Children’s literature plays a pivotal role in fostering meaningful teaching and learning experiences in today’s increasingly diverse classrooms. As schools serve students from a broad range of cultural, linguistic, and social backgrounds, the inclusion of multicultural and diverse children’s books becomes essential in cultivating an inclusive, affirming, and intellectually rich learning environment. Such texts not only foster a sense of belonging but also promote cultural awareness, empathy, and critical engagement by challenging stereotypes and broadening students’ worldviews. However, the current sociopolitical climate has seen a significant rise in the censorship and banning of multicultural literature. Many of these texts—often centered around historically marginalized voices—are deemed controversial or "risky" under the claim that they negatively influence children’s development. This trend poses serious implications for educational equity. Restricting access to these texts hinders students' opportunities to see their identities reflected, explore diverse perspectives, and develop critical thinking skills necessary for navigating a pluralistic society. Specifically, students from marginalized backgrounds benefit profoundly from literature that affirms their identities and experiences. Without access to such narratives, students may feel invisible or invalidated within the classroom space, which can adversely impact their self-esteem and sense of agency. Conversely, diverse books enable all students to better understand themselves and others, fostering empathy, dismantling biases, and facilitating more nuanced understandings of the world. In this presentation, I will share findings and pedagogical reflections from an undergraduate literacy course in which teacher candidates engaged with diverse children’s books that have been banned or challenged, using PEN America's list (pen.org) of censored titles as a foundational resource. Through guided analysis, synthesis, and critical reflection, teacher candidates explored the educational value of these texts and considered their role as future educators in confronting censorship and advocating for inclusive literature. This session will present teacher candidates’ evolving perspectives on the intersection of book bans, diversity, and inclusive pedagogy, as well as their instructional intentions for using these texts to support student identity development, critical literacy, and equity in the classroom. The discussion will contribute to a broader dialogue about preparing preservice teachers to navigate censorship responsibly while remaining committed to inclusive and justice-oriented teaching practices.

Keywords: Book censorship, inclusive teaching, preservice teacher education, equity.