Good reasons to ban a book

What is little considered is that most books that have been challenged or banned are books for young people. They can be and usually are conformed to fit a specific case, such as with the harry potter seriesintolerance for religious difference was molded to fit the case by changing into intolerance for anything occultoriented, despite the validity of occult and wiccabased relgions. Sep 27, 20 chelsea, you say, its these religious fanatics this is a public article, you can fill in your own colorful language here who are challenging books. Here are ten reasons why books are routinely banned or challenged. Protecting children from the difficult realities of the world is an exercise in futilityand. What is the most absurd reason a book has been banned or. The american library associations list of the top 100 bannedchallenged books of 20002009 includes dozens of books for young people.

List of commonly banned books and reasons for censorship. A big reason that some books should be banned is that of racial issues. One of the main reasons is that preventing people from learning about some of the harsh realities of life robs them of the knowledge they need in order to grow. I understand parents think some violent shows, movies and video games are bad for kids to watch and as a parent i think that is their right to protect their. Often books are challenged with good intentions, but according to the free. Why we want parents to try to ban books the atlantic.

Reasons for banning books banned books libguides at butler. Plus, the books that are oftentimes banned are those that help readers get a. Apr 17, 2010 why we want parents to try to ban books. But read my top 5 reasons why you shouldnt, anyway. Some years ago, there came a parenting advice book called to train up a child by michael and debi pearl. Salinger 1951 to kill a mockingbird, by harper lee 1960 slaughterhousefive, by kurt vonnegut. Banning books, you know, it kind of doesnt encourage literacy. No matter the reason, banned books intrigue audiences and tempt readers as soon as they are restricted. This is a list of books that have at one point either been banned, censored, or requested for removal from libraries. According to an interview with former librarian rebecca alexander, it is all too easy. In fact, a majority of book banning cases relate to works found in. According to the american library association, the most common initiators of book challenges are parents, and the most common settings for book challenges are schools, school libraries, and public libraries. Some books are still challenged for those reasons fifty shades of grey is a common example.

The books on the ala list should make more than 2,000 parents nervous. But theres been a shift toward seeking to ban books focused on issues of diversitythings that. There are valid reasons to ban books, understandable for middle school if the school doesnt want the students to read fifty shades, but. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Ulysses, by james joyce 1922 brave new world, by aldous huxley 1932 of mice and men, by john steinbeck 1937 catcher in the rye, by j. One of the most common reasons for book banning is religious viewpoint, and the bible is one of the most frequently challenged materials in libraries. Someone files a complaint with the library regarding a certain book. Another reason that the hate u give was attacked in 2017 was the depiction of drug use. A school district banned the reasons why novel after a string of suicides. Why we shouldnt be hasty about book censorship the decision to republish mein kampf is a reminder that we can learn from hateful words, says marion wynnedavis.

Aug 24, 2016 i am staunchly against banning anything, but i admit certain things must be restricted. If a person does not want to read it or not want their children to read it, that is their choice. Why we should never ban books it starts with coffee. Dianne gordonn people have their opinions, and often, their opinions become expectations, and they expect others to feel the same way. Its perfectly normal by robie harris aims to answer questions young people have about sex. From harry potter to reasons why, you wont believe the reasons these books have been banned. School districts keep trying to ban the thirteen reasons.

Lauren myracle, author of the bestselling internet girls series, the most challenged books of 2009 and 2011 quick paced and with clear, easytoread prose, this is a book poised for wide readership and classroom use. The reasons for removing any particular book from the shelves of a school or library are. Not because one of the newer entries is a picture book about penguins that offends some parents because of its portrayal of samesex. If you really want people not to read a book, banning it will have the opposite effect. Two of my staff members and one librarian thought it over and came to me a couple days later, suggesting that we should, indeed, ban it during banned books. I dont think there will ever be a good reason to ban a book. The most frequently banned classic book is the great gatsby by f. This book accurately reproduced wellknown poems and, by simply blacking out a single word, allowed the reader to construct a very different meaning.

