Banning books keeps children from learning about or discovering themselves and the world around them. In an article from ProCon.org, the advantages and disadvantages of banning books are discussed. Author Robbie H. Harris, who’s children’s books are frequently challenged, talks about the effect books have on children’s understanding of the world. “I think these books look at the topics, the concerns, the worry, the fascination that kids have today. It’s the world in which they’re living” (procon 3).Harris says that books address the “topics”, the “concerns”, and the “fascination” children have about the world that they’re living in today. This means that books influence the way children see the environment they’re in right now, and this wouldn’t be possible if books talking about those things were banned. …show more content…
“These efforts with book bans are taking us backwards.” [Educators have worked hard to] “ensure students see themselves in the stories in our libraries. By removing these titles, authors, and characters, we are marginalizing students who already suffer historically in that way.” It’s one thing to ensure topics are age appropriate.but another thing entirely to “eliminate them from accessibility for students.” She talks about how books let kids see themselves through the characters and the story, and how this can impact people. By removing these stories, adults are removing the possibility of children finding themselves, which can be harmful to them. Looking at testimonies from a former English teacher and an author whose books are frequently challenged, and people who are knowledgeable about books and their impact on their readers, we can see that books have an impact on the way kids think, and shape their
In the article How Banning Books Marginalizes Children, the author, Paul Ringel, states that approximately fifty-two percent of the books banned in the last ten years illustrate “diverse content”, such as race, religion, gender identity, etc. Ringel believes that attitudes about which books are “appropriate” for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences. He basis his argument around the pretext that when libraries stop the banning it will allow kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences and apply those lessons to their own lives.
The practice of the censorship of books in schools has been prevalent due to the explicit content of them. Parents have been complaining to schools about books that count as required reading because they disapprove with the points made in the book. If a book consists of offensive or sexually explicit material, then parents would challenge the schools about them in order to prevent their children from reading them. Censorship in general has been an intensely debated issue because it is considered an infringement to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution while others argue it is used to conceal inappropriate things (Aliprandini and Sprague). The banning of books in school curriculum has also been debated since parents see certain books as inappropriate while others argue that banning them hinders student learning. Against the censorship of books in schools, Fenice Boyd and Nancy Bailey, authors of Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, believe that banning books creates a barrier between students and intellectual development (Boyd and Bailey, 655). Banning books from schools and removing them from the curriculum prevents students from exploring different ideas and developing creativity and critical thinking skills.
As the American Library Association notes, books are usually banned "with the best intention…to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." (Brunner). If a book has frightening or controversial ideas in them, adults willing often censor that book from children. From 2000 to 2009, of the 5,099 challenges that were reported, 1,639 of these challenges were in school libraries and 30 challenges in academic libraries. (Frequently Challenged Books). At various times in American history, even some of the tamest books have been banned. Harriet the Spy, was banned because it supposedly taught children to "lie, spy, back-talk, and curse." Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was banned for being too depressing. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein, was banned because it might encourage kids to break dishes so they won't have to dry them. (Frequently Challenged Books). While some of these excuses are more reasonable than other excuses, the banning of these books prevents the children from empathizing...
Banning books from public schools and public libraries is wrong. It’s irrational to have a parent or school board member’s opinion determine what a school district should be reading. Books including and not limited to, The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Flies, and Animal Farm all have one thing in common. They have all at one time or another been subject to banishment. These literary classics have been around for a long time and proved to be vital to the education of many, especially children and adolescents. These novels teach values and educate children about world affairs that can not come from an everyday experience. These controversial novels encompass the materials that ultimately boost our educational wealth. Banning books infringe
On the other hand, some people may believe that books should never be banned in school. According to Oscar Wilde, the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, stated that “The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame”(BuzzFeed). Banning of books does hide the truth about the world from children. At the same time it is to protect them from the evil of the world at a young age. If books were banned until a certain grade this would not shield children from the truth of the world forever. This would shield children from the world until the proper age that they could understand the text.
School boards and teachers have a responsibility for protecting the minds of their students and covering age appropriate material. However, does this responsibility cover the extreme act of banning books from school classrooms? Does not the teacher have a duty to introduce to their students world issues in order to better the students ability to cope with problems in the world? How does a school decide which books should be banned from the classroom, and should it be left up to the teacher to decide what is decided in his/her classroom. By banning books from the classroom, we prevent our students from learning about controversial topics in a safe environment, and we also encroach upon the student’s freedom of reading what they want in school.
