Beyond the Book: Banned Books Week 2020

Ban This Book

By: Alan Gratz

4/5 Banned Books

Banned Books Week is once again upon us. As a future librarian and avid reader, this week never fails to peak my interest. How can people ban a book when we have the First Amendment? Well, it's unfortunately not a simple matter.

The American Library Association (ALA) is home to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, which fights for everyone's right to read and have access to all forms of information. In the 1982 Supreme Court case Island Trees School District Board of Education v. Pico, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that board member opinions come second to the First Amendment (Dankowski 2015). Dankowski (2015) states that the ruling ultimately stated that board members could not ban books from the library solely because they disagreed with the content. After the conclusion of the case, Judith Krug - a librarian and activist - decided to draw attention to our First Amendment right (bannedbooksweek.org). The week, which has since been held the last week of September, is designed to unite the book community and highlight our free and open access information.

From 1982 to 2015, the ALA reported that 11,300 books have been challenged across the United States (Dankowski 2015). A challenge is an attempt to remove materials from the library, while a banning is the actual removal of those materials. Despite living in the 21st century, books are still banned throughout our country's libraries. The reasons vary; however, many cite "LGBTQ+ content" as the reason for the challenge. In 2019, the ALA tracked a total of 566 targeted books, 377 of which were looked at closely. The association compiled a list of the 11 most challenged books of 2019, 8 of which were challenged due to LGBTQ+ content (OIF 2019). One books was even challenged, citing that "schools should not put books in a child's hands that require discussion." At risk of sounding biased... that is just ridiculous.

While I think parents absolutely reserve the right to prevent their own child from reading books, I don't understand why they think that right extends to everyone else's child. Despite attending grad school for Library Science, I still don't understand how books can be banned when we have the First Amendment. What I do know is that the ALA and OIF continue to fight for our freedom to all information.

Book Review

Ban This Book is a middle grade novel that seeks to explain book banning to a younger audience. Amy Anne finds her only escape in the library. With a more than full house, and obnoxiously loud sisters, the only moments of peace Amy Anne has are when she spends an hour after school in the library. Her favorite book - From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - is her go-to each week. When no other student has that book checked out, you can guarantee it's in the hands of Amy Anne.

One day, Amy Anne runs to the library to find her book missing. While she's happy another student is enjoying it, she's upset that she can't read it herself. When she asks the librarian to place a hold, Amy Anne is told the horrible news: From the Mixed Up Files has been banned from her school's library. This means no one can read it! Utterly upset, Amy Anne cries to her parents. They offer to take her to the bookstore to buy her very own copy. While Amy Anne agrees, she also acknowledges how lucky she is to have supportive parents who can buy her books. Before she knows it, Amy Anne notices more and more books missing from the library. Whoever banned From the Mixed Up Files is now after Captain Underpants, Matilda, and much more. Amy Anne makes it her mission to create her own library: The Banned Books Library. She begins and underground operation in hopes of circulating the books to all students. Will she be able to continue her rule-breaking operation. or will Amy Anne end up getting banned herself?

I actually loved this book more than I thought I would! The concept of book banning is so much more complicated when trying to explain it to a younger audience. There's a thin line between teaching them the concept and having them understand that their parents still hold the power to tell them no. Many students, and adults for that matter, get confused when discussing the difference between challenges and bans. Gratz does an excellent job in simplifying the two terms and presenting them in a way that conveys the message accurately.

I also loved the level of emotion in this book. Not only was Amy Anne upset about the books, but she was still a child with real-life problems. Her emotions are raw and relatable, creating an overall enjoyable read. I loved that Amy Anne found her voice in the end and was able to successfully overrule the adults. Once again, Gratz expertly discussed that parents still have the right to tell us no.

Due to some more mature content in the book (i.e. discussing sex), I would say this isn't appropriate to read to elementary students without parental consent. It is most definitely appropriate for middle schoolers (grade 7-8) as the mention of sex is brief and nondescript. While I don't believe in not starting conversations, having elementary schoolers ask what sex is during Banned Books Week won't help any cause in the long run. The book reads well and the dialogue makes sense for 7-8 graders, and I think this book would be a great accommodation to a Banned Books Week lesson.

Works Cited

Banned Books Week. (2020). "About." Banned Books Week. Retrieved from here.

Dankowski, T. (2015). "By the Numbers: Banned Books Week." American Libraries. Retrieved from

here.

Office of Intellectual Freedom. (2020). "Banned Books Week." American Library Association. Retrieved from here.

Office of Intellectual Freedom. (2020). "Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists." American Library Association. Retrieved from here.