A Banned Book a Day Keeps the Shellshock Away
Mia Brito
Published on 5/23/18 - Literature
133 years ago, the first book in the United States was banned, and since then, about 43, 330 books have been challenged or banned. That first book banned came out in 1885 and was titled The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Since then, all types of books have been banned, including everything from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian to The Lorax by none other than Dr. Seuss himself.
People ban and challenge books for completely legitimate reasons. It is normal for a parent to want to monitor and shelter their kids from some touchy subjects. But at what age does this stop? Kids who grow up in an overly sheltered environment end up "shell shocked" when they enter the real world and are exposed to these content. While these subjects may not always be the most appropriate or easiest to talk about, kids should at least have to opportunity to learn about them if both themselves and the parents see fit.
Books are almost always targeted at a certain age group, and there is a line that defines what is appropriate for them and what is not. While some inappropriate topics are written clearly on the page, many are hidden between the lines. Some of Dr. Seuss' books came under fire because they had underlying themes of Marxism and opinions of the foresting industry; however, these books are intended for first graders, and these subjects will undoubtedly fly over the heard of every single one of them. On the other hand, books from hugely influential writers such as Orwell and Steinbeck clearly lay out specific themes by discussing racism, communism, and others that may not be fit for the classroom. Novels by these literary superstars include Animal Farm, 1984, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. These books are almost always taught in high school and rarely before. These books aren’t trying to negatively impact a child, but are teaching them the same things they learn in their history classes.
English and history have always been closely related; you can’t have one without the other. In your history classes you learn facts about what has happened throughout history, and in the literature you read are doing the same thing, just telling it in a different way. Non-fiction books tell stories with historical parallels in a way that is interesting and that almost give the reader and visual about what is was like in that time. Most fiction books tell a story that, while not completely real, teaches readers about real life problems and situations. If parents are really that against exposing their children to real life problems, they should at least try and educate their child themselves before they step into the real world blind of the problems surrounding them.
In most cases, the books that are the most influential for today’s youth are also the books that get challenged the most. TIME claims that the top three most influential books among teen are the Harry Potter series, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Looking for Alaska. These books have been under fire since they first came out and are still considered controversial today.
Most Influential Books
#1 Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
- Was named the #1 most challenged book from 2000-2009.
- 472 challenges within its first year of being released
- 646 challenges in 2ooo
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was burned outside of the Christ Community Church in Alamogordo New Mexico, because "the Potter series is 'a masterpiece of satanic deception'" (141).
#2 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
- Challenged in Eden Valley, MN (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel.
- Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherrill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel."
- Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature." After unsuccessfully trying to ban Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council.
- Challenged in the Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses a racially insensitive word.
- Challenged in the Kansas City, MO junior high schools (1985).
- Challenged at the Park Hill, MO Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs." Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, AZ Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use.
- Challenged at the Santa Cruz, CA Schools (1995) because of its racial themes.
- Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, LA (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable.
- Challenged at the Moss Point, MS School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet.
- Banned from the Lindale, TX advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book "conflicted with the values of the community."
- Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) School Board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, OK High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text.
- Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High School sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans.
- Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, NC (2004) because the novel uses a racial slur. Challenged at the Brentwood, TN Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes...” The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.”
- Retained in the English curriculum by the Cherry Hill, NJ Board of Education (2007). A resident had objected to the novel’s depiction of how blacks are treated by members of a racist white community in an Alabama town during the Depression. The resident feared the book would upset black children reading it.
- Removed (2009) from the St. Edmund Campion Secondary School classrooms in Brampton Ontario, Canada because a parent objected to language used in the novel.
#3 Looking For Alaska by John Green
- Challenged (2008), but retained for the 11th grade Regents English classes in Depew (NY) despite concerns about graphic language and sexual content. The school sent parents a letter requesting permission to use the novel and only 3 students were denied permission.
- Challenged (2012) as required reading for Knox County (TN) High Schools' Honors and as Advanced Placement outside readings for English II because of "inappropriate language." School Superintendent Dr. James P. McIntyre, Jr. said that a parent identified this as an issue and the book was removed from the required reading list. He didn't say whether the book was still in the schools.
- Banned (2013) as required reading for Sumner County (TN) schools because of "inappropriate language."
- Challenged (2014) in the Verona (NJ) High School curriculum because a parent found the sexual nature of the story inappropriate.
- Challenged (2015), but retained in the Waukesha (WI) South High School despite claims the book is "too racy to read."
- Challenged (2016), but retained in the Lumberton Township (NJ) middle school despite a parent questioning its "sexual content."
- Challenged (2017), but retained at the Marion County High School in Lebanon (KY). Planning to use the novel in her senior English class, the teacher sent home permission slips so parents would have the option to keep their child from reading the book. One parent accepted the offer for her child to leave the room during those lessons. That parent, however, didn't want other children discussing it either and filed a challenge against Green's novel, igniting an overwhelming show of support for the book from students, alumni, community members and even Green himself.
At the end of the day it is the parent's choice whether or not to shelter their children from certain subjects, but it is important to make sure that these books still stay on the shelves regardless. Just because one parent thinks the book is inappropriate for their child, doesn’t mean they have the right to take the book out of another child's hands. Books are forever. Every single piece of literature holds some type of information from the past, making them eternal and essential for furthering the knowledge of its readers as taught to us by another piece of lasting literature, Fahrenheit 451.
Sources: