The War on Books

By Brandon L.

Imagine you are at a library about to check out an interesting book, but you find out that it is BANNED! Books are being banned for many reasons. PEN America defines a ban as when people are getting rid of books because of objection to the content. The rate of banned books has doubled since 2019, according to the article “Book Ban Attempts Hit New High” in the The Week, Jr. magazine.  This is an issue because people will not be able to realize other points of views if certain books can not be read.

This means that people, especially children, can be missing the stories and perspectives of writers from all around the world. The kids may not be able to learn important facts or opinions, and children will not be able to experience books written by different authors. In the New York Times article “What Students Are Saying About Banning Books From School Libraries,” teenagers share that “diverse books expose them to a variety of experiences and perspectives and that controversial literature helps them to think critically about the world."

Many books have been banned because of gender, racism or  other topics that some people find offensive. The websites EPL.org and Scholastic.com list some examples of books that have been challenged and why. According to these sites, some books that were listed were Room to Dream by Kelly Yang, the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Room to Dream was challenged because the book shares an immigrant’s perspective, and it shows how racism can impact kids. Captain Underpants was banned because it shows “bad behavior,” and some parents think that the characters’ behavior is inappropriate. The Lorax was also a challenged book. This book focuses on protecting the environment. Book challengers contend that the book's message hurts jobs that cut down trees for logging.

In Texas, books have been banned because of racism and LGBTQ issues, according to The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune also states that “Texas banned more books from school libraries this past year than any other state in the nation.” These books are targeted because some families or lawmakers do not agree with the content of certain books. The danger of this is that people in Texas may not get to learn from these books. 

According to The Week Junior Georgia Grilli writes, “What worries me is a world where artists adapt to the dominant view." This is an issue because people won’t have the chance to hear other viewpoints if certain books can’t be read. This issue is why book banning is a problem.