This is our first newsletter for Once Upon a Ban!

We’re excited to introduce you to Thank You, Omu by Oge Mora, a story of sharing and community. When Omu makes a delicious stew, the whole neighborhood can smell her cooking and wants to try some. One by one, community members knock on her door to ask Omu to share her stew. Eventually she has none left for herself but finds that her community is there to return the favor.

There are so many reasons why this story felt like the perfect start to this book club. On the back cover of the book you’ll find the quote, “Sharing is a lot like giving thanks - They both bring people together.” Bringing people together to build a community based on kindness and generosity is more important than ever. It requires active effort but this book shows that small gestures can make all the difference.

We hope this newsletter serves as a way to build community and elevate positive stories like this one. We found this story to be full of heart and we hope you will too.

So, why would a story about sharing stew with neighbors be banned? As we researched this ban, we found an inspiring story of a community that organized to get this book back in the hands of readers.

The Story Behind the Ban

In 2021, Pennsylvania Central York School Board quietly voted to ban hundreds of books, including Thank You, Omu. The books in question came from a list originally compiled by a diversity committee in the school district to serve as anti-racism resources. Instead of making these stories available to students, the school board banned them out of fear that they could “be used to make white children feel guilty about their race or ‘indoctrinate’ students.” 

This sparked outrage in the local community and a group of high school students who decided to organize. For weeks they staged protests in the mornings before school. They wrote to their local newspaper and launched social media accounts to spread the word, bringing national attention to the situation. After nearly a year, their efforts were successful and the ban was reversed.

Dive Deeper Into this Story

• Read or listen to an NPR interview with two of the students who led the protests against the ban.

• Follow Democracy Forward’s continued investigation into this school board and books they have banned more recently.

Get Your Copy

Request Thank you, Omu at your local library or purchase a copy at your local bookstore. You can also purchase online through our affiliate Bookshop.org store. Once Upon a Ban earns a commission from sales through Bookshop.org. All proceeds will be donated to charities fighting to preserve our freedom to read. 

Discussion Questions

Here are a few suggestions to help kick-start conversations at home. You can find these questions and more on the Saint Paul Public Library Discussion Guide.

• Why is sharing important? Have you ever had to share something that you didn’t want to?

• When Omu discovered that all the stew was gone and there was nothing for her dinner, how do you think she felt?

• How do you express gratitude to your friends, family, or neighbors? What are some ways you can say thank you to them in the future?

What’s Next

Thanks for reading along with us! How do you feel about this book being banned? What conversations did this spark in your family? Reply to this message to let us know what you think. We’d love to share thoughts from our readers in our next newsletter!

We will be back in your inbox later this month to share more about Thank You, Omu!

Spread the Word

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