Harry Potter Banned

Many school districts do not have “manga”or “anime” banned (Debate.org). This style of literature is often considered non educational. Books should at least have censorship when profanity or have sexually explicit content are used. Reading this content as a student is 100% unnecessary. In a study done in 2000-09 by the American Library Association, about 1,250 books were challenged because of offensive language. Around 1,600 books were challenged in that same study for being sexually explicit (Butler.edu). During this, almost all books that were banned were either in school libraries or schools. A common example of a banned book is Harry Potter by J.Kk. Rowling. This book has a “presence of witchcraft”’(Butler.edu). In many people's’ minds, witchcraft is extremely bad, and completely unnecessary to discuss those topics. Since many people are against witchcraft, if that was to be discussed in schools, awful consequences for teacher as well as student could result.

The first Harry Potter was published in 1997, the rest of the books were published between then and 2007. Harry Potter is about a boy who a powerful wizard named Voldemort wanted to kill but instead of killing Harry he killed Harry’s parents. Harry went and lived with his nasty aunt and uncle until he was 11. When he was 11 he got a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which told him he was a wizard. Each book is a year at Hogwarts that Harry goes through with his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Throughout the books Harry learns why Voldemort wanted to kill him, why he survived and how he can prepare for another attack.

“Books aren't people. You read and I look all around, but there isn't anybody!” That quote was taken From Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. “We'll never feel safe again, and so it's bye-bye innocence. It's been nice knowing you, but you're gone now.” A quote taken from the book Tomorrow, when the war began By John Madsen. Two books that have numerously been challenged. While these books have some common points they also differ in the lesson that they teach at the end of the book. Fahrenheit 451 should be banned because it shows a world where people are technology involved and where violence has taken over. “

In Guy Montag's society of 451 reading is banned so it takes away your privilege to gain knowledge. Montag's job as a firefighter is to burn books which basically destroys knowledge. Until a girl named Clarisse McClellan got introduced to Montag's life, Montag never really actually thought about his job burning books. McClellan asked Montag if he ever reads the books that he burns, Montag had no answer.

Are school boards or administrators imposing their views of morality, politics, or religious beliefs? Who has the power to violate our freedom to read? We, as citizens of the United States, are guaranteed to the freedom to read in the U.S. Constitution. Are they attempting to take these rights away by banning books? There are activists, both private and public, that are trying to curtail our selection of books through demonstration, letters, and books of their own. If books such as One Hundred Questions and Answers About Aids by Michael Thomas Ford or The Bible are banned from stores across the country, how are we supposed to educate ourselves on real life issues like aids and religion outside classes? We need resources to find out facts we want to know and maybe are embarrassed to ask. Reading in Education, we've been taught that since day one in schools. It is not fair, or is it, to take away books which some people may find educational to their circumstances, if The Bible is abandoned,

According to the website Unite Against Book Bans, “The record number of reported book bans in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 book challenges reported in 2021” (2022 book bans). The classic novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is set in a dystopian world where the main character Guy Montag, a fireman, burns books and has wall-sized TVs to send propaganda to manipulate people. People also turn on their neighbors and report them. Censorship plays a big role in the book and shows how society would be if everything were censored. The book has been banned a plethora of times for its crude language.

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in response to McCarthyism. It takes place during the 17th century in Salem, Massachusetts. Reverend John Hale of Beverly was an intellectual man in his late thirties who specialized in witchcraft. His last experience with witchcraft was false, but it had no effect on his confidence. Reverend Hale experienced the greatest change in the play, The Crucible, and merits a detailed exploration of his development.

Parents should have the right to decide what their child reads, but should not have the right to decide what is right for other children to read because not all parents have the same view on what is appropriate for their child to learn in school; as Jones stated, we must all respect each other’s differences. Educators should also be able to freely decide on what they feel is appropriate for their students to read. If a teacher chooses a book that has caused concerns in the past, they should alert the student’s parents of

"Books are dangerous. They make you think…feel…wonder…. They make you ask questions (Weiss p.2)."

