The banning of a book typically occurs due to the novel sharing religious or political opinions. Classic novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker are some of the most challenged books due to their controversial opinions. Essentially, people attempt to get these books banned with the goal of having them removed from schools and libraries. As a result, this will limit public access to such books.
In 2021, the number of challenged books hit an all-time high since the American Library Association (ALA) started tracking these novels twenty years ago. ALA counted a total of 729 challenges, each featuring multiple titles, coming to a total of 1597 individual books. In addition, most of these books had a common theme of being written by or about Black or LGBTQ+ people.
To help get books banned, people have been using unfair tactics such as involving political figures in the debate. For example, Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin led a campaign that features a mother talking about an “inappropriate novel” her son had to read for school which was later discovered to be Toni Morrison’s Beloved, a novel about slavery following the American Civil War.
Other novels that have been challenged this year consist of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, and a number of others, all featuring themes of race, sexuality, and discrimination.
While these novels can be difficult to read due to their intense content, they are important for understanding historical events. Historical fiction allows readers to follow a character’s experiences and development through history, giving a greater understanding of the implications history had upon people. However, in history textbooks, students learn of historical events as a whole. This method of learning lacks an understanding of the impact history had on society that fiction is able to deliver.
Some students state that these themes within challenged novels display life experiences that most adults don’t know how to discuss. By banning books with difficult topics, this history becomes difficult to access, limiting society’s understanding of social issues.
The issue of challenged books with controversial themes also prevents acceptance for people with similar experiences. Members of LGBTQ+ or Black communities feel excluded because of this discrimination against novels that they can relate to.
These social justice issues regarding prejudice continue to be important to understanding the world. By removing access to these stories, learning about important societal subjects becomes difficult, strengthening the ignorance of those with privilege.
