Banned and Challenged Books What is the difference between challenging and banning a book? To challenge a book is part of the process to ban the book which means to remove the materials. But why do people banned and challenged books? People, and or groups, have good intentions when they challenge a book. They are doing it to protect children of harsh information and difficult ideas, but shouldn’t everyone have the right to read whatever they please? In my opinion, they should! By examining sexuality explicit, offensive langauge, and unsuited for certain ages it is clear that some books have been banned, or challenged. Sexuality explicit is one of the top reasons books get challenged. In the book I read, "Dancing Naked" By Shelley Hrdlitschka, …show more content…
is about a teenage girl who has sex and gets pregnant by a boy who does not want nothing to do with the child. It is on a banned list. I understand why this book would be banned for certain ages, but a book like that is great for high schoolers to read. It tells about how hard it is being a teenager and what stress you go through while deciding what you want and what is best for your child. In 2013, 273,105 babies were born into the age group of 15-19 year olds. This book is a good example why Teen Pregnancy is hard and having a sex life as a teenager is risky. Offensive language is taken very seriously in schools.
Kids that age should not be using that kind of language, but, let's face it, in high school, teenagers are going to say bad things they shouldn't. Most books that contain bad language, are set for a higher grade level and shouldn't be available to elementary kids. In my opinion us high schoolers, and few middle schoolers, are mature enough to read books with that kind of language. Plus they have the option not to read those types of books if they find it offensive. A variety of books are challenged and banned simply because it's just unsuited for certain age groups. But, no matter what age, shouldn't people be allowed to read whatever they desire? We has human beings have that individual right. On the other hand, if a parent does not want their kid reading a book they have a right as their guardian to tell them what books are and are not suitable for their age. It's not really fair for someone irrelevant in a child's life to tell them they can't read a book that may be appealing to them. I read a book that was banned for my age group. I think if your parent or guardian accepts you to read the book, it shouldn't matter to anyone else. Due due to sexuality explicit, offensive language, and age groups I understand why some books are not suitable for kids. Although, some of these books that are frowned upon, can be a good life lesson for children. Therefore having the right to read whatever you please is very
important.
While researching the book you discover that in South Carolina, the Berkley County school district, was one of the first to pull the book from schools and libraries. This occurred after a mom protested the book when her 8th grade daughter had to read little experts from the book to her classmates. The student's mother did not want her to be reading a book with so much profanity and references to sex. One of the most controversial lines that comes from the book is when Alice writes in her journal “Another day, another blow-job”. She does these blow jobs in exchange for drugs.
Not everyone agrees that just because a book is printed that it should be read. A challenged book is an attempt to remove books because of a person, or group of people (“Stephen King” Par 2). Banning is the removal of those books that were challenged (Par 2). Books are typically challenged to protect others that is, like younger children, but not all challenged books are successful (Par 3). Challenging books can result in banning a book or do nothing at all (Dell 6). If enough people protest the challenge then the book may end up not getting banned (Mullally
...ain groups consider books to be immoral does not mean they need to be pulled from the shelves. Censoring is acceptable for the youth, but there is an age when we all grow up and are able to handle books with explicit content.
...etter than ignorance. Book censorship should not limit the amount of knowledge a child can receive, instead, books should be used to benefit children in their education and future career.
With the thought that someone can be hurt by reading a book, people will try to challenge and ban them. To ban a book is to have it restricted from a certain age or audience. Banning and challenging books is trying to keep a certain book away from an audience due to sexual content, going against religious beliefs, language and vulgarity, violence, drugs, self-harm, racism, occult/satanic views, promoting gangs, and going against community standards. An argument from someone who believes books should not be banned is that it is important for the age group to learn about certain content and material as they grow up. Due to controversial content, the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald should be banned.
