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Should Nancy Farmer's Books Be Banned?

1631 Words7 Pages

Over 1,600 books were banned in United States school districts in one year – and the number is increasing (CBS News). People want to ban books thinking that it is for the good of the students even though it could harm them. One specific author that is being targeted is Nancy Farmer. In Nancy Farmer’s books, there are drugs, murders, and profanity leading people to want to ban them, but, they teach lessons that high schoolers should know. Nancy Farmer's books may include some mature content but her award-winning books share messages that should be shared with high schoolers. There are several reasons people want books to be censored in school libraries. Thomas Riggs, an editor for Gale, explains the primary reason books are banned is because …show more content…

For example in The House of The Scorpion, the main theme of the whole book is the main character Matt Alacran finding somewhere where he belongs because he is a clone. In the book, clones are looked down upon because they are merely tools used for immortality, but Matt can still feel the hatred everyone has for him and it scars him. The people who are kind to him see him not as a tool, but rather a person who also has feelings. What Nancy Farmer is telling us is to be kind to everyone no matter who they are, and help them find a place of belonging. Another way Nancy Farmer conveys a positive message is in the book The Lord of Opium, the main character Matt is trying to find out what is good and what is evil by trusting people around him. I believe that Nancy Farmer in The Lord of Opium is conveying the message of having people around you that are with you in the toughest decision that you trust. Nancy Farmer's themes in all of her books are powerful and can teach someone life lessons they will use …show more content…

However, I believe that she belongs to the Union High School library. For example, Nancy Farmer uses real-world examples such as drugs in books like The House of the Scorpion and The Lord of Opium. Teenagers being unaware of what drugs are and the harm they cause can lead to a terrible future for them. I believe that she conveys this message easily to the reader. Throughout the two books, you see how corrupt a family can become because of drugs. A way Nancy Farmer protects the youth is how she makes up imaginary curse words like “crot” in her books The House of the Scorpion and The Lord of Opium. The reason she does this is because she doesn't want her young readers to be familiarized with vulgar words. Curse Words are pointless but instead, she wants us to understand the meaning of them and how they are not needed in anyone's life. Nancy Farmer's novels do belong in the Union High School library and anyone who says otherwise is

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