In the catcher in the rye, a high school student orders a prostitute to the manhattan hotel room where hes fled after being kicked out of boarding school. An idea, a scene, or a character in the book offends their religion, sense of morality, or political view. Will the giver movie prompt more schools to ban the book. Parent would too this was the main reason the book was banned. Another reason is because not all books are appropriate for certain groups of people. The 2007 book, which was the basis for the popular but controversial netflix show reasons why, has been a. Banned and challenged for profanity and for vulgarity and sexual overtones. The most challenged book of 2017 was jay ashers thirteen reasons why, a novel that has been a valuable tool in igniting conversations about suicide, bullying, and consent. Each book that is banned or censored is done so for the content within the pages. Why banning books is a bad idea diary of a word nerd. Actual reasons for banning a book fall along political and religious lines. The book was banned in multiple school districts around the country. What did people find so disturbing in a book that they wanted to ban it, and to what extent.

School districts keep trying to ban the thirteen reasons why. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. They just choose not to order the books in the first place. Below is a list of books that have been banned, along with the reasons cited for banning them. Last time i looked literacy was a good thing that goes hand in hand with increased life expectancy, education, living standards. The american library association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express ones opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them. Sep 18, 2014 so really, what book banning and censorship are all aboutwithin both small communities and at larger, oftgovernmental levelsis personal opinions. Heres the list of the ten most banned challenged books of 2012.

There are however many valid reasons why books should not be banned. Reasons for bans and challenges largely focus on the fact the book references drugs, alcohol, smoking, sexually explicit situations, and suicide. Of course, the very fact that a book is on a banned book often makes kids want to read it and find out why. About andor encouraging racism towards one or more group of people. There are many different reasons an institution will ban a book. The following is a list of frequently asked questions on banned and challenged books. People who burn books, well that is not company you want to keep. Sep 25, 2016 but the reasons for challenging literature change over time, and as banned book week begins on sept. Its a short step from banning books to wanting to burn em. And on the one hand, im inclined to agree that religious leanings might have something to do with inclination to ban a book. Ban this book is absolutely brilliant and belongs on the shelves of every library in the multiverse. He was joking, but his statement emphasized that as long as one book can be banned, any book is a target.

Seuss book that anyone ever tried to ban was the lorax. This is a sample paper on why banning books is a stupid idea, and this essay specifically covers the novel the perks of being a wallflower. The top 3 pros and cons of book banning in schools and libraries. And with this in mind, i present to you five better reasons not to ban books. The perks of being a wallflower has also been challenged for the content related to suicide. Oct 02, 2015 here are the top 10 reasons books get banned. Banning books like reasons why makes it harder for teens to open up to adults, author says. The magic in a fantasy novel can be construed as antireligious, or the language in a novel can be considered too mature for younger audiences. Sex and other reasons why we ban books for young people editions. Drama, a bestselling young adult graphic novel by raina telgemeier was. What are some good reasons why particular books should be. Was this really a good reason for banning the book, a. School districts keep trying to ban the thirteen reasons why book. The term heresy quickly comes to mind in the world of librarianship, but the story is much deeper than it first appears.

Jul 26, 2011 actual reasons for banning a book fall along political and religious lines. Sep 28, 2017 the pbs newshour recently caught up with asher during banned books week, held sept. And where should the line be drawn between books that are appropriate and inappropriate. Even if the subject matter is unsettling, that is no reason to ban a book. A book which published the names and addresses of every police officer in a country and advocated their murder deserves to be banned on two counts.

Top 10 reasons banning books is a bad idea justine. Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and unsuited to any age group are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. However, in 2016, five of the top ten most challenged books were removed. Mar 16, 20 if you think banning books is ok, im not going to change your mind. Aug 14, 2014 the chart below plots the top five most common reasons the giver was challenged in red. A book, as a good friend and a highly respected professor of mine once said, can be something to bury your nose in, or it can be something in which to slam someone elses nose.

This article lists notable banned books and works, giving a brief context for the reason that each book. Best banned, censored, and challenged books 548 books. Depending on the verdict of the committee or board, the book is either banned or removed from the library, or is left on the shelves. Original work pushes boundaries in topic, theme, plot, and. Yet do opponents of banning books believe that any book is appropriate for teaching in school. A school district banned reasons why book after multiple.

Sep 23, 2018 thirteen reasons why, a book about a teen suicide, is no. Books do not possess a unique property of always being beneficial and never harmful. Some books my encourage racism towards groups of people. Thirteen reasons why september 17, 2018 betsy gomez 4 comments the most challenged book of 2017 was jay ashers thirteen reasons why, a novel that has been a valuable tool in igniting conversations about suicide, bullying, and consent. I am a seasoned librarian and academic library director and a supporter of free speech and democracy, but i banned a book. Or the chinese government may ban a book on 10 ways to circumvent governmental internet controls. However, schools can ban books without this lengthy procedure.

