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From 1939 Germany to 2022 America: Where do We Go From Here?

So far, we've looked at the problem of censoring books and the implications of challenging every single novel that crosses a school library. Not every book is "ban-able" but not every reader is ready for novels that pose questioning themes or controversial ideas. 
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there.

-Clare Booth Luce 

The rise of LBTQ+ books in schools poses a major debate of whether or not certain books are appropriate for a classroom setting. 

Lastly, we analyzed the effects of teachers implementing books in their curricula and how students can develop a genuine passion for reading as they choose books that pertain to their interests.

Now, where do we go from here? 

We can take a look at the horrific effects of banning literature as a means of suppression of free and open speech. Hitler attempted to, Putin does it today; but the fact that we are able to have these debates in 21st Century America proves that no matter how much a book is challenged, it is a form of expression and thought. 

Literature desires to be read. 

Source: https://www.google.com

I can only encourage you to be aware of the types of books that interest you. Engage you. Grip you from its opening lines. What can reading do for us, as a society, and on an individual-basis? We may experience some form of censorship in our journeys as readers (I still haven't read Harry Potter, after all). But before going behind parents' backs and buying a series they clearly don't want you reading, have an honest conversation with them. Ask them why they don't think that's the best book for you. Maybe it's because of your age, your level of maturity, or the content within the work itself. 

When I went to school, we had the "Five Word" test, where the librarian would flip open the book to a random page, point to 5 different words, and ask the kid trying to check it out to read them out loud. If you couldn't, you weren't allowed to read it. At the time, I thought it was unfair, especially because I was already at an accelerated reading level as it was. But now I see that it's not about banning content, but rather about preparing a young, impressionable mind to learning about profound and thought-provoking ideas. 

Nowadays, it seems schools are discouraging any and all forms of censorship while parents and committees are pushing for the opposite. Can we potentially reach a middle ground? I think so. But it all starts with understanding where we are as readers. You wouldn't read Anna Karenina to a four-year-old (unless they're like Roald Dahl's Matilda), just how a sophomore in high school prefers YA dystopians to Eric Carle. 
Source: https://www.google.com


In short, I leave you with this: read your audience. Politics don't belong in the classroom, let alone the books kids are (essentially) forced to read. Censorship is considered censorship if it is meant as a means of oppression; questioning the merit of a novel is just good parenting. 

To get kickstarted on some great novels, here's a list from my personal research and field of interest that pertain to readers of all kinds and ages.
  • Early Education (Infant - 3rd grade)
    • Grimm's Fairy Tales
    • Aesop's Fables
    • Dr. Seuss
    • Johnny Appleseed
    • The Giving Tree: Shel Silverstein
    • Goodnight Moon: Margaret Wise Brown
    • The Ugly Duckling: Stephen Mitchell
    • Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak
    • Bible stories 
  • Elementary Education (K - 4th grade)
    • Matilda: Roald Dahl
    • The Chronicles of Narnia; C.S. Lewis
    • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll
    • Where the Sidewalk Ends: Shel Silverstein
    • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Jeff Kenny
    • Little House on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder
    • Beezus and Ramona: Beverly Clearly
    • The Little Prince: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
    • The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Ralph S. Mouse, #1): Beverly Cleary
    • The Phantom Tollbooth: Norton Juster
    • Because of Winn-Dixie: Kate DiCamillo
  • Middle School (5th - 8th grade)

    • The Catcher and the Rye: JD Salinger

    • The Lord of the Flies: William Golding

    • Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury

    • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Mark Twain

    • Brave New World: Aldous Huxley

    • Heart of Darkness: Joseph Conrad

    • The Fault in Our Stars: John Green

    • I Am Malala: Malala Yousafzai

    • The Hobbit: J.R.R. Tolkien

    • Little Women: Louisa May Alcott

    • Wonder: RJ Palacio

  • Secondary (9th - 12th grade)

    • Les Misérables: Victor Hugo

    • A Farewell to Arms: Ernest Hemmingway

    • The Color Purple: Alice Walker

    • The Bell Jar: Sylvia Plath

    • The Stranger: Albert Camus

    • Animal Farm: George Orwell

    • The Things They Carried: Tim O’Brien

    • Night: Eli Wiesel

    • The Book Thief: Markus Zusak

    • A Gentleman in Moscow: Amor Towles

    • Unbroken: Laura Hillenbrand



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