Wicked Problem: Banned Books

Challenging and Banning Books:

A Wicked Problem

A brief history of banning books in the USA

1637

The first known banned book

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1851

Racially motivated bans

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1953

A book about banning books

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1950's-60's

Banning Ideologies

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1982

Board of Education v. Pico

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2022

New peak in banned book proposals

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Book Banning Today

Alter & Harris, 2023

Challenge vs Banned (ALA, 2016)

Challenging and banning books have long been an aspect of school board meetings, but now, parents, activists, school board officials, and lawmakers have been challenging books at a pace that we haven't seen in decades. Not since the 1980s, when another conservative base with similar ideals took on book banning.

Top 3 Reasons Why Books Are Challenged As Reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom (ALA, 2016):

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The difference now is...

COLLIS. “Censorship by the Numbers.” Advocacy, Legislation & Issues, 20 Apr. 2023, https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/by-the-numbers.Banned books statistics – wordsrated. (2023, May 10). https://wordsrated.com/banned-books-statistics/

Banned Books in Recent Years

Statistics

Who Was Challenging Books in 2022?

Proposed Book Bans in the US

Over the course of a decade

1,269

Challenges

99%

of all requests for banning books occur in schools and libraries

Number of Book Challenges Each Year Across Three States

References

COLLIS. “Censorship by the Numbers.” Advocacy, Legislation & Issues, 20 Apr. 2023, https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/by-the-numbers. Banned books statistics – wordsrated. (2023, May 10). https://wordsrated.com/banned-books-statistics/

2,349

Titles Challenged in Texas in 2022

Former U.S. President

Parents

Different Perspectives

Author

Mayor

Student

Student

Student

Student

Former School Board Member

Author

Preservice Teacher

Which Books are Challenged?

Watch

Why is this a WICKED PROBLEM?

What Can We Do?

Ideas and Brainstorming...

What if...

What if parents could select which books their own kid reads?

As with any problem, we can ask ourselves "what if..." There are so many possibilities for how to address the wicked problem of book banning, but this line of thinking takes us down a deeper path of questioning...

What if books had official age rating systems and explicit tags?

What if commitees were required to read the books they challenged?

What if research had to be presented on why a book should be banned?

HOW?

What if there was a space for students to discuss challenged books?

References

“The politicalization of the topic is what's different than what I’ve seen in the past,” said Britten Follett, the chief executive of content at Follett School Solutions, one of the country’s largest providers of books to K-12 schools. “It’s being driven by legislation, it’s being driven by politicians aligning with one side or the other. And in the end, the librarian, teacher or educator is getting caught in the middle.” (Alter & Harris, 2023)

If parents want to get rid of any romance books with gay characters, they’d better be prepared to get rid of all romances, because otherwise it’s unequal. I think that efforts across the nation to remove books discussing racism and other social issues are essentially efforts to silence the voices of others … Does The Hate U Give, an eye-opening novel about being a young black girl in America, really have to be considered equal to Adolph Hitler’s autobiography in the eyes of a school?

Paulina (Student), Julia R. Masterson Middle School (The Learning Network, 2022)

Island Trees School District v. Pico

"After obtaining a list of "objectionable" books from a politically conservative educational conference, a New York school board created a book review committee composed of parents and school staff to review the books. The committee recommended that five books be retained and two be removed, took no position on one, "could not agree on two," and suggested that one be available to students who receive parental approval." The board responded by banning nine books and only retaining one, with no reasoning given.

The case was taken to the supreme court, and the judges were divided in their ruling in regards to the application of the First Amendment to the case. In the end, the supreme court held that “local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to 'prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.'”

Shearer, M. (2022-2023). Banning Books or Banning BIPOC?. Northwestern University Law Review Online, 117, 24-45. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/nulro117&section=3

What If...

commitees were required to read the books they challenge?

Groups that challenge books based on their content need to know why the book should be banned. It's considered unprofessional to pass this form of judgement on a product that you haven't experienced, so why should books be banned by people who never read the book?

• How would this be enforced?
• How would we know if someone read the book?
• How many books would have to be read on a regular basis?

Matt Krause's List

In 2022, Texas representative Matt Krause compiled a list of 850 books that he challenged that he claimed "might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex." This wording made banning these books seem like a good idea to protect the kids.Notably, upon reviewing the first 100 books on Krause's list, a local news source determined that ninety-seven "were written by ethnic minorities, women[,] or LGBTQ authors." This gives the impression that the challenge was an attack on under-represented groups of Americans.

Shearer, M. (2022-2023). Banning Books or Banning BIPOC?. Northwestern University Law Review Online, 117, 24-45. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/nulro117&section=3

It is essential for students to have relatively unrestricted access to books describing race and LGBTQ issues. However, I think that pledging to represent “all perspectives” of certain topics in libraries creates a slippery slope...I worry some would attempt to create a “balanced” perspective for students by placing Holocaust-denying books in the library as well, even though the genocide’s existence, scale, and horror is indisputable. We should, by all means, allow students to absorb multiple opinions and ideas. We should let students read both Ayn Rand and Karl Marx. But we must not allow this quest for balance, for a wholistic perspective, to corrupt our youth with misinformation and flat-out lies.

Sean (Student), Glenbard West High School (The Learning Network, 2022)

What If...

books had an official age rating system and explicit tags?

