According to a recent survey conducted by Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute, most parents and guardians think book bans are a “waste of time,” and 74% of them agree that book bans infringe on their right to make decisions for their children.
Image credit: bookriot
Similarly, a Fox News Poll shows that parents are increasingly concerned about book banning.
Many librarians are also expressing their concerns about losing their safety and jobs. Christine Emeran, director of the Youth Free Expression Program of the National Coalition Against Censorship, says:
“Librarians are under pressure, and they are feeling frustrated, discouraged.”
Even teachers are feeling pressure from administrators and parents and sometimes face disciplinary action or criminal prosecution threats if they fail to conform to new state laws and regulations concerning book banning.
But what about kids? How do they feel about book banning?
Recently, NPR – an independent, nonprofit media organization based in America – spoke with some young readers to know their thoughts about book banning.
Here is what they say:
Sawyer: I don’t like it. It just feels weird that you’re gonna, like, cut it off from them. … Why are you trying to hide information from your kids? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense. … If you take something away from a kid, it kind of makes them want it more.
Ellie: So many books are banned nowadays. I was looking up lists earlier and it’s like hundreds of books… One of my favorite books that I recently found out was banned is Rick by Alex Gino. It’s a book about a kid who learns that he’s asexual, which is an LGBTQ orientation. … I was just starting to question when I had read that book, and it really helped me sort of figure out that sort of thing. It was really interesting to me that a book that helped me so much and that I love so much would be like challenged or banned.
Priya: Books provide people with that exposure to different beliefs and different perspectives. And that’s what breeds and fosters empathy and compassion for other people … There was this book it was called The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. The girl’s like 11 or 12. She gets a heart transplant. She’s also dealing with the re-emergence of her mother into her life. And she’s also exploring her sexuality as she’s growing up, so it’s kind of like a really sweet coming-of-age story. Then I was aware that some parents didn’t want this to be a book that was offered to us. And I just didn’t understand why it was harmful … I really like the book because it was like a girl my age. And I just felt like I really connected with it.
Theo: It’s pretty much taking away books from people — like even books that people actually might like. If you ban every book, then there’s not really going to be any books left to read. So, what’s the point of it?
NPR has provided only the first names to protect their privacy.
In October 2022, The New York Times also interviewed some teenagers to share their opinions about book ban, via a writing prompt, “What Is Your Reaction to the Growing Fight Over What Young People Can Read?”
Some opinions from students are:
Honestly, the efforts to remove books that expose race, gender and sexuality from schools and libraries are quite sad to me. I feel as if these important pages of knowledge are getting ripped out of our minds. This can be scary because without knowledge, we are destined to be blind. – Deborah, Vanden High School
My favorite book I have read to date is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, but this book is on the list of the Top Ten Banned Books of 2021. This book did three things: broadened my awareness of racial injustice, put me into someone else’s shoes, and made me want to change the world in whatever way I could. – Audrey, Glenbard West High School
For a lot of people, the ideologies discussed in these books are incredibly foreign to them and therefore they are scared to let their children consume them. Due to this phenomenon, I think these books are even more important because learning is what challenges your mind and ideas, which needs to be happening. — AHENRY, Norwood High School
So, young readers also sound against book banning.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.