Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teens challenge school book bans in inspiring novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THIS BOOK WON'T BURN is about senior Noor Khan, who's moved to a small, politically conservative town with her mother and 15-year-old sister after their father deserts them. Noor's mother has a new job at a nearby college to support them, but the sister's new school is about 90% White, nothing like the diverse high school they left behind in Chicago. But Noor makes friends quickly, and when they tell her that hundreds of books in the school library have been removed from the shelves for being "obscene" or "pornographic," Noor is outraged. She wears a "I Read Banned Books" t-shirt to school, which earns her detention for "provocative clothing." Inspired by Noor, Juniper creates the Bulldog Banned Camp on social media and invites students to gather at a local park during lunch. Thirty kids show up the first day, even more on following days, to hear Noor and Juniper read from banned books like Monday's Not Coming. The school responds by canceling off campus privileges for juniors and seniors, which infuriates her classmates, and even her mother is upset about the controversy she's causing. As the Bulldog Banned Camp gains more and more supporters in the community, the pushback from the book banners takes a violent turn. Will this be enough to change the school board's policy on "challenging" books?
Is It Any Good?
This story seamlessly blends a highly controversial and thought provoking topic with storylines about family, grief, friendship, and a bit of romance. This Book Won't Burn provides some serious questions for readers (and their parents) to discuss. Should any limits or restrictions be put on who can read a book and what limits (if any) should parents put on teens protesting what they consider an unjust school policy? Samira Ahmed's suspenseful and timely book is for any teen interested in the topic and social change more generally.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the courage and perseverance shown by Noor and her friends in This Book Won't Burn. What would you risk for a cause you believe in?
Who should decide if a book is appropriate for teens to read?
How important is it for readers to see themselves reflected in a book?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : June 7, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 374
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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