Many might think that all teenage or young adult books would be filled with happy thoughts and positive things, but you don't learn lessons from everything being perfect. That’s where banned or challenged books come along. A challenged book is a book that has been requested by many to be moved off a library's shelf. A banned book is a challenged book the has been removed from the shelves. The Outsiders was one of the best-selling books of its time and has won 5 awards since. It was banned and challenged for many reasons by many school districts. By examining its usage of expose on family dysfunction, strong language and portrayal of gang violence, it is clear why some would have it banned.
There are many reasons why books get challenged and/or banned. According to Robert Doyle, the main reasons for banned are sex, profanity, and racism (Doyle, 3). The most common initiator of the challenge is a parent or group of parents (Challenges by, chart 2). Challenges can also come from: patrons, board members, or organizations (Challenges by, chart 2). Challenges can also come from whole institutions; usually they come from schools (Challenges by, chart 3).
Banned books are books to which free access is not allowed. The practice of banning books is a method of book censorship, and often has political, religious or moral motivations. Catching fire the second book in the hunger games trilogy. The book is banned and I believe that is shouldn’t be banned. The reasons are it has excessive violence, causes nightmares in children, and some believe is anti-ethnic. I think Catching fire shouldn’t be banned because the book teaches a lesson to never give up. But high school students should be able to read the book because it’s very influential on young readers and gives readers that feeling that giving up is not an option and to keep pushing on.
Teachers and parents are very protective of children. That is okay for the most part, but at some point the children are going to have to grow up. It is fine for some censorship in books for schools, but maybe just for the actual children. In high school, every student is referred to as a “young adult.” Let these kids be young adults by reading some adult language. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye should be banned for elementary and middle school but allowed in high schools.
The children are the real losers because they are the ones that are not able to read the classic works of literature, which are the backbone of classroom discussions all across the United States. The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) defines censorship as: “The removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials. of images, ideas, and information.on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of standards applied by the censor” (Miner 1998). In schools there are three types of censorship, one type is a “parent” who doesn’t want their child to read a particular book. Another is a parent, teacher, administrator, or school board member who argues that no one in the class, or school, should read the book in dispute.
People should be allowed to read whatever they want to read, even if it is a touchy subject to someone else. Although some people mainly believe in the banning of books due to explicit content, it actually causes a negative effect on people and children. Not only does it take away the people’s first amendment rights, but it also shelters children from real life situations that might affect their future. Banning books is unconstitutional and shelters children.
Many may argue, “Children are mature enough to choose their own books!” However a medical discovery has shown that children and teenagers are not mature enough through physical evidence. “Understanding the Teen Brain,” an article on the Online Medical Encyclopedia, states that “The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until he or she is 25 years old or so.” This shows that children cannot decide for themselves what is good for them to read. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the adults to decide which books should or should not be banned.
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.
Think about the latest book you read. Was it scary? Funny? Dramatic? Now think about it in more depth. Did it seem offensive to you? Use bad language? Or talk about tough situations? You could be easily reading a book that many people in the world want banished. “Reading is the key to future success; it builds vocabulary, it enriches the imagination, and it opens new worlds.” (Book Banning 50) Books have been around for thousands of years, and they help us develop our writing skills as a nation. No book is safe from the judgemental people in our world today. Even the most innocent books still get challenged or banned for the silliest reasons. Reading is supposed to be entertaining, or a hobby for certain people. We shouldn’t have to “tip-toe” around certain books, because they are “not suitable for our society.” We should be able to read what we want, even if others don’t like it. However as Sarah Yung mentions in her article, “Local Ban on Books Stirs up Controversy on Censorship,” “Some people attempt to look on the bright side of book banning: claiming that, at the very least, banning awards those books attention from their intended deprived audiences.” (Yung 1) This is not what censors want, they think banning books is better
When you ban books you can’t only think about the bad, sometimes there is a special thing the author wants the kid to learn in the story, also known as the moral. As said in Schools and Censorship: Banned Book, “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a person or group. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.” As I said before, banning books could have a huge impact on many peoples learning and