Banned Books Week is an annual event held by the American Library Association that celebrates the freedom to read, typically during the last week of September. This year, the initiative took place between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2 with the theme “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” The goal of the week is to spotlight current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
The tradition dates back to 1982, when the first Banned Books Week occurred in response to a sudden increase in the number of challenges issued by various special interest groups to books in schools, but also in bookstores and libraries . the books are often called into question because they cover sensitive topics, such as racial issues, “harmful” lifestyles, sexuality, violence, or even witchcraft.
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The American Library Association distinguishes between a challenge and a ban on a book in that a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials over the objections of a person or group, while a ban is the actual removal of a book. these materials. But these discrepancies don’t change the fact that we shouldn’t question or ban books just because they deal with sensitive or uncomfortable topics. These titles are necessary to foster open conversations with children and young adults about the issues that we as a society are unwilling to discuss.
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Some of the most questioned and banned books between 2010 and 2019 include “of mice and men” by john steinbeck, “the bluest eye” by toni morison, “the catcher in the rye” by j.d. Salinger, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood and “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas. This may seem shocking, because many of these titles are considered classics, but they are also titles that deal with uncomfortable topics like race, mental illness, sex, and death.
Groups that question these books being in schools or other places children have access to argue that these books are corruption waiting to happen. however, the texts in question are actually gateways to necessary but difficult conversations. we want children and young adults to understand how the world works and their place in it, as well as how they can create change. therefore, we need to have these conversations about race, sexuality, gender, mental illness, and other taboo topics that are all too often the reason books are questioned or banned.
It’s okay to feel uncomfortable about some of these topics, as society creates a clear stigma around them. For example, Jay Asher’s “13 Reasons Why” is frequently questioned (and was actually the most questioned book of 2017) for its discussions of suicide, mental illness, sexual assault, and bullying. Many of these challenges are likely working as a backlash against the divisive (and, in my opinion, poorly executed) Netflix series based on the book, since the novel was released in 2007 while the TV show premiered in 2017. but this book is bound to make you uncomfortable because it sparks conversation on such difficult topics by delivering an undeniable message about bullying and teen mental health.
As unfortunate as it is, there are plenty of teens who can relate to the “thirteen reasons why” themes. it is better to make these books available to struggling teens than to leave them in the dark, believing they are alone in their experiences.
Not that all of these challenged books should be available in kindergarten classrooms, but older children and young adults should have access to them. these books can spark conversations that can end up saving lives, so banning them makes it harder for teens to open up to adults.
questioning these books only makes people want to rebel and read them more, which thankfully continues to spread their impact despite attempted censorship. For example, many libraries and avid readers celebrate Banned Books Week by promoting books that are frequently questioned or banned.
Just because you personally don’t agree with an author’s words doesn’t mean that no one else will or that no one else should be able to read those words. children cannot be locked into entire worlds’ schools of thought.
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