Sep 24, 2017 why your kid should read banned books. Books shouldnt be banned for racism or racial slurs. Books are typically banned because people feel that the book contains unfitting themes or acts. To kill a mockingbird engages with some of our societys most taboo subjects. Throughout history, more and different kinds of people and groups of all persuasions than you might first suppose, who, for all sorts of reasons. While there are some valid reasons for wanting a book banned from a school, the negative effects far outweigh those reasons. Why your kid should read banned books the washington post. Why your kid should read banned books common sense media. Banned books are books or other printed works such as essays or plays which are prohibited by law or to which free access is not permitted by other means. Reasons for banning books banned books libguides at. A number of experts have explored these and related questions of censorship. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism.

Top 10 reasons banning books is a bad idea justine larbalestier. Within their complaint, they must specify what they found offensive or why they are filing the complaint. In the book the girl commits suicide and she leave tapes to people. Small children should not be exposed to books with dirty language or books with sexual context. That such filth was a product of the censors own mind, rather than being inherent to the banned text, was brilliantly illustrated by kendall banning s censored mother goose rhymes 1929. Some folks feel they need to protect children from the cursing, morally offensive behavior, or racially insensitive language in a book. As in, not a week to ban books or celebrate their banning, but rather one to spend time discovering some of the great titles that have found themselves outlawed and to wonder at a culture that justifies the sometimes active attempt to oppress its own. The last week of september is banned books week in canada and the us. It makes the books cry and books are very sensitive. A personal opinion on the reasons why the book go ask. The depiction of suicide was the primary reason for 2017 challenges.

Colorado school district briefly banned reasons why book. They tried to ban it because the books moral was that cutting down trees was a bad thing, and that it hurts the enviroment. During banned books week, people are exhorted to fight against banning and censorship. I feel when we start doing things such as banning books in high school classes we are just going more towards a world where books are banned. In most years, about 10% of the reported challenges result in removal or ban from the school or library. Last year, the ala recorded 354 reported book challenges in the united states, a 9. If you dont like it, you dont read it, and thats all there is to it. You may not like something, but thats no reason to take it away from everyone. However, the childrens bookabout a young girls dream of following a rabbit down a hole only to encounter an absurd world in which illogic reigns and various creatures of all shapes, colors, and sizes residehas been attacked and banned throughout time for several different reasons. The top 10 lists are only a snapshot of book challenges.

Here are five good reasons for kids to read banned books. Although frequently banned titles include the grapes of wrath, ulysses and i know why the caged bird sings, juvenile literature like the harry potter books receive the most scrutiny. Thirteen reasons why, a book about a teen suicide, is no. The power and danger in book banning lies in someones ability to think their opinion is the only one that matters, and, thereby, the only one that is allowed. Dec 11, 2017 while these reasons are mostly legitimate, there is far more danger and harm in holding a book back from someone.

If you wanted to produce a book certain to provoke calls. May 17, 2017 find out why a colorado school district briefly banning the book version of reasons why is actually a bad thing. The bars in blue represent how often that excuse was given for all book challenges the oif has recorded. Lets first look at the reasons books become banned in the first place. Sex and other reasons why we ban books for young people. But, they do not have the right to choose for others whether they can read that book or not, for whatever reason they might have. The pbs newshour recently caught up with asher during banned books week, held sept. Thirteen reasons why was the third most frequently challenged book in 2012, according to the american library association. The practice of banning books is a form of censorship, from political, legal, religious, moral, or less often commercial motives. Our county has a group which reads the questionable book and determines whether its educational value exceeds the weight of the objections against it. For example, the catholic church may ban a wellwritten book on abortion.

In 2017, several books were challenged because of lgbtq content. In conclusion, no book should be banned, especially being banned for racism and racial content. In honor of this glorious celebration of our freedom to read what we want, lets pause for a sec and remember there are people out there still trying to take this freedom away for dumb reasons like not wanting their kids to read the word nipple. What huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Unfazed by all those objections and eager to sneak in a good read before banned.