Book Banning: Where Does it Start?

  I don't remember where or when I first fell in love with reading, but I remember being supported in the classroom to continue to read. To further my reading skills by reading something new or different, I actually enjoy some of the school-selected texts we read in class (some of them). Without knowing, I felt encouraged to read whatever I wanted or pick up something I would not generally read daily. This became my normal. For others, it can be difficult to find interest in reading—the motivation to read for pleasure and not for school, work, or business. As a future English teacher, I can see this within students. The lack of interest in reading for fun has slowly become a lack of interest. This makes me wonder what I can do to get students interested in reading anything or to understand that something is interesting for them out there, if not in the classroom. 

    I want to look more into book bans and book censorship. I want to know more about how school boards, administrators, and politicians decide what books should be banned and what should be considered to be taught in class. Teachers have little flexibility when choosing the material for their classroom reading. This can depend on where you live and what schools you work at. Some books are being challenged in Wichita but not completely banned. Books that people believe are doing some harm to students or others should be banned. Some of them have similar topics, such as violence, language, and themes of LGBQT.

 

• "Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany D. Jackson
• "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson
• "George/Melissa's Story" by Alex Gino

    Censorship and book banning affect schools differently, yet it remains a significant issue impacting students everywhere. This can limit teachers' access to new educational materials. Today's students may not value classics as adults did a century ago, and even many adults today are not fond of books deemed as classics. I plan to conduct further research to explore my questions on this subject.

What steps or questions do administrators and the school board ask when reviewing books for their school? 

What standards do they hold for every book deemed worthy enough for our students?

What are some cases that students or teachers have regarding their specific school book bans or censorship? Do they believe it makes a difference?