Books could have an age ratings board, similar to the CARA for film and the ESRB for video games. This would be complete with content warnings and explicit tags. Authors could also have the option to release "clean" versions of their books.

• How could this be added to classic books that are already published?
• How could we determine what would count as "explicit"?
• How would this affect books being challenged based on content outside of swearing, sex and violence?

“By attacking these books, by attacking the authors, by attacking the subject matter, what they are doing is removing the possibility for conversation,” she said. “You are laying the groundwork for increasing bullying, disrespect, violence and attacks.”

Laurie Halse Anderson, Award Winning Author of Speak (Atler & Harris, 2023)

Robin Hood

During the "Red Scare," "an Indiana Textbook Commission member sought to remove Robin Hood from the state's school textbooks, arguing that Robin Hood's robbing the rich and giving to the poor enforced communist ideologies."This is only one example of the books banned for explicit or perceived ideologies, including The Lorax for spreading anti-logging propaganda.

“I didn’t know that was something you could do, file a criminal complaint against a book,” Johnson said in an interview.

George M. Johnson, Author of memoir "All Boys Aren't Blue" (Alter & Harris, 2023)

"The mayor of Ridgeland, Miss., recently withheld funding from the Madison County Library System, saying he would not release the money until books with L.G.B.T.Q. themes were removed, according to the library system’s executive director."

(Alter & Harris, 2023)

What If...

parents could select which books their own kid can read?

A list could be sent out to parents of books available to students in the school. The parent would then choose which books they think are too innappropriate for their child, and the school would keep a record of which students have access to which books.

• How could this be regulated?
• How can we make this as easy as possible?
• How would this work in districts with a lack of parent communication?

Never Stop Questioning!

We came to these ideas by asking questions, questioning those questions, and forming new questions from those thoughts. Incorporating banned books into a classroom requires that critical thinking element, and questioning everything from your own perspective.

• Mandy McMurray
• Nicholas Wright

Uncle Tom's Cabin

In 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote and published a book titled Uncle Tom's Cabin, a "novel that aimed to expose the evils of slavery." During this time, anti-slavery sentiments were prohibited in multiple states. In the south, public book burnings took place and it was banned from storefronts. It was a heavy crime to even own a copy of the book.

As a teenager I am still trying to find my way in this world; I want to know as many other viewpoints as possible so that I know my thoughts are my own and not just a product of a limited amount of information.

Jason (Student), Maine(The Learning Network, 2022)

“There are different stages of development of sexuality in our lives, and when that’s disrupted, it can have horrible long-term effects,” she said. “The bottom line is if parents are concerned about something, politicians need to pay attention,” Ms. Justice added. “2022 will be a year of the parent at the ballot box.”

Tiffany Justice, Former School Board Member in Indian River, FLA, and a founder of Moms For Liberty (Atler & Harris, 2023)

What If...

research had to be presented to back up why a book should be banned.

In order to ban a book, research must be presented that illustrates how the book could be harmful to students. This must include data from reputable sources and an argument that directly links the challenged book to the research.

• How would this be enforced?
• How would we address new releases?
• How would the field of literary research be affected by this?

What if...

there was a space for students to discussed challenged books?

Schools could offer elective courses where students read and evaluate banned books from history. In addition to this, students can access websites where they can post their thoughts on challenged books.

• How much freedom should students have in expressing controversial opinions?
• How would school discussions be moderated?
• How could the parents fight this?

"It honestly never came to my mind that teachers or even textbooks for that matter would have information in them which is not true. It makes sense that the authors want to make America look like the best country in the world, but there are enough things that America has done to prove it. I think that students would benefit knowing the truth about misdoings that have happened in our past and I was really surprised to learn that they have been censored from them."

Lycke, K. & Lucey, T. (2018). The Messages We Miss: Banned Books, Censored Texts, and Citizenship . Journal of Social Studies Education Research , 9 (3) , 1-26 . Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/jsser/issue/43625/534221

“To every citizen reading this, I hope you’ll join me in reminding anyone who will listen—and even some people you think might not—that the free, robust exchange or ideas has always been at the heart of American democracy,” Obama wrote in the letter to librarians.

Barack Obama, Former President of the United States (Dorn, 2023)

"It is my job to teach my kids about sex. It's ya'lls job to help teach about reading, writing..." "...this district, protect our children, or get out of the way." "This is pornography plain and simple, and it does not belong in our schools!"

3 Parents (Alter & Harris, 2023)

New English Canaan

The first known book to be banned in what would become the United States of America was New English Canaan by Thomas Morton.

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953, and it became a major part of high school curricula in the following years. The book tackles censorship and book burning in a manner that caused it to be banned itself in select state.In 1967, the book's publisher released an "revised" edition that they believed made the book more appropriate for a high school audience, removing swears and references to alcohol. By 1973, this was the only edition being published; the original wasn't available again until 1980.

If these books get taken down for inappropriate content, we need to find out the root reason why…Is it because these books talk about severe racism, sexuality, gender, and real-life harms? Why shouldn’t people learn how to identify, treat others with respect, understand how to help/support your BIPOC community, support victims, and understand the horrors inflicted upon LGBTQIA BIPOC people? Learning or understanding these issues will better your society, the empathy people have for others and have a way to have self-empowerment and community.

EZ (Student), California (The Learning Network, 2022)