"Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country. Never before have so many states passed laws or regulations to facilitate the banning of books, including bans on specific titles statewide."
For Anastasiia, war is an everyday part of life. The 17-year-old lives in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, where captured Russian tanks line the city's historic St. Michael's square, a daily minute of silence pays tribute to the war dead, and sirens pierce the air when a Russian missile attack is imminent. "The war has influenced us a lot. It changes our pace of life, the conditions in which we work," Anastasiia explains about the conflict now stretching into its third year.
It's not surprising that kids growing up in the fire-prone state of California might feel so blase. Wildfires, the smokey skies and blazing flames, have always been a natural part of the state's environment.