Something Happened in Our Town
Marianne Celano
About this book
A Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company Original World Premiere Production A NEW YORK TIMES and #1 INDIEBOUND BEST SELLER American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom's Top 10 Most Challenged Books A Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA) Emma and Josh heard that something happened in their town. A Black man was shot by the police. "Why did the police shoot that man?" "Can police go to jail?" Something Happened in Our Town follows two families—one White, one Black—as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives. Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers with guidelines for discussing race and racism with children, child-friendly definitions, and sample dialogues. Free, downloadable educator materials (including discussion questions) are available at www.apa.org. From the Note to Parents and Caregivers: There are many benefits of beginning to discuss racial bias and injustice with young children of all races and ethnicities: Research has shown that children even as young as three years of age notice and comment on differences in skin color. Humans of all ages tend to ascribe positive qualities to the group that they belong to and negative qualities to other groups. Despite some parents’
Censorship history
Something Happened in Our Town was banned or restricted in United States in 2025 for depictions of violence, as well as race / colonialism. This reflects the recurring tension between protecting readers from disturbing content and suppressing honest accounts of human experience.
Bans
| Country | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | ViolenceRacial |