Imagine you have a child. This child loves to read books on their own. They read so much you finally tell them to get their books from the library. Then, one day, your child asks you what does this word mean, you are horrified to see that the child is pointing to a curse word. From that point on the child gets in trouble with teachers and other adults for saying that word. This is why book banning is necessary to keep children from finding themselves in that situation and others. Book banning is required because a child may be taught bad habits, lose the magical innocence of childhood, and because children may not be mature enough to decide what materials to read.
The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances (Buchanan).” With the banning and the challenging of books all over the U.S. I believe that our first amendment is being jeopardized. We should be allowed to read whatever we want to read it is our right according to the first amendment in the U.S. Constitution with freedom of speech.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.”-Dr. Seuss. What Dr. Seuss’s statement is telling us is that books have given us knowledge about ideas, life, and the world. One of the greatest inventions of mankind is a book. A book is a set of printed sheets that are put together fill with information that people read about. Books have been around with us since ages from generations to generations. It is all around the world with different cultures and languages, books have given people the joy of story, information, and knowledge. Everyone should have the right to read whatever book they are seem interested. Well, it is not the case; there are some people out there trying to challenge books from being ban. It is ridiculous that books are being taken away from readers. Today, books are still currently being challenged or banned. This type of doing is censorship. This is a problem that people need to look at and think about. Books are in school, library, in our homes yet they are too much for the people. Why are books so sensitive for readers to be challenged? There are two set of sides to this issue, one side are the people that wants to remove the books and challenged them to be ban, the other side are the one that oppose the banning of books, allowing to read whatever they want. Which side is right? This leads to the question as to why books are currently being challenged or banned. How does banning books relate to censorship and what are some solutions that can solve the problem of banning books?
It is challenging to choose what types of books are appropriate for children to read. Now in days the choice is even more challenging then it was a couple of centuries ago. There are books that feature violence, sexual content, offensive language or all. These subjects question concern parents because it can teach young children about several subjects that are usually avoided. Times have changed and so have books and what they contain, which makes banned books an important subject. Books can be a great source to learn from whether it history or just a folk tale, but parents and teachers must take into consideration the ages of the audience. Maturity is not achieved until a later time and some children may have difficulty reaching that point.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.” Books are being outlawed for trying to spread knowledge to young and impressionable minds. Several states have begun the process of censoring books, also referred to as burning books. The censorship of these books stems from concerned parents and politicians who believe that the messages shared on the pages of certain books are unfit for the eyes of growing children and young adults. The process of banning books needs to be stopped because it limits freedom of speech, restricts self-discovery and representation, and creates less exposure to different perspectives.
Throughout school we’ve read books we consider classics or “oldies.” Teachers had us to read these books, gather information about them, and write reports on them. The majority of the books we love to read are, indeed, banned. Banning books is a form of censorship from religious, moral, and sometimes commercial motives. “A book is ‘challenged’ when a person or group objects to the materials and attempts to remove or restrict their accessibility. A book is ‘banned’ when this removal is successful” (“Banned Books Week). These books have material that has raised parental concern for years and yet we still read them. As I explore the opposing solutions to this ongoing issue, first I will argue that banned books are important to our culture
Nowadays, books are being banned from schools, left and right. It is understandable that some situations may be tough to read about, but they are daily occurrences in some places. People are banning books because of the discomfort that comes from them, not thinking about the potential consequences of their actions. There are many reasons to read painful literature, and by banning books, we are restricting our future generations from potentially crucial knowledge. Although uncomfortable, the topics talked about in these books are very real and reading about them is beneficial in many ways.
Many of the books that are being banned due to “inappropriate content,” are really books that contain ideas that can instruct children about the world around them. Ideas that can help children feel confident in themselves and how they treat others. Ideas that will help them throughout their lives. That is why books are so important for children’s thinking, as they are huge influences on their outlooks in life. Another piece of evidence that supports this is “The article further argues that literary fiction can “support and teach us values about social behavior, such as the importance of understanding those who are different from ourselves”.
Throughout society, many people fight over whether or not books should be banned. Books have been debated in different school districts for a very long time due to the topics involved in some of the books written. Some people believe that many books are classics and should be kept since they are a part of our history. They believe books can help guide people on how to act and teach a student many things. On the other hand, other people believe that books should be banned due to the many topics that aren’t suitable for children and students to learn about.