Censorship

Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

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Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Let me introduce you to The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh, an incredibly moving historical tale about the story of three girls during the Ukrainian Holodomor. I picked this book off of the Nutmeg shelf at my local library, which is an award they give to children’s all the way to high school books in Connecticut. There are a few books selected each year in every age category and they tend to be great reads, but this time, I was not ready for the whirlwind of emotions that followed picking this book off the shelf. It is told in three perspectives, Mila, Helen, and Matthew. One day during COVID, Matthew is ordered by his mom to stop playing video games and to help his great grandmother declutter some of the boxes she has in her room. Matthew just wants to play on his Nintendo Switch but after realizing that isn’t an option, he reluctantly agrees to help. His grandmother has never really talked much about her life and all he knows is that she almost starved in some Ukrainian famine but as soon as he opens the first box, he learns much more. The past is told by Mila, who is the daughter of a Ukrainian Oligarch and Helen, who lives in New York as the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants. Both girls are living in the 1930’s while Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, which is where Mila lives. It was so exciting and heartbreaking to watch their stories unravel, I hope you read this important historical tale.

Goodreads Summary

A middle-grade survival story that traces a family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s. Thirteen-year-old Matthew is miserable. His journalist dad is stuck overseas indefinitely, and his mom has moved in his one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother to ride out the pandemic, adding to his stress and isolation. But when Matthew finds a tattered black-and-white photo in his great-grandmother’s belongings, he discovers a clue to a hidden chapter of her past, one that will lead to a life-shattering family secret. Set in alternating timelines that connect the present-day to the 1930s and the US to the USSR, Katherine Marsh’s latest novel sheds fresh light on the Holodomor – the horrific famine that killed millions of Ukrainians, and which the Soviet government covered up for decades. Inspired by Marsh’s own family history.

My Thoughts

Wow, wow, wow, that is all I can say after reading this masterpiece. This is a book about a horrible time but the story is told beautifully. I usually don’t cry when I read a book, even if they are really sad but I shed a few tears at the end of this novel. So many unexpected things happen and you find yourself on the edge of your seat the entire time, hoping that the characters will be okay. Marsh NAILED Mila’s perspective, making us understand how blinded by Soviet propaganda Mila was. Before this book, I had never even heard of the Holodomor, and it is so powerful that The Lost Year brings to light this disgusting period of human history, which everybody should know about.

Also, heads up, you should read the Author’s Note because it just makes the story so much more special and important. All in all, I think The Lost Year is a book everybody should read because of the beautiful writing and gripping story. I hope you enjoy this book!

I would recommend this book for ages 13+ because of the difficult topics including death, genocide, the Soviet Union and grief.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**

Student Voices: Reflective Opinions on Our World, LGBTQ+ Books, and the Education System from Layla N., Maddie M., and Ellen C.

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Reflective Opinions on Our World, LGBTQ+ Books, and the Education System

“How the Hunger Games are Becoming Real” by Layla N., 8th grade

Dystopian is a common book genre for middle and high school students. The genre describes a world or society with the worst conditions, where people lead dehumanized and fearful lives. Dystopian books are normally set in the future, so far ahead of our world today, as the conditions can be very different. Since they are so far ahead, no one expects they will live to see the downfall of our world, but has it already begun?

The popular middle school book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a perfect example of a dystopian book. The story follows a teenage girl, Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the old ruins of North America, where her people send children 12 to 18 to fight to the death in an arena when only one comes out alive. Katniss lives in the poorest part of her country, Panem, where she starves and sees many others die from the games or from starvation. They are so poor because of the aftermath of a war. This models our world today with the war between Palestine and Israel, specifically in the Gaza Strip. Many children in Gaza or in the Gaza Strip are starving, having their homes bombed, and losing friends and family. This mirrors the rebellion caused by Katniss in the third book, Mockingjay. 

The Hunger Games also has another issue that is true to our world today. In District 12, while people are living in horrible conditions, the rich people in the Capitol of Panem are flocking over their outfits, the games, and overall are very insensitive about the conditions in the districts. The people of the capital wear very over-the-top outfits that are very strange to the people in the districts, who are struggling to have clothes on their backs. This relates to our world with fashion shows, red carpets, and specifically the Met Gala. The Met Gala is a big banquet where celebrities wear outrageous outfits to fit a specific theme. For example, Doja Cat’s 2023 look, where she pretends to be a cat. This is very similar to the Hunger Games character Tigris. Tigris was President Snow’s cousin. Hewas  banished quickly after taking office because she wasn’t “pretty enough.” Tigris then went on to get many surgeries, which they have today, to look like a tiger.

While the Met Gala is happening, even though it’s technically a fundraiser, in interviews, they never really talk about the cause. They always talk about new productions, new celebrity gossip, or anything that can make them look good for the press, not acknowledging or speaking up for the real problems happening in the world. Many celebrities who don’t talk know what’s going on are afraid of ruining their reputation. It is encouraged for the press not to talk about war and very controversial things because it can make them look bad. That is why the capital citizens who know about the districts don’t say anything, as that can be a sign of rebellion, and they can be punished by Snow. Though some citizens do try to advocate for the districts. Plutarch Heavensbee is a character in The Hunger Games who knows about the districts and tries to help them rebel. He is well known for helping Katniss and District 13 rebel against the Capitol. Mark Ruffalo is similar to Plutarch, although he is an activist publicly. Mark Ruffalo is best known for being the Hulk in the Marvel franchise, is very involved with the war happening in the Gaza Strip, and he has done many posts to raise awareness for the citizens of Gaza.

With no doubt, one of The Hunger Games’ main themes is food and hunger. In the first book, when Katniss arrives at the Capitol, she is most stunned by the abundance of food. She was shocked that she could quite literally have food by the click of a button, as she would have to eat scraps back in District 12. When Katniss is asked about her favorite part of the Capitol in her pre-games interview, she replies that the lamb stew is her favorite thing. Food being at the touch of a button being normal for the Capitol citizens, but a dream for the poorer, is another parallel between The Hunger Games and our society today. Today, we have many technological advancements that can grant us food from a button. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub are food delivery apps that can seem like a luxury to order from, as it’s more expensive to order from DoorDash than to pick it up.

To the tributes, The Hunger Games goes way deeper than you expect. In the books, even though they are minors, the more good-looking tributes get exploited before the games, and when they become a victor. Before the games, if they are more good-looking, they will put them in more revealing clothing and paint them as such, wanting to get more sponsors by exploiting them. This is also true for victor Finnick Odair. Finnick is a character introduced in the second book, Catching Fire.” He won his games at 14, being the youngest ever, and after he won, he went on to be sold by President Snow to Capitol citizens because of his looks. This happens today on YouTube. YouTube is a video platform where it is common for kids to have their own channels and upload their own posts. Kids putting themselves on the internet like that exploits them and exposes them to a public who are not filled with good people. Piper Rockelle is a 17-year-old YouTuber who has been exploited online. She has been doing videos since she was 12, and her mother exploits her for money because she is pretty. 

All of these examples contribute to the theory and evidence that our world is slowly deteriorating. Our society is slowly dying, and we may end up like The Hunger Games. But we may have already started. The parallels between this fictional world and our world today are scarily accurate, and it may be too late to back out. The Hunger Games’s reality is coming closer than we think.

“LGBTQ+ Books Should Be Available” by Maddie M., 7th grade

Volume 5 of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper sold over 60,000 copies in only three days. The first volume of the series has almost 500,000 five star reviews on Goodreads. 

My Seven Seasons of Heartstopper | Medium

So, for such a positively rated YA series, you would expect it to be available and supported in schools, right? 

Well, unfortunately you would be wrong. Many children’s books that feature LGBTQ+ representation, whether fiction or nonfiction, are being banned from schools nationwide.

Every year, hundreds of books that represent the LGBTQ+ community are banned from schools for quote, “pornographic material” and other similar reasons, even when there is none. 

For example, the book Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee, had been flagged by a group called the Florida Citizens Alliance, on a list detailing books that displayed, quote, “inappropriate, pornographic, or LGBTQ agenda material.” 

However, it has been shown that this beloved children’s book contains none of the material mentioned. 

The author’s best guess is that it was flagged because of an illustration of two men taking care of a baby, even though it is never mentioned whether the two are friends, parents, or a couple. 

In a lot of cases where these books are banned, the reason is said to be that they don’t want children to be “converted” or “indoctrinated,” which simply isn’t possible.

Being gay is something that is determined before you are even born, and you just explore your identity as you get older, which is a natural process. 

According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine, there are many genetic and biological factors that are said to contribute to being gay. 

For example, a fetus being exposed to atypical endocrine conditions, or an imbalance in hormones. 

Studies show that there are differences in how androgenized the brain is when comparing homosexual and heterosexual people. 

Many kids, like me, have been able to find a safe space in these types of books. In many places with more conservative communities, people, including younger kids, are forced to hide their identities and who they truly are. 

Kids can find themselves in book characters and discover that there are people like them that exist, which can better their mental health, too. 

Of course, age ratings for books exist for a reason. This doesn’t mean that higher level books have to be entirely banned. 

For example, at my school, there are certain books marked with a “young adult” sticker. If parents want their kids to only be allowed to read books rated middle grade or lower, they can sign a form for that. 

This could be helpful in cases like if a student is believed to not be mature enough to read about certain topics, and that is up for parents to decide. This can ensure that students are still able to access books and that all families of the community have a say in what THEIR CHILD can do, and not make decisions for everybody.

In conclusion, books surrounding the LGBTQ+ community should not be banned. They can serve as representations for SO many students who should not be forced to hide their identities. 

Every single person is different and deserves to have someone/something they can look up to, whether it is a mentor or a fictional character. So if you’re banning a book for being different, think about the people you’ll be affecting.

“Why the Education System Should Change” by Ellen C., 7th grade

As of now, schools are teaching students to memorize facts, follow rules, and get good grades whether or not they actually understand the topic they are learning. The goal isn’t to prepare us for the real world, but to make sure we get a good score on our exams. 

We need: 

More methods of teaching

Teachers have taught every single student the same way in class. This is a problem because not every student learns the same way. From my personal experience I’ve learned that I learn better from visuals and hands on assignments where I get to actually see how a process works. On the other hand, my brother is able to learn from an abstract concept and grasp an idea without a visual. Teaching in different ways would also be helpful because it could normalize learning in different ways, just because you’re able to memorize an answer to mark on the test doesn’t make you smarter than someone who has more creative and practical ways of thinking. It’s important for schools to make learning fun because learning is a lifelong process and that’s the only way we’ll grow. 

Teaching important material

As of now, school is preparing us to work for others and forgetting to teach us how to take care of ourselves emotionally, mentally, and financially. We need to start learning the important stuff like how to manage money, make good choices, and get ourselves together and in a good place if something goes wrong. 

Teachers need more pay

Did you know, teachers are getting paid just below the liveable wage? They don’t have time to worry about teaching when their entire focus is on supporting themselves or their family with little money. Giving teachers more pay brings more encouragement for teachers to actually teach without distractions and attracts more qualified and passionate teachers to the position. 

Finland is the top rated country for having the best education system in the world. What are they doing differently?

For starters, teachers are highly qualified and less stress is put upon them

In America a teachers qualification is a bachelor’s degree and teachers are graded on the performance of their students. Student performance affects the teachers in other ways like how they are viewed by others-classes with worse scores can make a teacher look bad even when it’s out of their control, stress and pressure can be put upon them- they might feel guilty if their students are doing bad, etc. 

On the other hand, Finland’s qualifications for a teacher is a master degree-a degree that brings people deeper in depth of the major they chose to learn. And, Finland ensures that the teachers meet a very high standard before they even get the job so there often isn’t a constant need for teachers to be graded.

Finland doesn’t compare students

In America, students are based and put into groups by the red mark on their paper, and schools constantly go in competition with other schools. 

In Finland, schools aren’t ranked and their goal isn’t to be considered “the best” school. Instead, teachers and staff share ideas with other schools so any school you go to will support the students equally. 

This can reduce the stress on the teachers ,parents, and students. It helps them focus on learning instead of getting a better mark. There is no bad school against good schools, every school is the same and is continuously improving together. 

Students aren’t constantly switching classes

In America, students are moved to new classes every school year. That could provide students with a variety of different teachers, but that isn’t always important. 

In Finland, students normally stay with the same teacher for 6 years. This is helpful because the teachers will be able to form better connections with students and teachers can adjust the learning method to better fit their students. 

More relaxed conditions

Students in America go through several classes a day with a few minutes of break in between. This is not enough time for students to take a break, stretch, or let the information from the previous class sink in. During their 4 minute break time their head is normally filled with thoughts like “will I make it to class?”, “I don’t want to get in trouble for being late to class!”, etc. 

In Finland, students only have a few classes a day and are given several periods a day to eat their food or enjoy various activities. Their breaks are normally each 15-20 minutes which allows them to go stretch, walk around, take a mental break, or get some fresh air and touch some grass. This can also be helpful to teachers because they are human and need to take breaks too. 

These are only a few of the reasons why Finland is better than any school out there and why the American school system needs to change for the better. 

Resource: https://mathandmovement.com/finlands-education-system-vs-the-us-the-interesting-and-surprising-differences/

Thank you so much to my student voices today! I loved sharing your reflective opinions on our world, LGBTQ+ books, and our educations system.

Student Voices: “The Issue with Banning Books” by Toby B., 8th Grade

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“The Issue with Banning Books” by Toby Briggs, 2022-23 8th Grader

Banning books is an argument that has been going on for years and years. Over two thousand years actually. This argument is an argument on whether certain books are suitable for children. Books with LGBTQ+ representation, magic, racism, and slurs are typically the victim of this act. Some of these books are The Hate You Give (by Angie Thomas),Melissa (by Alex Gino), Gender queer: a memoir (by Maia Kobabe), Maus (by Art Spigelman), and The Diary of Anne Frank. This is only a small example of banned books today in America. The reason books are banned and challenged is to limit thinking and to censor beliefs that other people do not support. Books help children develop empathy and to open themselves up to people, places, cultures, and world views. Banning these books could narrow down how these kids think and respect other people.The act of banning books is the top example of American censorship. People fear that the contents of a book would sway a child to follow suit in violent acts or sexual activities. This act is violating first amendment rights as an American citizen to have free speech. 

Reading is supposed to teach and inspire people as well as encouraging to think about what is around you. With the recent acts of trying to ban these books it is clear that state officials want to eradicate thinking that is different from their own beliefs. They want to hide away books that can encourage people to question everything around them or books that encourage people to be themselves. They want to eradicate a generation of thinkers and supportive people. They want to eradicate anything that is outside of what they deem the correct way. 

The category with the highest percentage of books banned are novels. While the lowest percentage is textbooks. No matter what type of category a book fits in to it is not free from being banned. 4.28% of religious texts are banned. That is more than poetry books are manuals. No matter what kind of book type it is if it does not fit in the agenda of state officials it is banned. 41% of books with LGBTQ+ representation are banned. 40% of books with a person of color being the main character are banned. 

The main argument that pro book banning bring up when talking about banned books is it’s for the children. We are doing this to protect the welfare of children. Banning books about people different from a child is not protecting children it is censoring amazing books with representation on minorities, past occurrences of our history, and books that have racist ideas or violent actions. I am not saying a 5 year old should read a young adult book but i am saying books with people of color and people apart of the LGBTQ+ need to be represented to young children so that it can help teach them important lesson on people that are different from them and how to respect those people. A study that was done in 2014 by Christopher J. Fergason shows how reading banned books can be good for kids. People believe that if a kid that is exposed to a book with violent or sexual content that a kid would try something along those lines. However that is not always the case. Reading banned books can increase they’re awareness of civic awareness and engagement. The study by Fergason shows this and how reading can provide ethical development in children.

I believe every parent has a right to not let they’re child read a book they believe is unsuitable for their age. However, I do not believe that people should ban books just because you don’t find it appropriate. Most of the books on the banned books list are books people believe are unsuitable for children. Some of those books have amazing messages and representation for children. But they are banned because people believe kids shouldn’t read them. Books with people like me living their truth are banned because of someone else’s opinions. Books with minorities who just want to be represented being stripped of that right. 

I am  a young reader who has been reading since kindergarten. I have learned most of what i know from the books I have read. I am also a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I have read books upon books with representation of people and kids who are like me and there is nothing better than reading a book that makes you feel like you can belong. Books that make you feel like your any other kid. However most of these books are banned due to pro book banning. I want people to be able to hear my voice, to hear what I have to say about banning books with representation on people like me. The act of banning books is stripping away representation of people like me and other minorities from books. People need to know what people have gone through but also who they are now. Books have made me feel accepted when I believe no one else would accept me. Books are my escape from everything that is wrong with the world. Please don’t ban books with representation we need those books. 

Banning books has no outcome other than to stop a generation from growing up to be thinkers and being kind. Banning books is hiding away multiple generations of books with messages of our history as well as messages of being kind and curious. The act of banning books does not help anyone other than the people who want to ban them. It helps no one but themselves. We need representation in books and banning those books aren’t going to help. This is why I believe there is a massive issue with banning books. Nothing good comes from it.

Thank you so much to Toby for sharing their voice today and their outlook on the banning of books.

