Knowledge is a very powerful tool. It can help you learn from the past, look at the present in a different way, and plan for the future. It’s important for younger generations to know and understand different parts of history, even if it may make some people uncomfortable. Trying to hide or shelter kids from the realities of the world only results in the next generations being uninformed and ignorant. Banning books is a form of censorship that claims to protect children, but it more often harms them.
Books are a great way to explain different perspectives and the way others live. Someone who may live in a comfortable upper class life may be unaware of the problems and events happening in the world or never fully understand or connect with it.
The Federal University of Paraná Brasil ran a test to see if more reading and being more empathetic had a connection. “In recent years, researchers from the psychology and language fields have noted a significant association between fictional narratives and emotional experiences… Thus, as this review shows, many theorists propose …that literary fiction encourages, develops and strengthens one’s empathic skills (Hibbin, 2016; Lysaker & Sedberry, 2015). Additionally, the fact that the development of socioemotional skills was recently added to school curricula reinforces the importance of promoting empathy through literature (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015), which is reported by some studies addressed here.”
Reading is a great way to understand others and see different perspectives, but people often try to hide the voices of the under-represented. According to the American Library Association 2023 banned books data, 47% of the banned books listed represent the voices of the LGBTQ+ community and BIPOC. Women of color are especially targeted when it comes to banning books. Stories that give voice to historically underrepresented people are arguably some of the most important books kids should read.
One example is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. It follows a 16 year old named Star who, although being poor, attends an all-white, rich prep school, but everything changes when her friend is shot by the police. This book was banned in some schools and libraries due to racism, inappropriate language, sexual content and anti-police views in 2022. These schools include Collier County Public Schools (FL), North Allegheny High School (PA), and others around the country. Banned Books 2024 – The Hate U Give – Marshall Libraries This book is based off of a real person named Oscar Grant who was shot and killed by the police in California. These are very real problems that affect real people, and trying to censor or sweep it under the rug won’t make them go away. The book never tells you that all police are bad, but merely highlights an actual problem with the police force. Some people also argue that there is too much swearing, but it’s not any more inappropriate than what real teens actually say. Every word is purposeful and if it feels excessive in a scene, it’s for a reason. Everything in this book is realistic and these stories need to be told.
Another big group of people who get censored is the LGBTQ+ community. Some argue that no mention of sexuality or gender should be shown to children, but often the books that get banned in some schools and libraries are meant for teens and young adults. The top banned books of 2023 according to the American Library Association in order are Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, and This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, all of which were targeted towards teens age 14 or older. Places these books were banned include Douglas County Public Libraries (CO), Siloam Springs City Council (AR), and Ada Community Library (ID). Banned Books 2024 – All Boys Aren’t Blue – Marshall Libraries This aligns with the age when kids usually start questioning things about themselves, including who they are and who they like. Critics of these books have said that no mention of sexuality should be mentioned to kids whatsoever, but following that logic, movies like Sleeping Beauty, Shrek, and most Marvel movies should also be banned because they all depict some form of romantic relationships, which is considered sexuality. People in the LGBTQ+ community exist, and trying to shelter children from any mention or idea of them won’t stop your kid from being gay. It’ll only isolate them, making them feel like an outsider for something they can’t control.
Harry Potter is a popular banned book, which some critics call satanic and claim it’s promoting witchcraft. It’s banned in schools like St. Edward Catholic School in Nashville (TN). Harry Potter is Dangerous for Both You and Your Children – CMRI If you believe that this is the case then it’s fine, but the book shouldn’t be unavailable to every student or child purely because of a select few’s thoughts. Another book that was banned in Kansas was Charlotte’s Web due to themes of death and talking animals. The parents argued that talking animals went against God and demanded it be taken out of the library, according to Five more children’s books you didn’t know were banned – Reading Partners. If parents do not wish for a child to read a certain book then that’s okay, but the option should still be available to everyone else.
Books are an incredibly valuable resource and we shouldn’t hide these stories from others, especially our youth. The need to take these stories and learn from them in order to prepare them for when they run the world.
