By Adriana Green
I spent my childhood sitting under the covers, flashlight in hand, my nose trapped in the words of a novel. At the time I did not consider the novels I consumed to be “dangerous” or “offensive”. Looking back, I realize some of the most influential books I ever read have earned a spot on one of the many lists of banned books in our state.
However, if these books had not been available in my school library I would not have had the chance to learn from the content of such books like the Hunger Games, The Giver, and Anne Frank’s Diary to name a few. In the 2023-2024 school year the state of Florida removed over 700 books from the shelves of public-school libraries. Kids will no longer be able to attain these books in their schools and will instead have to depend on their parents to take them to public libraries or buy the books; a privilege that not all children will be afforded.
The books I consumed as a child and throughout my adolescent years, helped shape the person I am today. Mostly, these books peaked my interest and fed my desire to develop a strong love for reading. Reading allowed me the opportunity to form my own opinions of the world instead of being completely dependent on my parents to educate me on the vast number of worldviews and ways of life in this world. These books also fostered my love for history and empathy for people whose life does not look exactly like mine. I learned a valuable lesson of no one person’s way of life is the “best” or perfect way. I contribute much of this to the literature I consumed growing up.
Reading is powerful.
Controlling what people have access to read is one way the government seeks to shape people’s worldview in favor of their agenda. Think about it, what reasons do lawmakers give for banning books? Some top reasons include offensive language, religious viewpoints, LGTQIA+ content, racism/racial content, “anti-family” content and political viewpoints. Reading gives people the opportunity to think for themselves and learn critical thinking skills.
The government should not have control over which books are allowed in schools. Instead a clear guideline should be created that is the standard in all districts, that outlines what is appropriate for a book to contain for every age group of children. Then the crucial job of selecting books should rest on librarians, reading and language specialists, and teachers who have been trained to select books that support the curriculum and teach critical thinking skills as well as an accurate view of history. This responsibility should also be placed on parents to decide what they want their child to be reading and there should be a safe space for parents to discuss concerns they have about literature their kids are being taught in school.
Reading is political, it should be a right protected by the first amendment, not a privilege that can be stolen as a new political party enters office that disagrees with certain themes in literature. Reading gives people the opportunity to learn different viewpoints, think for themselves, gain critical thinking skills, and learn an accurate view of history. Finally, it gives people the resources and background knowledge to speak out and keep the government in check, something our democracy was founded on and should be upheld to for our country to flourish.
