.
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