Over 10,000 books were banned in the US during the last academic year, taking away children’s opportunities for growth, independence and exploration. The right to read is crucial and should not be stolen.
Awareness of banned books is vital in support of vocalizing the harms of censorship. Book banning is not a new topic. The Harvard Library reports that the first book ban in the United States took place in 1637. Puritans banned New English Canaan by Thomas Morton for its “harsh and heretical critique of Puritan customs and power structures.” Ever since that ban, the trend has rapidly increased and worsened. This is not a new issue, but one that seeks more awareness.
Flipping the Page with Anne Holman
Anne Holman, a co-owner at Kings English Bookstore in Salt Lake City, Utah said she is well-researched on banned books and unafraid to advocate against censorship. For Holman, reading is how children and adults learn to distinguish between fact and fiction.
“When choices are limited, our intellect is limited,” she said.
Holman shared how The Cat in the Hat is an excellent example of teaching kids the difference between right and wrong at a young age. While diving below the surface, it takes some time to see the deeper story in the children’s book, she said.
In this tale, kids learn the idea of “stranger danger.” The Cat, who seems fun at first glance, is a stranger and should not be let in the house, despite how exciting he may seem. The book helps children to differentiate the good from the bad.
Holman said she is unwavering in her belief against censorship, firmly stating, “No,” when asked if there are any circumstances in which banning a book is okay.
She said she believes if one book is banned, the line becomes blurred making it impossible to know where to draw it. Readers should have the opportunity to read and react to stories independently.
“Let the books stand on their own, or fall,” Holman said.
“Freed Between the Lines”
Banned Books Week 2024 was a blast, with fun activities and learning opportunities. The year’s theme was “Freed Between the Lines,” which the American Library Association explained as “an observance of the freedom we find in the pages of books and the need to defend that freedom from censorship.” Freedom is valued heavily in America, and the ALA argues that it is stripping away people’s freedom when books are banned.
The week featured nationwide and local panel discussions in person and online. Big names, such as authors Eliot Schrefer, Maulik Pancholy and Patricia McCormick, attended various panels to discuss and emphasize the issue. The online panels featuring the mentioned guests were free, encouraging anyone to listen in.
The panels were one of many ways people could learn and participate in Banned Books Week. The ALA also encouraged people to speak up about the problem with editors, family, friends, peers and others. The ALA provided simple ways to voice an opinion during the week and after: using the hashtag #BannedBooksWeek on any social media platform, donating to the ALA, and checking out banned books at local libraries.
