Essay On Books Should Be Banned

When most people hear about book banning, they think of libraries across the country clearing their shelves of books thought to be taboo or problematic. While that once was a problem in the United States, book banning has taken a tactical, less obvious form of censorship and it is mostly in schools.

It’s not a stranger to anyone that middle and high schools have required reading lists that name several books students will have to read for the academic school year. The books can range from anything to everything and are often stock packed with various themes, lessons, and messages. However, plenty of parents feel that certain ideas should not be taught to their children, especially when the ideas conflict with their own personal beliefs and interests. Several parents have succeeded in removing these subjectively distasteful books from their children’s schools’ shelves and reading lists

Students who may not want to read sensitive and mature material and would prefer a more, G-rated subject matter, especially if the mature topics are a trigger for the student, would be able to have alternate stories to read that would still allow them to get the lesson they need for the class. Maya Angelou’s, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, for example, depicts a rape scene while simultaneously being a coming of age story about a little girl in the midst of racism. While the book contains many important themes and has a unique stylistic nature and an important plotline, reading about such a graphic and traumatizing experience can affect those who have also lived through the ordeal. The permission slips grant the child an “out” without having to personally explain their reasons, in a way that allows them an alternate reading solution that still depicts the struggle of growing up in a racist and discriminatory world, but without any graphic