Banned Books

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

-- The American Library Association

The Weight of Words

There is a difference between discretion and banning. Discretion is supposed to be about selection, about personal preference or, in the case of a specialty bookstore or school library, being aware of the interests and ages of your readers. Banning has more to do with censorship, permission and judgment.

A bookstore might specialize in a certain genre or be for a certain age group. A children's bookstore, for example, probably has mostly picture books and chapter books; I wouldn't expect it to have the newest western paperbacks for adults. Likewise, a shop that specializes in westerns probably wouldn't carry titles for newborns. A librarian at an elementary school might not wish to stock One Hundred Years of Solitude or The Scarlet Letter.

My Favorite Banned Books

The protagonists of my favorite banned/challenged books share the same name: Alice.

First, we have Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, which was banned in China in 1931 because "animals should not use human language" and that it was "disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level." This book has been made into countless films, both animated and live-action, including the famous Disney feature and multiple mini-series.

Next, we have the Alice McKinley series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, which has been challenged every which way due to its realistic portrayal of adolescence, following Alice's life at home and at school, from 3rd grade through (currently) 11th grade. The series is heartwarming, humorous, sweet, and straightforward. As opposed to some popular teen series I could name, this series is never graphic, never rated "R," never naughty. So why is it challenged again and again? Because these books, like those of Judy Blume, are frank and straightforward. Alice is an intelligent, curious young woman who asks questions about her body, her friends, her beliefs. This series is truthful, and it may help shy readers be more open with their parents and more trusting of themselves.

Listen to This

Say these statements aloud and note how different they sound:
"YOU shouldn't read that book!"
"NO ONE should read that book!"
"That book is amoral. I am appalled that you read it and that the author wrote it!"
"I haven't read that book. It doesn't sound interesting to me."
"I don't like that book. I read it, but I didn't like it."
"I love that book. Everyone should read that book."

Or these:
"The writing was poor."
"The plotline was full of holes."
"That book had many grammatical errors and typos."
"The story was appalling due to the language/violence/situations."

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure

I personally don't like things which are crude, so I choose not to read books that are, say, collections of filthy jokes. But that's my opinion. I'm not going to read those books, but at the same time, I'm not going to stop someone else from reading what he or she wants to read.

I also don't read westerns or romances, but that's completely different; I don't tend to read those genres because I'm not all that interested in them. There are other genres which interest me more, much more, like dramatic fiction. At the same time, I don't like fictional melodramas, soap operas, or woe-is-me stories. I like a well-written story with unique characters and intriguing plots. I like horror and fantasy as written by the likes of Christopher Golden and Michael Ende. I like justice being served. (Hence my addiction to the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Cold Case, and Without a Trace.) I like to think, to dream, to imagine, to cheer, to hope, and thus I enjoy books that inspire those thoughts and moods.

There are so many different books, written for so many different reasons, written for so many different audiences. There are books which are realistic, books that are humorous, books that are mysterious, books that are satirical, books that are dystopic, books that challenge the readers due to the vocabulary used, books that challenge the readers to think and discuss.

I can't stand it when I hear that a library pulled a book off of its shelves due to the jacket summary and/or title, without the librarian and/or the challengers actually having read the book. I firmly believe that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Read it for yourself, THEN decide if it is a good
book. Some covers are lovely and the stories are lacking; some stories are lovely and the covers are lacking. Some authors choose the titles of their books, others do not - or they did, but it was changed by the publisher or editor. There are books with racy titles that actually have tame stories and vice-versa. Some jacket summaries describe the plot quite well, while others are very far off the mark. Still others describe the book a little too well and give away crucial plot points.

If you see a book and are concerned that it might not be appropriate for your children, your students, or your library, I again encourage you to read it for yourself, then decide.

Ageism

I also think that rules based on general ages or grade levels can be silly. Examples: "You are 12, and no one is allowed to read this until the age of 13," or "This book is too difficult for a fifth-grader to read." The reader's age isn't the only thing to take into consideration; one must also consider his or her emotional maturity and reading level. There are 8 year olds who can read, retain, and understand The NeverEnding Story and The Tale of Two Cities. There are 18 year olds who can't. There are 48 year olds who can't. There were many times when teachers and school librarians gawked at my literature selections, thinking I was too young to comprehend those books. Those who got to know me realized their assumptions were incorrect.

Should an 8 year old read a book filled with profanity and adult situations? I wouldn't recommend it. Should that same kid see a movie filled with the same? I wouldn't recommend that either. Again, that's my opinion. It's amazing how some parents will not permit their children to read books due to their content, then allow them to turn on the TV or go see a movie that has similar if not older/racier/naughtier content. I often use the American movie rating systems to convey content to parents, teachers and librarians.

In Conclusion: Just Read!

Read a book because it's interesting to you - because it's a good book - because it sounds delightful - because it sounds intriguing - because you want to imagine, to learn, to belong, to consider, to challenge yourself, to dream, to wish, to cheer, to think, NOT to think, to escape. Read what you want to read. Read BECAUSE you want to read. Share your love of reading with others.