The attacks on DEI and academic freedom show higher education needs to come together, build collaborations and stand firm. Here’s how

The attacks on DEI and academic freedom show higher education needs to come together, build collaborations and stand firm. Here’s how

Olive's Ocean by the multiple award-winning author Kevin Henkes (also of ‘Chrysanthemum’, ‘Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,’ and others) grapples with family dynamics, death, and the healing power of nature – but at its core, it's a coming of age story. It's an examination of how intrinsically linked adolescence and mortality are – more specifically, the awareness of mortality. It is hard to believe that this book spent nearly a decade climbing the American Library Association's List of 100 most challenged books. Including just a few curse words and a single allusion to sex made by Martha's 14 year old brother, the book is a window into young people's lives. “It's about the enduring bonds of family, the wisdom of the older generation, the importance of not judging someone and prejudging them and getting to know them,” says Henkes. “It's about a kid who's trying to figure out where she belongs, a kid who's trying to be understood. And the love is the operating principle – the foundation and the spine that supports everything.”