Why should children and Young Adults be encouraged to read challenged and banned books? It should be an easy answer, but there are always shades of gray. Not every book is appropriate for children. A preschooler certainly shouldn’t read a story containing excessive violence, gratuitous sex, or profanity.
But, I struggle to understand why it’s inappropriate for them to read about a loving non-traditional family with same-sex parents or a traditional family of a different religion, culture, or race.
The world is not and will never be “one size fits all.” We can’t protect our kids with bubble wrap and horse blinders until they are adults. They need to learn not everyone is the same and not everything is fair. They need to know it’s okay to be different and it’s okay to stand up for what they think is fair.
Parents absolutely have the right to decide what is and is not age appropriate for their children in books, on television, and on the internet. It doesn’t mean they can force their opinions on other families. If you have concerns about a book your child wants to read, read it first with an open mind. What’s the worst thing that could happen if they read it? What’s the best thing that could happen? Talk to them about why they are interested in the book. Explain your concerns. Suggest similar books that are more age appropriate. Give them clear guidelines, and don’t keep changing the rules. Answer their questions truthfully.
We’re featuring ten challenged books for kids or young adults with a brief description of the plot, challenges, and why it’s an important book to consider adding to their approved read list.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein – A female apple tree and a young boy become unlikely friends. As the boy grows, he takes from the tree without giving back. Eventually the boy uses all of the tree, chopping it down then resting on its stump. For ages 2 and up
Challenged because of perceived sexism – the female tree gives, the boy takes; themes of selfishness, destruction of nature, and negative portrayal of materialism.
It’s important because it depicts selfishness, sacrifice, and what friendship should mean in terms children can understand.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. For ages 2-6
The story is about two male penguins raising a chick.
It has been challenged for its portrayal of a same-sex couple and a non-traditional family.
It is important because it demonstrates that loving parents and families exist beyond the confines of traditional families.
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings – This picture book tells the story of a young transgender girl. For ages 4 and up
It has been challenged for its portrayal of a transgender youth and gender identity.
It is important because the book helps children understand the importance of allowing a friend to be who they are without judgment.
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki – This story is about a Japanese American boy in an internment camp during World War II and the healing power of playing baseball. It gave the families locked away far from their homes something to look forward to. Competing and winning became sources of pride and helped the players and spectators reclaim their dignity and self-respect. For ages 5-8
Challenged for focusing on a shameful time in American history.
It is an important book because it doesn’t try to sugar coat history or the mistakes made by our government during the war. It also demonstrates the resilience of Japanese Americans during this incredibly difficult time, and the power of sports to positively affect people and communities.
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey – Fourth graders Harold and George have big imaginations that sometimes get them in trouble especially when the comic book hero they created, Captain Underpants comes to life at their school. For ages 6-9
Challenged for “potty language,” and undermining authority figures like teachers and principals.
It’s important… well maybe it’s not really important, but it makes kids laugh and it gets them reading. It also opens opportunities for discussions about when being funny is appropriate and the importances of being kind.
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis – based on the real life experiences of the author in the 1950s. After the government signs a bill ending her family’s tribal status, they are forced to sign up for an “Indian Relocation Program” which takes them to Los Angeles to begin a life totally devoid of their customs and heritage. For ages 9-13
Challenged because of its portrayal of racism and the inclusion of a racial slur.
This important novel for middle schoolers tells the true story of the experiences of Indigenous Americans in the 1950s. Their continual struggle to preserve their heritage and cultural experiences can only be accomplished by accurately presenting history.
Are You Ther God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume – When Margaret’s dad gets a promotion, the family leaves New York for a New Jersey suburb. She misses her grandmother and her friends, but tries hard to fit in with a new group of friends. She copes with her feelings of anxiety and awkwardness by talking to God and asking questions about puberty, menstruation, life, religion, and his very existence. For ages 10 and up
Challenged for frank discussions of menstruation and puberty, and the desire to fit in, and a depiction of interfaith marriage. Also considered blasphemous for questioning the existence of a God and why there are different religions.
It’s important because it talks about subjects adolescents worry about. Also, it shows an interfaith family and the importance of acceptance and forgiveness within families.
This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed – After her dad abandons the family and her mom moves them far away from their Chicago home, Noor decides to lay low and make it through the last semester of her senior year at the new school. At her new school, Noor discovers hundreds of books in the library are being removed because a new school board policy has labeled them obscene or pornographic. Most of these books were written by queer or BIPOC authors. Targeted censorship goes against everything Noor believes. Can she remain silent, or will she tangle with small town opinions and politics? For ages 12 and up
Challenged for questioning authority and supporting DEI of queer and BIPOC authors.
It is important to read because no book should be judged by the sexual orientation, race, religion, or ethnicity of its author. Also it protests censorship.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson – This is classified as a trauma fiction because it deals with the aftermath of a rape. Before the start of her freshman year of high school, Melinda attends a party with a boy who gets her drunk and rapes her after she passes out. When Melinda wakes up, she calls 911, but she is unable to tell the operator what happened to her. Melinda hangs up and runs home, but the police come and break up the party. Somehow word gets out that Melinda is responsible for the call that broke up the party and she becomes a social Pyrrha. Unable to deal with the trauma of what happened to her, she blocks it out and stops speaking completely. Melinda begins to communicate through her art and deal with her trauma. For ages 12 and up
Challenged because it depicts teens drinking and rape.
Important because it deals with peer pressure, drinking, ability to consent, and rape. It’s a lesson for boys and girls about consent, entitlement, safety, bodily autonomy, and the dangers of underage drinking and attending unsupervised parties.
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez – A forbidden romance between a Mexican girl and an African American boy in a Texas oil town in the segregated 1930s has been praised as an American Romeo and Juliet story. For ages 14-17
Challenged for its depictions of racism, segregation, and interracial dating.
It is important because it realistically depicts the challenges faced by couples involved in interracial relationships before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case Loving V. Virginia n 1967 ruled that laws (local, state, or federal) banning interracial marriage violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14th Amendment. Texas miscegenation laws were enacted in 1837 and were not repealed until 1969 despite the 1967 decision by SCOTUS.