Guest Post by Jennifer Gennari, Author of Stifled
Great books move us. That’s what I’m looking for as a reader—to be touched by a character’s triumph over adversity and their transformation.
As an author, when I begin to write, I have a plan for what I believe will be the emotional center of the story. That’s the part (hopefully) that makes readers cry. Yet, sometimes, even when I think I know what that heart moment is, I’m surprised.
In my middle grade novel Muffled, quiet Amelia makes a friend—a loud, confident friend named Madge who needs Amelia to be brave for her. When I decided to tell Madge’s story in my next book, I was sure the heart of Stifled would be when Madge sorts out her feelings for her grandmother, her primary caregiver, and her grief for her deceased mother. Seems obvious, right?
But Madge is also driven to succeed in the elite jazz band in middle school. She wants to be a great musician, like her mother, and to be one of The Band Kids. This passion divides her from Amelia, who doesn’t get into jazz.
So where does Amelia find her new community? Since she’s a big reader, she makes friends in the library. And that’s when the topic of censorship snuck up on me.
I didn’t set out to write a story with a book banning subplot. There are already many wonderful middle grade novels about censorship—from Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King to Same Page by Elly Swartz. Yet, the fight for the freedom to read is ongoing. Too many states have restricted access to books, and librarians and publishers are under enormous pressure to comply with anti-diversity laws.
Book banning isn’t on Madge’s mind, though. She’s overwhelmed by the pressures of being in the elite jazz band, coming to terms with a family secret, and her evolving friendship with Amelia. She doesn’t have the energy or time to care about books.
Yet, as I revised, I found that winning over Madge to the cause that Amelia was fighting healed their friendship rift. To write those chapters, I researched the resurgence of censorship in the U.S. and read books—including That Librarian by Amanda Jones—to convey the depth of harm caused by removing stories about the lives of Black and LGBTQ+ characters. Librarians, authors, and many more are fighting back.
The scariest result of book banning, as Madge discovers, is that students don’t even know that a story they might love—might need—is missing. We don’t know which kid might be grappling to understand themselves or a friend. Librarians, like Ms. Madias in Stifled, risk losing their jobs by resisting.
That’s how Madge and Amelia end up discovering the power of protest and how a group of kids can make change happen. And that’s where I found the heart of Stifled.
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Jennifer Gennari is the author of Stifled, Muffled, and My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer. When she’s not writing, she’s reading! She divides her time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Vermont. Learn more at jengennari.com.
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