In light of the surging school book bans since 2022, classroom shelves serve as battlegrounds for freedom of expression. As defined by Pen America, book bans characterize the restriction or prohibition of a previously accessible book to students due to challenges made by citizens such as parents, school administration or government officials. A thin line defines the ethical merit of a book’s suppression, teetering between the protection of kids against mature topics and preventing exposure to abstract thought — ultimately placing public school students and teachers into positions of anxiety and tension.
Books represent a foundation for knowledge and imagination, encouraging children to think. While students require protection from mature or explicit content, book bans may impede schools that previously depended on content now considered “inappropriate.” Through limiting access to educational material and encumbering educators, schools face the impact of book censorship daily.
Banning books derived from an ancient concept tracing back to 213 BCE, China. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered mass book burnings to demonstrate power, especially targeting content that held the potential to challenge him against past rulers. Following Emperor Huang, books continued to face constant subjection. Examples of this include Nazi Germany during the Holocaust; the U.S.’s Red Scare in the 1950s and 60s; Argentina’s Last Dictatorship; the firebombing of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, 1992 and the decimation of Timbuktu’s ancient manuscripts, 2013. Book censorship began plaguing America in 1637 upon the prohibition of “New English Canaan” by Thomas Morton.
In the present day, Moms for Liberty heads a significant number of challenges against books, leading to the removal of content from public shelves. Co-founded by Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich in 2021, Moms for Liberty lists and pushes school boards against books containing controversial material. Common themes among challenged books include sexually explicit content, violence, LGBTQIA+ ideals, drugs and alcohol, racism, controversial religious and political notions and profanity.
Pressure to avoid censored topics places schools in a delicate position, appeasing both educational needs and public concerns. Students’ access to information, especially concerning historical conflicts addressing diverse identities and beliefs, becomes limited under strict regulation. For example, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee commonly appears in middle and high school curricula, teaching lessons on racial prejudice, moral courage and literary devices. However, the novel faces prohibition and restrictions in numerous school counties — such as the Burbank Unified School District in California, Duluth Public Schools in Minnesota and Biloxi Public School District in Mississippi — depriving students of Lee’s wisdom and perspectives.
Stripping students of educational content creates a tense school environment — both for pupils who require diverse materials to learn and for teachers attempting to navigate a system restraining their resources. Literacy via textile objects, enhanced by the printing press in 1440, traces back to over 5,000 years ago, serving as the cornerstone for the cultivation of knowledge. Thus, the mass removal of books unsurprisingly leaves educational systems struggling to appropriately teach an array of subjects without using the materials they previously depended upon. In turn, students receive a controlled supply of information, limiting the social and educational perspectives they become exposed to.
The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (HRRB) demonstrates how book bans directly affect educational programs. A Georgia-based reading competition, HRRB participants read 20 award-winning books before attending divisional competitions testing teams on the books’ contents. Middle and high schools commonly institute these teams, promoting students to read and exercise their critical thinking. Book restrictions, however, led to several Cobb County schools — including NC — to withdraw from the 2023 competition due to two controversial books: “Attack of the Black Rectangles” by A.S. King and “Too Bright To See” by Kyle Lukoff, containing themes of censorship and gender identity, respectively.
“Last year, Hellen Ruffin was cancelled; it was a really big deal. This year, the tournament was [February 15]. It was so different; the entire thing was run by the state. All the questions were written by the state and they’re usually written by volunteers. State questions are always less detailed because they don’t actually read the books. [Also,] some schools pulled out of the competition because they didn’t want to be associated with the risk of reading a book that might be a danger to the kids — teachers are scared of losing their jobs… It felt really stifling. I was honestly really upset by the end of it because I was like, ‘This isn’t how we’re supposed to do it.’ It took the fun out of it,” magnet junior Myracle Hurst said.
In an attempt to shield children from harmful material, book bans ironically suppress the education and well-being of children across America. This contradiction limits the future generation’s diversity of thought by narrowing the perspectives from which one may learn. Multiple sources remain essential to establish a thorough understanding of a topic, allowing pupils to synthesize and process the nuances of a subject. In this way, children’s education and critical thinking skills suffer from a tightly controlled access to books.
In a handful of cases, the removal of books from a children’s library remains necessary to protect young readers from truly age-inappropriate content meant for adults. These themes include sexually explicit material, violence and hatred too extreme for young minds. To avoid crossing the line between protecting kids from mature content and suppressing their resources, one must approach books with a neutral perspective — putting aside an individual’s personal feelings for topics including politics, human rights and religion — to allow children to explore topics with diverse content, safely.
“As a principle, I’m against book bans and censorship, but there are some cases where it’s warranted. If a pornographic magazine was in a library in the children’s section, it should be removed. It comes down to appropriate placing, and the materials under criticism are generally subjects about queer people, the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration and civil rights. Kids should be allowed to read about other kids who may have challenges or beauties in their lives that they can or cannot relate to; it’s essential in growing up a good human being,” Duke University Professor of Cultural Anthropology Robin Kirk said.
Book bans, while harmful to students, also heavily impact teachers. Educators must balance a teetering tightrope to appease all parties involved in a child’s education — school boards, parents and students. This means painstakingly sorting through content that their supervisor permits, that would not offend diverse parents and that properly educates their students. Limiting teachers’ sources increases the difficulty of their job and adds a plethora of stress to an already demanding job. Educators’ voices become undermined when choices regarding their curriculum face scrutiny. Book bans commonly disregard the professional choices of teachers, leading to discouraged morale and a hurt education system.
“I am against censorship. It has limited what we can teach and the voices we can include. I am second-guessing my choices on a regular basis for fear that I may be in violation of the vaguely worded ‘divisive concepts’ and ‘harmful to minors’ law just by including texts that we have all taught for years without issue. It saddens and frightens me. A free exchange of ideas is necessary for an enlightened and progressive society. If we look at history, there has never been a prosperous, thriving democracy that banned books,” Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar, AP English Language and Composition and multicultural literature teacher Dr. Krista Wilson said.
Due to books’ important role in education, protecting citizens’ rights to enjoy an assortment of literary content remains vital. Taking action to support access to books exists in numerous forms, including writing to authors of banned works. Informing those regulating books of their constituents’ beliefs amplifies ordinary citizens’ voices and protects individuals’ rights. Additionally, exercising reading liberties by checking out banned books from local libraries remains vital in supporting authors of banned books and exemplifying society for content facing challenges.
Although a nuanced issue, establishing the line between protecting kids from mature ideology and obstructing access to diverse reading material remains essential. The ability to enjoy assorted educational content exists as a civil right, vital to developing kids’ intellect and critical thinking. Thus, U.S. citizens must remain vigilant to protect this freedom and ensure an ideal education for future generations.
E Stein • Apr 17, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Great article Cassidy!