“Waiting for Superman” is a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim that expands on how vital a child’s education is for their future. It allows parents to see, no matter how rich or poor they are their child deserves a quality education. In the documentary, it expands on how the public education system is starting to fail in many areas in the United States leading to many students seeking charter schools. Director Davis Guggenheim tells the stories of five children and their experiences with insufficient public school and the process of entering charter schools. He introduced Geoffrey Canada, an educator and social activist, to tell the children’s stories to help influence the audience that the public education system is not at the standard it should be in underdeveloped communities and how charter schools are needed for an increase in succession rate. “Waiting for Superman” uses symbolism, the emotions of the parents and children, facts, and lack of teacher interest to enlighten the audience that public education is failing thousands of students every year.

According to Ray Bradbury, “There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.” Censorship is a controversial topic that continues to gain attention. As various books are released, opponents that feel offended in some form begin to try and remove a book from the shelf. If the argument is lucrative enough, that book just might be removed from the shelf. As that book is removed, all the sudden other books become offensive and they too may leave the shelf. What happens when all the offensive books are gone? Will there be books left on the shelf for our children to read? Censorship is a difficult topic to discuss, however it is something that must be addressed so that school libraries

"Harry Potter has been in the 1990-1999 and 2000-2009 “Frequently Challenged Books” lists and currently is on the “Frequently Challenged Children’s Books” list." (bannedbooksweek.org). “When it came out, some people said the book was about Satan and promoted witchcraft.” (LaRue, 2016). This reasoning cause parents to file complaint to schools asking them to remove the books from their libraries. Some school even had to require a permission slip from the children’s parents. Now not all parents were like this. Some parents did not see the comparison with magic as Satanic but as another fantasy book like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. Other parents thought the censorship was absurd and a few of them took actions to voice that opinion. For example: Counts v. Cedarville School District. In this case, Cedarville school board voted that the Harry Potter books would require a permission slip if a child wish to check it out. This vote infuriated some parents so much that they took it court. The parents argued that this vote was against the First Amendment and won the case requiring all libraries in that district to get rid of the permission slips. Even though the book series has ended, there is still controversy over it

Have you ever read the Harry Potter series? I bade you to read the Harry Potter series. I have three reasons why you should read the novel, and they are: if you like magic, if you like wizards and witches, if you like suspense, then read the Harry Potter series. However, if you haven’t read the series, here is a brief description of the first book of the novel: “The Fantasy Novel, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’, By J.K. Rowling is about a boy named Harry Potter who was a one year old that was left on the doorstep of his mother’s sister’s house, (Petunia Dursley). His Aunt and her husband, Vernon Dursley, accepted Harry. Eleven years later Harry Potter receives a letter from one of the best schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry named Hogwarts, a school for magic people. When Harry finds out he is a wizard, he sets off for Hogwarts, where he finds that he is very famous because of his lightning shaped scar and his great Quidditch skills. He also meets many kind people and his very first best friends, named Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry, Ron, and Hermione survive all the way to the end of the novel, where they discover that the Sorcerer’s Stone is about to be stolen, so Harry Ron, and Hermione try to save the stone. Finally Harry Potter alone reaches the stone where he meets the thief of the stone, the Dark Lord. There he most importantly finds a path he must take later in the series to overtake the Dark Lord, if he could survive his destiny.” After reading

Although I am a strong supporter of this book series, I do find one thing wrong with the books. All the novels have endings which are almost the same, Harry saves the day and Voldemort the major antagonist gets defeated in one way or another. Also only Harry and his friends seem to be the ones who go on adventures to defeat huge beasts or save family members from monsters known as dementors, this to me makes the novel slightly unappealing but still one of

Stage one took place from 1997-2000 when J. K Rowling released the first 3 novels of the Harry Potter series:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997,Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 1998 and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 1999. The books displayed all the elements needed for a “tip” to occur through the use of word of mouth and buzz marketing tactics. Once J.K. Rowling’s creation tipped in 2000 with her 4th book published Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire along with the first movie from her first book were perceived to be the anchor of mass marketing and global sensation through novels, films and merchandise. It is this second, consumer oriented stage that has enabled the phenomenon to sustain itself for ten years.