Book Banning

758 Words2 Pages

Behind the Book Bans In contemporary society, few debates engender as much passion and controversy as the issue of book banning within educational institutions. Ideologies and beliefs are influenced by who and what we surround ourselves with, with a majority of our adolescents spending time in school the content that is presented there can heavily affect our opinions and views of the world. The practice of book banning in public schools has sparked intense discourse among various stakeholders, each with their own perspectives and interests. Among these stakeholders are students, who seek intellectual exploration and freedom; teachers, tasked with fostering open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity; parents, concerned with the moral and educational …show more content…

Many of the banned books are popular picks among the reading community and some, widely notable for their use in past education. Students Ella Scott and Alyssa Hoy claimed that they “had read, like, most of those books” and really enjoyed them (Scott). Provoked by the censorship, Ella and Alyssa decided to explore deeper into book banning, claiming that they “we’re just really interested in learning more” and along the way, led them to creating The Banned Book Club at Vandegrift High School (Scott). The Banned Book Club, embodies a response to the nationwide debate on book bans in schools. The club's inception was fueled by the observation of increasing book censorship in classrooms, prompting a desire to engage fellow students in addressing this issue. Scott and Hoy feel as if book critics are taking the content and characters out of context, stating that “Making a decision for everybody without taking everyone’s voice into consideration is not fair.” They emphasize the importance of individual choice in reading and assert that students should have a say in determining the appropriateness of books for themselves. As students explore banned books, they're able to decide for themselves what they believe is appropriate for their education. The members of The Banned Book Club at Vandegrift High School successfully brought back the book Kiss Number 8 to their school library, as these students continue to challenge the school board, they are taking back control of their education. Through their club, Scott, Hoy, and their peers advocate for student voices to be heard in discussions surrounding censorship and book selection, highlighting the imperative of fostering open dialogue and empowering students to shape their educational

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