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

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Gender Queer
Author: Maia Kobabe
Published: May 28, 2019 by Oni Press

Goodreads Summary: In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

Ricki’s Review: It has taken me a long time to acquire this book. I was on hold for ONE copy that the library had, and there were 126 people ahead of me. That’s the joy in public banning of books—they sell really well. I am always glad that the authors are making money off of the ridiculousness of book banning. Not surprisingly, the book is banned because it is a powerful story. Kobabe beautifully depicts eir memoir in a way that captivates readers. I am better for having read this book. It allowed me to feel as if I was living Kobabe’s story alongside em. 

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation:
PEN America’s Report
ALA’s Statistics
National Coalition Against Censorship
National Council of Teachers of English’s Intellectual Freedom Center

Discussion Questions: 

  • How did this memoir make you feel? What did you learn?
  • What is the role of gender in the book?
  • How do the images enhance your understanding of the story?
  • Why might people ban the book?

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Student Voices!: Short Essays on Reading and Books by Luis, Star, Paola, Amy, Alex, Maya, Axel, Cooper, & Jacob

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The best way to learn what kids are thinking & feeling is by listening to them, so I am happy to share my students’ voices!

Why Teachers Should Let Students Read Manga by Luis, 8th Grade

Mrs. Moye let me read manga for most of the year. I read a huge variety of awesome mangas, but some teachers don’t like manga for different reasons. But I feel like I have the right to read whatever I want. Manga isn’t just fighting cartoons, some of them have a better plot than books. For example, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has a better vampire plot than other vampire books out there. Some have great love stories or more realistic action. Manga is truly something that teachers should let their students read and enjoy. And who knows–they may even learn Japanese!

Why 6th Graders Should Be Allowed to Read More Mature Books If They Want by Star, 6th Grade

I believe 6th graders should be allowed to read more mature books. It allows the kids to venture into a world they still have a while to actually enter. They allow kids to feel more emotions, such as sadness in love. For example, in the book The Fault in our Stars by John Green, Hazel and Augustus express such love for each other despite their differences. And when something sad happens at the end of the book, it causes the reader to be sad. Another reason 6th graders should be allowed to read more mature books is because they get kids into more real world situations before they have to experience it themselves. For example, in the book Orbiting Jupiter the author throws the reader into a real life situation. 

Why We Shouldn’t Ban Books by Paola & Amy, 7th Grade

Book banning: The horrible act of taking a book deemed “inappropriate” for students and then restricting access to that book. This has been done for years and many people actually think that this helps keep children from certain material. While it actually causes problems. 

It Keeps Important Topics Away From Kids

The biggest problem with banning books is that most of the banned books talk about very important social topics. While many people think that exposing kids to these topics will hurt them, the opposite can actually be said. The more kids learn about these topics, the better educated they are. They could then form their own opinions and even come up with ideas to help other people. Additionally, by keeping these materials away from teens and kids, they might make bad decisions because they’ve never thought about it. And by banning the books, people are making the topics more intriguing.

Why I Like Books About Social Justice by Alex, 8th Grade

I think that social justice books are the best to read for multiple reaasons. One big reason is that social justice is a very relevant topic that goes on daily, whether between a cop and an unarmed man or people of different races experiencing racial tension. I think that no matter what the situation is, it’s always interesting to see it unfold. After reading a book that deals with heavy teantion, I like to put myself in that persn’s shoes and think about how I would have handled the situation. Another reason why I believe that social justice books are interesting is because I have never had to deal with much oppression in my life which is why I think it is good to learn about other people that have dealt with oppression beacuse it makes me feel like I am not ignorant about the situations in our society. Just because I don’t deal with  them, doesn’t mean I should know about them. 

My top social justice books:

  • Ghost by Jason Renolds
  • I Am Alfonso Jones
  • Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
  • Yummy by G. Neri
  • All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
  • Dear Martin by Nic Stone
  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Why I Like K.A. Holt Books by Maya, 6th Grade

My first ever K.A. Holt book that I read was House Arrest, and ever since then, I have fallen in love with her writing. After I read House Arrest, I read Knockout, Redwood & Ponytail, and Rhyme Schemer. I love how her books are written like a verse of a poem because not many authors write the way she does and it captures emotions. I also love how in House Arrest she wrote the book over weeks to follow along. Also, I love that House Arrest, Knockout, and Redwood & Ponytail are in a series but you don’t have to read them in a certain order. Redwood & Ponytail was an amazing book to me; it has an important message which is never be afraid to show who you are no matter what others think. Thank you, K.A. Holt, for writing amazing books!

