Although one may argue that certain content in the books at a school library can be harmful for students, it is also possible that it could prevent trauma by removing those books. However, the truth of the matter is that having books in school libraries with potentially “graphic and/or sensitive content” can be beneficial for students that may have a bias towards a topic that is “graphic” or “sensitive” because it can give those students a different perspective on the topic. Having such books available to those students can also educate them so that they can fully understand those books. One can also say that books with “sensitive content” should not be removed from school libraries because it can make students who can relate to those books …show more content…
Evidence from an article that supports this claim states, “These are the books that are in our schools and our libraries.’ ‘And we felt that we weren’t being heard.” This quote supports the claim that banning books with topics involving racism, gender, and/or sexuality can be harmful to groups of people that relate to those topics. This is because banning these books suppresses the voices of those who are familiar with the topic. In addition to this argument, being exposed to sensitive topics can be beneficial for students, especially for those who don’t have an understanding of the topics. Quotes from the article that support this claim state, “Mandy Wang, who is 17 and a PARU member, says students rallied outside the high school for weeks and also attended school board meetings. ‘With reading,’ she says, ‘you become better at showing empathy and being able to empathize.” This idea from the article supports the claim stated because it endorses the idea that exposure to books with sensitive topics can educate students for a better understanding of the book’s …show more content…
She risks her life to sneak a book from the flames. As a middle schooler who was enamored by written words and the stories and lessons they contained, the thought of being forced to witness or even give up books to be burned was appalling to me. The chief aim of these stories is to call attention to the dangers of media censorship and the damaging effect such censorship can have on what it means to be human. In my own secondary school experience, I am grateful that many books, which are frequently banned, were not. Advocates of book bans—a form of media censorship—often cite reasons rooted in shielding others, particularly children, from the contents of stories like these.” This information from the article supports the idea that banning books takes away from the understanding of the personal experiences of people that mostly involve trauma, race, and/or discrimination. Overall, despite the fact that some may believe that books with potential “sensitive” and/or “graphic” content are harmful for students in school libraries, the fact of the matter is that keeping these potential “harmful” books in our school libraries increases the education level, gives students in schools new perspectives, and spreads awareness among students about issues related to trauma, censorship, race, and/or
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.
Countries worldwide actively call for the banning of books that are found to be politically inconvenient, religiously awkward, or embarrassing in one form or another. But for writers like Russia's Vasily Grossman, a book's ban means far more than just a dip in sales. In 1961, he pleaded with the Soviet censors, "I am physically free, but the book to which I have dedicated my life is in jail." (Merkelson). A book represents an idea, thus limiting access to a book is banning the representation of an idea. The banning of books in American schools should not be allowed, because banning books will prevent students from learning the reason for the controversy and alternate viewpoints they can come to on their own.
Banning Books “It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written, the books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers” (Blume 1999). Judy Blume can not explain the problem of book censorship any clearer.
Something else that must be mentioned in order to understand the evils of school censorship are facts censors ignore; the first being literary quality. When they chose to censor a book they do not take into account the educational value of the book. How can one say a book does not belong in schools if they do not know what lessons it teaches? The second key element ignored is the manner in which teachers lead students to interact with texts. They g...
Public schools are becoming more laid back about what they teach in each subject to make it less uncomfortable for individuals to talk about; for example, sex education is taught in schools more in depth and at an earlier age today than in the past to make it easier for people to talk about sex in a more mature manner. Banning books that contain sexual content, vulgarity, and violence gives children and young adults a reason to snicker about these topics when discussed in class because we are taught that these topics are not appropriate to talk about publicly. There are many factors that play a major role in how an individual perceives certain topics in books. If taught at an earlier age that these topics are suitable for mature discussion, a child is less likely to find it funny or become offended. How a parent reacts to certain material is how a child is raised to react the same way (Kelly).
Why are books challenged and further on banned? To challenge a book is an attempt to remove the material from schools and/or libraries, and to ban a book is to successfully remove the material from these places. Books are usually challenged to protect children from the censors of these books. This book was banned for all the wrong reasons. This paper will focus on racism, sexism, homosexuality, and violence since these were reasons the book got banned which on the contrary should have given it much more motive to let high school students read and learn from it.
In schools around the nation, many books have been banned from the teaching curriculum. Some of them deserve to be banned due to the explicit content only suited for adults. Some books like the Harry Potter series, The Catcher in the Rye, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Hunger Games. Granted, there are language issues in Catcher and Huckleberry Finn, but that language exists everywhere. The censorship should not be as strict as it is because many great books are being banned that students should be reading in order to gain an understanding on who some great writers were. Some of the banned books should be reconsidered on whether they should be censored or not.
In her article “Censorship”, author Bobbi Swiderek, raises awareness of the issue of censorship in schools or to be more specific the banning of books in school libraries without proper reason and dealing with the irrational fears that seem to plague parents and officials when it comes to certain books. Using quotes from other authors, Swiderek makes a number of conclusions to why the banning of books actually happens and gives am in depth analysis of the subject given.
Pitner, Suzanne. "Why Books Are Banned: Common Reasons for Censorship and Challenges of Reading Materials." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 11 July 2009. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .
Unfortunately, among the most banned books are some of the best loved modern classics. But by far the most common type of censorship involves books quietly disappearing from libraries. Sometimes a parent ...
Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis/Academic database. This article addresses some of the reasons that censors attempt to remove books from the curriculum: Many censors feel that works are not age appropriate for students. Staff, Wire Reports. (2002 October 3). Book banning spans the globe.
Britney Pham Mr. Stuart Maclean English 10.3 22 February 2024 Schools should not ban books from their libraries. The debate over whether schools should ban books is not a new issue. Many articles, studies, and surveys have taken this issue as their subject. From my point of view, schools should not ban books for the following three reasons: some issues are brutal but necessary in children's development, book censorship takes away personal choices from the majority in the community, and banning books is a discriminatory action.
Over a third of banned books contain themes or instances of violence and physical abuse. This is, sadly, a reality for many people. People may turn to books like these for help, for someone to relate to, only to realize they’ve been banned. Governments and religious institutions have had the power to ban books they deem to be inappropriate for children for a long time. This can result in people thinking they are alone in their experiences and not being able to seek help due to isolation.
Censorship is to conceal certain things from people, whether or not it is to learn and educate, including news, films, and books. Some will say that it is to prevent children from reading things inappropriate for their age, and if they are the guardians of the children, the parents or guardians should have a say in what their children are taught and what they read in school. People want their children to be raised with specific values, and the school has no right to change them or say they are incorrect. Some materials in schools and libraries go against religious beliefs and cultures. It should be maintained in and outside their homes, so they can do that by banning books.