READOUT KICKOFF EVENT & Book Resume Workshop with the "Unite to Read" project

Tuesday, September 2, 5pm pdt/8pm edt

This free event will be held virtually over zoom (link will be sent prior to the event)

This Book Résumé Workshop is presented by Alyssa Chrisman and Ashely Hope Perez

Tired of seeing school and public libraries stripped of books that matter to young people? Join us to fight back against book bans through a 1-hour book résumé writing workshop to kick off ReadOut 2025! Facilitated by our partners at the Unite to Read Project, this workshop will focus on Unite Against Book Bans’ book résumé initiative and how community members can help create materials to defend banned books.

Book résumés give parents, librarians, teachers, and other advocates quick access to the literary merits of books under attack. With thousands of books banned across the country, UABB needs community support in creating book résumés and keeping pace with the growing need. This workshop is designed to meet you at your current energy levels—all forms of participation are welcome from listening in to full engagement in book résumé creation!

By the end of the workshop, you will:

Learn what book résumés are and how they help defend frequently banned books
Discover how to find the information needed for a high-quality book résumé
Practice completing a book résumé for a targeted book
Explore ways to use book résumé writing to engage others in defending banned books, readers’ rights, and other Defense of Democracy efforts

Ashley Hope Pérez is a professor, an author of three novels, and an advocate for young people and their access to diverse literature. Her 2015 novel Out of Darkness has become one of the most frequently banned novels in the United States despite being selected as a best book of the year by both Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal and receiving several national awards. She directs the Unite to Read Project at The Ohio State University and is also the editor of Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights (2025).

Alyssa Chrisman is an educator and scholar specializing in children’s and young adult literature, disability and queer studies, and critical pedagogies. She earned her PhD in Teaching and Learning from the Ohio State University and has developed and taught courses on literary censorship and teaching reading across the curriculum. Her research critically examines wellness, mental health, censorship, and schooling in both literature and educational policy, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ identities. She is the project manager and instructional designer for the Unite to Read Project at the Ohio State University.

----

The "Defense of Democracy READOUT" is an event series that happens during Banned Books Week (October 5-11 2025).

Volunteer "Hosts" choose a book to highlight, pick a date and location to discuss the book, and invite their friends to participate, with the goal of raising funds to support Defense of Democracy.

Readout Hosts can hold their discussions in person or virtually, and Defense of Democracy can even introduce hosts to specific authors or local librarians who can assist in moderating the conversation.

READOUT 2025 | Kickoff Event

Join us for a "Book Resume" workshop moderated by our friends at Unite to Read