Books—intellectual stories, biographies, poems, fantasies, universes, and many more. Books open us to a whole new world. Despite all of the happiness, knowledge, and comfort that books bring to the world, they have been attacked for centuries. It is not fresh news that books are being targeted and threatened to be banned. Books are in the crossfire between politics and government. Many states in America, especially Florida and Texas, have banned hundreds of books in school classrooms and libraries. It makes me think—why are certain books being banned, and what are they trying to protect us from? Let’s take a dive.
What books are being banned?
Many books that have been banned throughout schools and are constantly sitting on top of the list to ban next, are ones that I have read in high school (I am almost positive you have read some of these, too). There is a reason we read them; they share important lessons explored throughout literature, some even exploring challenges in life as well as teaching history. The books I read in high school are some of the most memorable, thought-provoking, and creative books I have ever read. They hold deep meaning and they are some that I will never, ever forget.
Here is a list of books you may have read during school that are constantly challenged, at risk of ban, or have been banned: To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee), The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood), 1984 AND Animal Farm (George Orwell), The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger), Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury), Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi) and more!!!! Even books that are often not read in schools, like The Hunger Games and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, are being challenged. Some of these books may contain some violence, but why ban them? They teach valuable lessons to our society, which makes me believe that is why these books were a part of school curriculums originally.
Why are they being banned?
Unfortunately, more books seem to become banned each year. Amazing authors including Toni Morrison and George Orwell are having their amazing books stripped from the shelves each year. A few reasons why certain books have been banned is due to their “harmful” content. I believe a crucial reason for book banning comes down to the people higher up not wanting us to seek knowledge, challenge concepts, create our own beliefs, decipher right from wrong, and above all, be free and intellectual thinkers.
Books allow us many things, including freedom, imagination, knowledge, power. Though these books may be exiting the shelves in some places, they are still here, alive and ready for you to read. Banning these books isn’t protecting students; it is only sheltering them. Reading is a freedom. This isn’t Fahrenheit 451 people…we deserve to read.