Reasons Why I Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Axel, 6th Grade

I like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series because it is fun to know how Greg lives his life and learn about him. It also includes comedy which makes me laugh time to time while reading it. Greg’s family is really funny and weird and sometimes do embarrassing things which is fun to read about. Greg and Rowley do funny things too–usually activities for their own purposes that always end up as a disaster because Greg tries to imagine how to make everything perfect for him and when he tries to make it perfect, something goes wrong. All of these are why I like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series. Oh! And every year a new book comes out, and so far each one I’ve read is great!

Book Stereotypes That Are NOT TRUE! by Cooper & Jacob, 6th Grade and Mrs. Moye

  • There are girl and boy books.
    • This stereotype has lasted for many years and is still believed vy people. There is no such thing as a girl or a boy book. 
  • Long books are boring
    • Long books are not boring because a long book just has more action and fun in it. 
  • Graphic novels are for children.
    • Graphic novels are for everyone. They have life lessons and the images bring it all together. 
  • Books are the same as movies.
    • Movies have to cut things out because of time. To get the full story, you have to read the book. 
  • Cool kids don’t read/Only nerds read.
    • Smart people read.
  • Judge books by their cover.
    • The cover isn’t even chosen by the author and sometimes covers are so misleading!
  • Non-fiction books are boring.
    • Then you aren’t reading the right nonfiction books for you! Try a different kind. 
  • “I don’t have time to read.”
    • Yes you do. You aren’t making time to read. Just 20 minutes a day can impact your life in such a positive way!
  • Children’s books aren’t good.
    • Any children’s book will prove this wrong because they have a huge impact on the reader. 
  • Independent reading doesn’t help you learn anything./Books are a waste of money.
    • Books can help the reader learn! Instead of playing and buying video games, buy books!

Thank you everyone for your great essays!

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Guest Post: The Most Banned and Challenged Books of the Past Five Years

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From Olivia Biggs (Senior Editor, Pixl Parade, Find her on Twitter): Did you know that some books have actually been banned in America? That’s right! Even in the land of the free, parents and educators have been known to push popular books out of libraries and schools, some of which later became required reading. Even today, thousands of parents petition and challenge popular books for a variety of reasons, both reasonable and unreasonable. This infographic takes a deeper look at the most banned and challenged books of the past 5 years, and why they were challenged in the first place!

The recent library problem child is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, which, due to the recent Netflix series inspiring instances of self-harm among young adults, met an uproar from parents in 2017, despite the fact that the book has been around for about ten years.

Another book upsetting parents is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, which discusses poverty, alcohol, violence, sexuality, and bullying. It’s a critical darling, wining numerous awards and high reviews, but that doesn’t stop parents from trying to pull it from shelves a decade after its release.

An increasing and uncomfortable number of books under attack have LGBTQ+ content, gender identity themes, and transgender characters. These themes might make parents uncomfortable, but their fairly necessary for making a younger generation of LGBTQ+ teens comfortable with themselves.

Don’t worry about banned books being uncomfortable. If you’re worried about recommending troublesome books for required reading, just look at top 10 most banned books of all time, which includes classics from 1984 to Of Mice and Men to The Great Gatsby – all known to be required reading for high school students!

Books expand our horizons, teach us how to think in different ways, and show us totally different perspectives, as they should. Banning books doesn’t allow people to experience new thoughts and ideas! Let’s all do better by allowing us to be more open to each other and not allowing books to be banned from libraries and schools.

Speak Out! For Banned Books #BannedBooksWeek

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This week is Banned Books Week (hooray!). Banned Books Week is one of my favorites. I always find it helpful to talk first about how books are classically banned. This video from ALA is great:

This often leads well into a question and answer period where we talk through why certain topics appear often on banned books lists. Next, I show the following infographics, which I find helpful. The first one is a bit dated, but it is beautifully done.

For more banned books infographics and fun graphics, in general, click here!

We had a great discussion today about where politics belong in the classroom. Students offered some phenomenal comments about how they could be fair in their presentation of politics but also show they didn’t support hateful speech. In past years, I’ve had students read popular banned picture books to talk through how and why books are banned. This has proven very effective as well.

We always end by talking through the many resources available to teachers. These include those available on NCTE’s Intellectual Freedom Center. If you haven’t checked this out (or ILA’s comparable resource center), I recommend these resources highly.

Happy reading! Let’s celebrate our FREEDOM TO READ!

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