Another banned books week has come and gone. Censoring books has been around for a long time. This topic was touched on in our first blog post in July 2024 where the concept of risking a life to save a book was discussed. Although banning books is not new, the publicity surrounding banned books is increasing due to social media, independent bookstore events, and the heightened political climate surrounding banned books.
The first banned books week was in 1982, in part due to a Supreme Court ruling on the issue. In Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the school board’s removal of certain books from its junior high and high school library violated the First Amendment of the Constitution. The school board ordered that several books be removed from the school libraries because it considered them “anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy.” Steven Pico brought suit in federal court on behalf of several students, and it ultimately made its way up the U.S. Supreme Court. The 5-4 decision held that school libraries hold a special affinity with the rights of free speech and press. The dissenting opinions argued that the removal of the books did not violate the First Amendment because the books were available elsewhere.
Despite the highest court ruling on the issue of book bans, confusion remains abundant on the topic. Some organizations report that the number of banned books in public schools in the United States tripled during the 2023-2024 school year. It’s important to pay attention to what is happening with books in your community. What books are being banned? Why? By whom? For whom? The issue of banning books is multifaceted, and misinformation may skew the issue. I encourage all readers to dig into this topic—and read a few banned books while you’re at it!
The topic of banned books is related to another blog post discussing what children should read. I find myself in the same position—let them read what they want. Provide a plentiful selection of books in the school and public libraries. Include offensive books. Include scary books. Include LGBTQ books. Include books that have a religious viewpoint. Include books with racism, violence, and sexual content. Include the “plain filthy” books. The kids in schools and libraries right now will be our world leaders soon. Do we prefer they learn about racism, violence, and offensive language through books and discussion or on Tik Tok? I’ve quoted Stephen King before, and I’ll do it again here: “When books are banned from school libraries, run to your public library, or the nearest bookstore, and read what it is your elders don’t want you to know.”
Frequently Banned Books:
- The Kite Runner — challenged or banned for having a religious viewpoint, violence, and sexual violence.
- The Bluest Eye — challenged or banned for being sexually explicit and for violence.
- I am Jazz — challenged or banned for having a transgender character and confronting a controversial subject.
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — challenged or banned for racism.
- To Kill a Mockingbird — challenged or banned for its use of strong language, and discussion of sexuality and rape.
It may not be best practice to have a “favorite” banned book. But—I have to highlight a book I did not know was banned or challenged in some areas until this year. That book is Charlotte’s Web. It is banned or challenged because it has talking animals, themes of death, and violence. I encourage you to read, or re-read, Charlotte’s Web and decide for yourself.
