Chantel Rodriguez – Staff Writer

cvr5570@psu.edu

Photo Credit: Comstock/Getty

“Fahrenheit 451,” ”Alchemist,” ”The Great Gatsby,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and ”The
Adventures of Captain Underpants” all have one thing in common. They were banned from
public or school libraries and classrooms but have since become top sellers during Banned Books
Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read.
For me, books have always been a way to escape from reality for as long as I can remember.
Banning books was never a thing in schools or libraries because it was a way to highlight a
different world, perspective, and circumstances back then. The books I grew up reading
encouraged empathy, responsiveness, appreciation, and gratitude for others through reading
experiences.
I have always seen the value of books and ensure my children see that. Books offer that insight
into situations readers might not otherwise take into account; books can also provide
representation to kids who come from or identify with marginalized communities.
We all deserve access to all types of books, especially those that center on marginalized people
and deal with multifaceted topics, to not shut the doors on those experiences or hardships. Books
like Chris Crutcher’s—predominantly concentrated on teens navigating struggles like racism,
injustice, disability, and abuse— left students feeling as though someone might understand their
experiences and trauma.
In exploring why banned books are only hurting and censoring children, I found five good
motives for kids to read prohibited books:
Books push boundaries in topic, theme, plot, and structure. “The Great Gatsby” was a high
school essential requirement for English classes, but today is considered provocative and
ambiguous due to the mention of gin.
There's more to a book than the swear words in it. Many books are banned due to the language ,
so much so that even potty humor (as mentioned in “Captain Underpants”) has triggered people
to put it on the ban list.
Kids desire relatability. Banned books often deal with accurate, timely, and relevant issues.
Young individuals may find a character that resonates with how their home life is currently or
personality traits, which makes it an intense reading experience and helps the reader sort out
controversial issues like unhappiness, divorce, bullying, and discrimination. “The Outsiders” was
banned, yet reading that in middle school turned me into an avid reader because the story had so
many layers to it, and the characters related to emotions I felt during that time. The movie made
it ten times better for me to see what Pony Boy had to endure.
Controversial books are a type of reality for some students. Diving into complex topics like
violence, substance abuse, suicide, and racism through character development lets kids examine
morality, develop empathy for individuals different from themselves, and perhaps discover an
echo of their own experience.

And lastly, it starts conversations. Reading a banned book is a learning experience and can aid
your kids in shaping their principles and opinions of its content. The continuous banning of
books will only make them more attractive to readers.