Books / Arts

Nonfiction Book Bans Raise New Questions About What Students Can Learn

New reports show nonfiction is becoming a larger part of school and library book disputes, shifting the debate toward access to history, biography and factual learning.

May 29, 2026

A stack of books representing Pulitzer Prize-winning literature.

STANDARD

Pulitzer Books Show How This Year’s Winners Are Revisiting War, Housing, and Democracy

The 2026 Pulitzer book winners point readers toward war, homelessness, constitutional history, grief, poetry, and the public questions literature keeps returning to.

May 27, 2026

A book rests on a reading table with notes and library shelves behind it.

BRIEF

International Booker Win Puts Taiwanese Fiction in a Wider Spotlight

Taiwan Travelogue won the 2026 International Booker Prize, giving translated Taiwanese fiction a larger moment with English-language readers.

May 26, 2026

A science fiction book scene with a spacecraft, stars, and research notes representing Project Hail Mary.

STANDARD

Project Hail Mary Is Still the Big-Hearted Sci-Fi Adventure Readers Need

Andy Weir’s space-survival novel gets a fresh moment from its film adaptation, but the book still shines on its own as a funny, brainy, hopeful science fiction adventure.

May 20, 2026

A stack of translated books on a library table representing the International Booker Prize.

STANDARD

International Booker Prize Puts Translated Fiction in the Spotlight

The 2026 International Booker Prize shortlist highlights translated fiction, the work of translators, and the way global books reach new readers across borders.

May 19, 2026

A museum gallery representing Smithsonian America 250 exhibitions.

STANDARD

Smithsonian America 250 Exhibits Put National Memory on Display

Smithsonian programming tied to America’s 250th anniversary shows how museums use objects, archives, and exhibitions to tell national history without reducing it to a single simple story.

May 19, 2026