Current:Home > MarketsOpinion: Books are not land mines-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Opinion: Books are not land mines
View Date:2024-12-23 18:36:14
The American Library Association and PEN America say there's been a sharp increase in the number of books pulled from school libraries over the past two years. One complaint that a book is obscene or offensive — from a parent, or, increasingly, a group — can be enough to have it removed from the shelves.
The books that get singled out often feature main characters who are LGBTQIA, or people of color. Many address racism, child abuse, sex, suicide, and other topics that young people may want help understanding.
Some of the most-pulled titles include Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; Looking For Alaska by John Green; and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
I wonder if those who want to keep certain books out of school libraries have thought through how many teens and adolescents react when they're told not to read something: they do it anyway. And avidly. They wonder — I certainly did — what are adults trying to keep from me?
If you read an unapproved book, there are no pop quizzes. You don't have to highlight, underline, or answer test questions like, "What is the symbolism of the penguin in the garage on page 87?" There's no 500-word essay, with a thesis paragraph and quotes. You can just enjoy it. Or not. No teacher will scold, "Can't you see it's a classic?" You can read books you're not supposed to for fun, excitement, to learn something, or just to get lost in the story.
But Laurie Halse Anderson, the acclaimed writer of young adult novels, cautions me. Her much-honored novel, Speak, narrated by a teenage rape survivor, has been pulled from quite a few library shelves, too.
"Even if bans or challenges make a book more intriguing," Laurie reminded us, "many of our nation's children will not be able to access books that are removed. Millions of our families can't afford to buy books. Countless families live in library deserts — areas without a reachable public library. And libraries across the country are struggling with horrifying budget cuts."
Libraries are meant to be places where you can wander, browse, try on thoughts, read, reject, rejoice, or simply brood about the world. Books shouldn't be treated like land mines that have to be removed before they can light up our minds.
veryGood! (7179)
Related
- California teen pleads guilty in Florida to making hundreds of ‘swatting’ calls across the US
- Biden sets a 10-year deadline for US cities to replace lead pipes and make drinking water safer
- Jason Kelce Claps Back at Critics Saying Travis Kelce's Slow Start on Chiefs Is Due to Taylor Swift
- Judge gives preliminary approval for NCAA settlement allowing revenue-sharing with athletes
- Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
- Is Your Company Losing Money Due to Climate Change? Consider Moving to the Midwest, Survey Says
- Texas edges Ohio State at top of in college football's NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 as Alabama tumbles
- Patriots' Jabrill Peppers facing assault charge in alleged domestic violence incident
- Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Lemon quit X, formerly Twitter: 'Time for me to leave'
- A driver’s test for autonomous vehicles? A leading expert says US should have one
Ranking
- Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts ‘lawfare’ as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint
- Hoda Kotb Reveals the Weird Moment She Decided to Leave Today After 16 Years
- Ex-New Mexico state senator John Arthur Smith dies at 82
- Taylor Swift in Arrowhead: Singer arrives at third home game to root for Travis Kelce
- Giuliani’s lawyers after $148M defamation judgment seek to withdraw from his case
- Illegal migration at the US border drops to lowest level since 2020.
- 6-year-old dies after stepfather allegedly beat him with baseball bat
- Takeaways from AP’s investigation into fatal police incidents in one Midwestern city
Recommendation
-
Joan says 'Yes!' to 'Golden Bachelorette' finale fantasy beach proposal. Who did she pick?
-
Cissy Houston, Mom of Whitney Houston, Dead at 91
-
Opinion: Punchless Yankees lose to Royals — specter of early playoff exit rears its head
-
Rare $100 Off Dyson Airwrap for October Prime Day 2024 — Grab This Can't-Miss Deal Before It Sells Out!
-
Burger King's 'Million Dollar Whopper' finalists: How to try and vote on your favorite
-
Panera Bread reaches first settlement in Charged Lemonade, wrongful death lawsuits
-
Taylor Swift in Arrowhead: Singer arrives at third home game to root for Travis Kelce
-
NFL Week 5 overreactions: What do you mean Cleveland isn't benching Deshaun Watson?