Hey, it's NPR's Book at the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. If you are at all interested in books or reading,

then you're probably aware of a rise in challenges to certain books in certain parts of the country lately.

Some individuals and also conservative groups have been targeting books mostly dealing with race or gender or sexuality

to get them pulled from school curriculums and library shelves. It's a big deal and it doesn't seem

to be going away, so we're going to spend this whole week actually talking to a few authors

who've gotten their books banned. It can seem theoretical maybe if it's not happening in your county or your school district.

But something Ashley Holt-Perez says in today's interview really struck me.

Her book is titled Out of Darkness and it's been contested numerous times by parents.

But she tells NPR's Rob Schmitz how it's really less about her book and more about the fear instilled in every school librarian

and how now every time they pick a book to put on their shelves, they've got to balance the needs

of their students with the possible political ramifications.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.

On our new show, Sources and Methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Out of Darkness is a historical novel set in 1937 in the oil-rich region of East Texas.

A natural gas leak caused an explosion at a school killing nearly 300 students and teachers.

Ashley Hop Perez uses this backdrop to tell a fictional story of what was

back then considered a forbidden love between an African-American boy and a Mexican-American girl.

It's a story about race, power, and class. When it came out in 2015, it received wide recognition

...