There are tons of books being challenged this year, especially books that students have been reading in classes recently. “Banned Books” are books that are not allowed in a public library or a class setting. Banned books range widely and are not limited to a specific author or genre. Typically, they are picked by the ALA, the American Library Association which picks which books are being challenged, which means they are likely to be banned in the near future.
Specifically in 2024, many books that contain LGBTQ+, sexually explicit content, offensive language, or unsuited for any age group have been challenged.
Many people, especially students, have different but strong opinions on this topic. Ethan Nguyen, a Sophomore at ERHS states, “While I am not as educated on the book ban, I do not find it necessary for this to take place. There is no reason that books that help educate people on different topics such as homosexuality should be banned.”
Like many other students, Nguyen feels that books help educate many students and those who do not have access to many books.
Another student at ERHS, the freshman Charlotte Quan says, “I feel that the book ban is unnecessary due to the fact that a lot of learning centers around literature and having access to books that talk about difficult and complex topics. I also feel that the book ban could hinder children’s education due to the lack of information about the past in other forms than textbooks.”
Quan also plans on reading a few banned bucks such as, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Hate U Give”. She states her reasons for reading these, “They are both soon to be banned because they talk about flaws in our justice system and use profanity.”
Quan is one of the passionate students who feel books should not be banned due to the fact that it controls how much information we can consume about the past, and how there are specific aspects we won’t be able to learn about in school settings.
Some of the main targets for books being banned are LGBTQ books, depictions of sex, specific books of history, or characters who are people of color. Banning these books makes students feel as if they can only consume certain types of history.
Nox Gaither, a Junior at ERHS expresses his feelings for this as well, “I feel as if the book ban can be extremely harmful for both current students and future incoming students. All these books carry a lot of impact things and can teach a lot about the world such as themes of fascism and racism, and how the human condition isn’t always positive.”
Nox expressed his opinions about how it is to have access to books, “Books are an extremely important way for people to learn about the world, a lot of these books talk about things students will not be able to experience but is still good for them to learn about.”
Many people feel that the book ban isn’t good for educational purposes. It’s difficult for many students to be able to find access to learning about these things, and books being removed from libraries and schools will make it even more difficult, especially as 2024 comes to an end as more books are being removed at the end of this year.
