Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards There are currently more books being banned than ever before in US history. To combat this, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center and the Fisher Center at Bard present the inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards ceremony celebrating those championing intellectual freedom and the fight against censorship. Judy Blume—no stranger to having her books banned—will receive the award for Bravery in Literature. Six other authors will receive awards for their work focusing on racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender equality: Laurie Halse Anderson for Shout, Mike Curato for Flamer, Alex Gino for Melissa, George M. Johnson for All Boys Aren’t Blue, Jelani Memory for A Kids Book About Racism, and Maia Kobabe for Gender Queer.