The Burning of the Books

What happens when a government decides which books are "too dangerous" for its people to read? When it polices not only the creative output of its citizens but also their very thoughts? As author Jonah Winter describes the Nazi book burnings of the 1930s, Gary Kelley's atmospheric paintings communicate a sense of ominous foreboding that lingers past the closing lines: And what happened in Germany could happen anywhere. It could even happen in America.

Jonah Winter is the award-winning author of more than 40 nonfiction picture books that promote environmental awareness and social and racial justice. Among them are Banned Book; Here Comes the Garbage Barge!; Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality; My Name is James Madison Hemings; Barack; and Lillian’s Right to Vote, a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award recipient and Kirkus Prize finalist.