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
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.
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.
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
There are many reasons behind book banning and what it stands for, that make a case for book censorship. One main advantage of book banning is that it is protecting children from inappropriate content. A book is usually banned because it contains material that is deemed unfit for minors. Most parents and schools do n...
In the article, “How They Do It”, Chris Crutcher argues that books should not be censored by school officials just because an angry parent disfavors the books; Crutcher especially thinks this because these books are helping kids learn and relate to the real world. Crutcher strengthens his argument by using personal experiences, biased opinion, and sarcasm.
"Censorship cannot eliminate evil. It can only kill freedom. We believe Americans have the right to buy, stores have the right to sell, authors have the right to write and publishers have the right to publish constitutionally protected material. Period." (“Banned Books and Authors”). Harry Hoffman, president of Walden Book Co., Inc., is accurate in this aspect. When books are censored or banned, they are not eliminated from society; however, their message emanates to create an impact. Even if the public conceals the content in these books, the victims that these censors sequester from these works are rarely unexposed to what is being censored to them. By challenging or attempting to ban a book, more attention is drawn to that distinct book, so society is more likely to read it. So in all actuality, censors have no tangible reason to ban the books, especially since it violates so many legal and ethical standards; book banning violates the First Amendment, it takes away the meaning of the books, and it withholds morals that could be taught in schools.
When our country was founded in 1776, it was founded on the liberty of expressing and having your voice be heard which gave us the first amendment. Part of the first amendment is freedom of speech which lets many authors express themselves through words and informing readers about real world issues that nowadays people just ignore, and information that might be essential to someone on the days come forth .By challenging, banning or censoring a authors book you're basically restraining them from using their first amendment. When censoring a book it’s censoring a part of a book that either one or more have found offensive and with banning its the whole book. Banning or challenging a book is absurd , no one has the right to decide for everyone
Walt Whitman once said, “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” Between the years 2000 and 2009 a total of 3200 books were challenged in school libraries in an attempt to expurgate, or censor, the content in books provided to students. Today the trend of censorship continues as popular novels such as The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and Captain Underpants are censored from schools across the nation (Challenges by Reason).Censorship in regards to literature refers to the examination and suppressing of a book because of objectionable material. The process of censorship in school libraries often begins with an outspoken parent, teacher, student, or administrator and ends in the banning or abridgement of a novel deemed inadmissible. Censorship is protecting many students from controversial, immoral, and potentially unsuitable content; however, this is not always the case. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators with different backgrounds, beliefs, and morals are not creating a library pleasing to everyone because of the variety of opinion. Censorship in school is not justifiable, because it restricts discussion and knowledge of new, controversial, and necessary ideas, allows a handful of people to make decisions for a larger group based on opinion, and undermines democratic ideals.
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.
Emily Corl Advanced Placement Seminar Frazier 4 February 2024 Book Banning and its Effects on Education as a Whole In 2022, Davis School District in northern suburban Utah made the decision to ban the Bible in its middle and elementary schools after an anonymous parent protested legislation making it easier to remove inappropriate content in school libraries. According to reporter-researcher Jasmine Liu at The New Republic, the anonymous parent wrote an eight-page list of obscene or so-called “indecent” passages present in the Bible (Lui). With the rise of extremist ideals in society, book banning in public schools has become a censorship problem in the United States. In turn negatively impacting students' education and autonomy of knowledge;
Whether in a general library or school setting, the argument regarding book banning is a controversial topic that is discussed by many. This issue in modern society is caused by the concern of protecting what is being discussed in books being read by children. While advocates of book banning argue about concerns regarding sensitive subjects and age-appropriate content, opponents of book banning can oppose these concerns, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and one’s understanding of diverse topics. Furthermore, it is also important to note that the banning of books can lead to more problems than solutions. Despite the fact that book banning can be seen as a positive aspect for children because of the exposure books can provide,
Anything and Everything Did you know that the author with the most challenges in their books since 2013, is Dav Pilkey, author of the series Captain Underpants(Crum)? Imagine if there were no books in the world, we wouldn’t have ancient history, no knowledge from the past for humanity to reflect on, and people wouldn’t know the stories of ‘heroines and heroes’. Books dare to go over the uncommon topics that people don’t care to go over, and oftentimes books spark people’s imagination because they only have one limit, the author’s ability to write. Books shouldn’t be banned because they are an essential tool for learning and also encourage empathy and social-emotional development. Books are an essential and great tool for learning, whether you're
imagine a future in which library shelves, once teeming sources of knowledge, resemble a bleak wasteland. Where books once stood side by side, they now lie scattered and forgotten, blanketed in layers of dust. Here, amidst the stillness, the absence of words echoes, drowning out the whispers of history's secrets and the tales of heroes long forgotten. In this desolate landscape, there is no resonance of ideas, no vibrant exchange of thought—only an empty void, where the very essence of human intellect is suppressed by the unyielding grasp of censorship. While this scenario is not yet a reality, it is a looming possibility.
Dear Local Board of Educators, Did you know that books like How to Kill a Mockingbird, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, and The Catcher in the Rye, have been banned in some schools as have many other books that students can use for class. Books have been around for hundreds of years and they have helped educate many individuals throughout their lifetime. By banning books, we are limiting education and dictating what students should and shouldn’t learn. Banning books causes students' grades to drop, and it also causes a negative impact on kids who love and need books.
(End of XII century), French poet probably born in Troyes. Chrétien is among the largest medieval troubadours. It was one of the first poets who wrote romances in couplets on semilengendario King Arthur of England and his noble knights. These poems, imbued with chivalric ideals and courtly love, stand Perceval or the Story of the Grail, the first literary version of the legend of the Holy Grail, Erec and Enide, Lancelot in prose or Knight of the wagon, where it occurs rival loving favorite of King Arthur.