Kateryna Mikhalitsyna, Ukrainian children’s writer and activist, Image: Johannes Minkus
By Eric Dupuy | @duperico
Last month at the Frankfurt Kids Conference, themed “Children’s Books in a Fragile World”, publishers, authors, and cultural advocates outlined concrete strategies to counter unprecedented threats to children’s literature access, from systematic censorship in the United States to deliberate library destruction in Ukraine.The conference revealed a coordinated crisis spanning multiple countries. Ukraine faces the most acute threat: Russia has destroyed over 100 libraries and damaged 500 since 2022, with destruction continuing daily. Kateryna Mikhalitsyna, Ukrainian children’s writer and activist, detailed deliberate targeting. “Russian occupiers came to each library with a pre-prepared list of books to be destroyed—Ukrainian history, literature, war narratives since 2014,” she testified. Over 1.5 million Ukrainian children have fled; another 1.5 million under Russian occupation face forced deportation and cultural assimilation.
Jon Yaged, CEO, Macmillan Publishers Image: Johannes Minkus
The U.S. confronts ideological censorship at unprecedented scale. Jon Yaged, CEO of Macmillan Publishers, presented American Library Association data: book bans surged from under 300 instances in 2020 to over 9,000 in 2023. Critically, 70% originate from organized political groups, not community complaints. “A loud minority on a mission is challenging schools across nearly 13,000 different school districts,” Yaged noted. Teachers and librarians now face statutory penalties for recommending certain titles; multiple educators have abandoned the profession citing threats.
The UK maintains systemic underinvestment. Axel Scheffler, renowned illustrator and National Literacy Trust ambassador, documented infrastructure collapse: 800 libraries closed, one in seven primary schools lack libraries entirely. “The state has a responsibility to educate children. It shouldn’t be charities that provide this,” Scheffler stated.
Yet the publishing sector has mobilized multi-pronged responses. Macmillan, alongside industry partners, creates “book resolutions”—detailed credibility documents featuring author accolades and contextual analysis to counter ban challenges. “We create the truth that gives ammunition to fight back,” Yaged explained. Publishers unite in litigation against censorship statutes, with major legal victories overturning bans, though new restrictions emerge continuously.
Cultural production itself functions as resistance. Macmillan established community reading events in underserved UK areas, distributing free books marketed through BBC animation platforms. Four thousand families have attended such events. Scholastic published multilingual refugee assistance books featuring 38 international illustrators, with proceeds supporting displaced populations in Greece.
For Ukraine specifically, publishing initiatives prioritize cultural continuity. Ukrainian writers conduct readings in war-affected regions—”40 minutes to an hour in library corners, helping children pretend to be normal kids,” Mikhalitsyna described. Books serve as psychological anchors in frontline territories. Translation projects protect Ukrainian literature from erasure. Fundraising through book sales supports military logistics, with poets redirecting creative capacity toward material survival needs.
Content itself embeds cultural values. Julia Donaldson’s works—illustrated by Scheffler—weave solidarity and cross-cultural acceptance into narratives avoiding didacticism. The Smeds and The Smoos presents conflict resolution as a tale of Romeo and Juliet in space. Such approaches normalize inclusivity while entertaining.
Industry opportunities crystallize around three imperatives: strengthening legal defenses against censorship through collective publisher action; investing in community infrastructure—particularly libraries in disadvantaged zones; and leveraging author platforms to document cultural destruction and mobilize international solidarity. Scheffler concluded “even when initiatives don’t achieve immediate political goals, the fact of the book—of culture being made—is still essential.”
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