Banned Book Week is traditionally held in the last week of September to raise awareness of the challenges to books in public libraries and schools. Unfortunately, the concept of burning piles of books in the street surrounded by angry mobs wasn’t left in history.
There has been a significant uptick in the number of challenges and bans in recent years. In 2014, 235 books were challenged. In 2023, that number made a staggering leap to 4,240.
The Top Ten challenged books from 2023 were “Gender Queer,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “This Book Is Gay,” “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower,” “Flamer,” “The Bluest Eye,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Tricks,” “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human,” and lastly, “Sold.”
The reasons for these challenges are commonly sexual content, offensive language, unsuited for age group, religious viewpoints and LGBTQ+ content. These allegations are mostly made by parents and special-interest groups with the goal of removing them from libraries and schools.
Books that are targeted are often those about identity, race, gender and sexuality. Authors of color are 4.5 times more likely to have a book challenged than white authors. Some children’s books are banned simply for having diverse characters. It is clear that bias is involved.
Implications of this censorship are real. It is important for young people who are part of marginalized communities to see themselves portrayed in literature as the main character. It gives a sense of belonging and visibility towards one’s lived experiences. Making that inaccessible is silencing those voices.
It’s not that I believe that everyone should read everything. If you are uncomfortable with your child reading certain material, that’s a family decision, but not a government decision. I believe in the freedom to choose what to read. What is at stake is the beloved literature that shapes who we are and how we see the world.