The Controversy Of Banning Books

Schools are meant to be a safe environment full of books and learning opportunities. If this is impaired by books that should be banned, students may feel displaced or uncomfortable. Even a high schooler is prone to this, if action is not taken. There are hundreds of books full of violence, explicit language, and drug references. Annenberg Classroom says it is “unsuitable for students” (AnnenbergClassroom.org). Students of all ages are strongly suggested to not partake of those things, and reading all about them can cause them to think it is acceptable. It is up to administrators and parents to decide what should be allowed in school libraries. Everybody has different beliefs, but most people would not want their

Throughout time, countless great children’s books have been published and then loved by many. To name a few, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. What do these three books have in common? They were all published as children’s books, then kept out of their hands for numerous reasons. Parents and teachers claimed these books were unfit for children’s reading. They either introduced topics that were not open to them yet or went against their lifestyle. All around the world, great books are being kept from children for doltish reasons. They are being censored, then banned from their eyes. Taking this literature from them is ruining their childhood; it is preventing children from learning about the world and being ready for it. Censoring in children’s books needs to become less harsh or else they are going to grow up in a sealed world.

Many famous works by many famous artists have been repeatedly challenged. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most frequently challenged books of all time. Many schools and towns have banned this book from their libraries, saying it "perpetuates racism." Call of the Wild by Jack London has been repeatedly fought against because it is thought of as inappropriate for kids because of it's violence and morbidity. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has been the target of much hate and criticism, especially from the Christian community. The books have been burned by churches all over the world for promoting the occult, and there have been many attempts to ban the series in public schools. Judy Blume is another one

Book banning is a prime target for censorship. Censorship in print media, notably book banning, occurs across homes, schools, stores, and other facilities daily. Censorship in the schools is the most widespread and exposed place for book banning. Do

Isn't banning books disobeying the freedom of speech, and infringing on the freedom of the press? First Amendment, states that "citizens must be free to seek out any media, regardless of content, that they deem appropriate for entertainment, information, or education. With said, banning books stunts the extension of education. In addition, Books containing “Racial Issues, Blasphemous Dialogue, and Sexual Situations” parents' supervision is indicated. So, if read by children; banning books will not be an antidote for bad parenting. But, Most opponents of book banning understand parental preferences regarding their own child’s reading material, but they refuse to grant them the right to make a decision on behalf of all parents about what is or isn’t appropriate. The disadvantages, books can teach you a negative habits and that’s why some books should be banned. Literature will fully-develop children for the real-world.

I am familiar with the works of both Dav Pilkey and Lauren Myracle and never thought their books contained anything worth being challenged or banned. I was shock by the way parents would openly attack Lauren Myracle and make assumptions about her personal life because they were angry that their children were brave enough to ask questions something they read in a book. I honestly think banning books for having strong language or being sexually explicit because children watch television. Nowadays, television shows sex scenes and people using strong language all the time.

Year after year The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novel takes place in the south during the year 1845. With his abusive father, and no mother, Huck is left feeling lonely, and as if he has place to call his home. So he decides to leave town, and on in his journey where he encounters a slave he’s familiar with, Jim, who is also running away. This story captures their relationship and growth as they face many obstacles on their way to freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn satirizes people’s greed and violent behavior by mocking the stereotype of southern hospitality.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain is often criticized as a racist text; however, it may have helped to dismantle racial prejudices. The classic satire piece was written in the late 1800s and follows a young boy named Huckleberry Finn on his journey down the Mississippi river. Huck soon joins with Jim, a runaway slave, as they both flee from their unfortunate situations. When the book was published, it was highly controversial, due to the questionable morals of Huck Finn, and the candid portrayal of slavery. Today, Twain is often denounced for what many see as an overuse of the “n” word, and a comically negative portrayal of African Americans. Many argue that Jim is depicted as a caricature, similar to the exaggerated and offensive

Books are a way for people to get away from reality and also learn new information they should not be banned. Books shouldn’t be banned from society; however some do have suggestive content or profanity. These types of books should be supervised and have an age limit. By banning books it can eliminate teachings of life lessons for students. Also, going through life without knowing anything besides rainbows and lollipops can set up students for a rude awakening when they really start to learn about life. Yes you should try to protect your kids as much as possible; however other kid’s parents might not be doing the same. Your children could be getting mislead information from these children that know about the bad things in this world. It’s best that children are just informed from the beginning and given facts on the topics

as his exploitation of the “n-word.” These elements combine to greatly overpower Huck’s individual beliefs, which have never been the main offender of the book. Furthermore, one cannot negate claims of racism in Huckleberry Finn based on the novel’s positive reception by a historically bigoted audience. The fact that Kaplan, a white man, felt obligated to nullify cries of racial injustice in 1984 exemplifies the need for education on literary racism that so many were trying to ban. But the routine silencing of black voices has not ceased over the past thirty years.

“It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written, the books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers” (Blume 1999). Judy Blume can not explain the problem of book censorship any clearer. The children are the real losers because they are the ones that are not able to read the classic works of literature which are the backbone of classroom discussions all across the United States.

The Challenges of Racism When Mark Twain wrote "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" the book was banned from multiple libraries and many filed a lawsuit against Twain because the subject matter was “tawdry” and the narrators voice was considered to be “ignorant”. African-American groups were mad at Twain because they believed the book was racist in its portrayal of black characters, despite the fact that it was seen by many as a strong criticism of racism and slavery. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” shows the theme of racism by using the literary devices actions, symbolism, and word choice. The book uses the river as a symbol of freedom and the actions of Huck indicates Huck’s love for Jim and that he doesn’t care what society does because Jim is his friend no matter what.

How can one person’s choice change others? For the writer, it could be the words they choose; the reader, the books they choose to read. However, when readers see something they don’t particularly like, they challenge the book. If enough people feel the same way, the book gets banned. But isn't our first amendment the freedom to express, write, and talk freely about anything and not be punished in any way? Seeing banned books shows us how we really are loyal and committed to the first amendment.

The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the banning of books. Many people believe they must protect themselves and others from the "evils" of many classic books and works of art because they can be deemed "indecent" in one way or another. Many believe that this is absurd and censorship in its current form is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech. Personally, I align myself with the latter, however I do feel there are occasions where censorship is justifiable.

Every year, hundreds of books are challenged, banned, and/or removed. According to American Library Association, more than 11, 300 books have been challenged, banned, or removed in schools and libraries across the country since 1982. The reasons why books are banned were discussed during an interview between Time For Kids and the director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, James LaRue. "Books are banned because they fall under one of these categories of controversy: Religion, Sexual Content, Profanity, or Race." (LaRue, 2016). Many books that have been banned, at one point in time, fall under one these categories. Some more well-known books included: The Holy Bible, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill