Report on banned books in schools for 2022

[Wu Wei]

Interesting thing about the Map in the OP. If you search banned books by state, most o them have banned books

To Kill a Mockingbird,' Other Books Banned From California Schools Over Racism Concerns

Banned Books & Censorship - Boston University Study

Brown: Censorship is alive and well in Louisiana

Montana Banned and Challenged Books Map

 

[Quintessence]

I find it interesting that the ALA's statement specifically points out bans targeting books about LGBT and Black people. These are two groups that the far-right "free speech" brigade often don't mention in their supposed concern about "freedom."

Yeah, it helps contextualize what is going on and that in spite of media sensationalism, this really is a noteworthy issue. What things actually look like on the ground, though? Dunno. I remember the folks fielding challenges back then being well-intentioned, polite and articulate, if a bit overly-sensitive sometimes. Their hearts were in the right place, just a bit too protective? That's the best way I can think of to describe it anyway.

What are the folks fielding these anti-LGBT+ and anti-BIPOC challenges like? Are they like the parents I remember from back then who were pretty much nice, well-intentioned (but a bit misguided) people? I don't know. They'd certainly be easier to negotiate and reason with if they were.

I find no problem with your educated view here, but I am concerned about how nuanced views like this would sail in the current political climate. Both parties seem to increasingly believe that all nuance is actually a dogwhistle, which is a view I find disgusting

Yeah, this is an issue. Some folks are just black-and-white thinkers who do not process nuance. Such paradigms have their place, mostly in non-multicultural societies. Therein lies the problem - we are a multicultural society. There's so much complexity it can overwhelm. I'm not sure I even have a good answer to questions like "in which age collection does this LGBT+ content belong?" All I know is that I would have benefited from more exposure to that human diversity when I was younger. More importantly, the LGBT+ community would have benefited. But the story behind that is for another time.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

They ban certain books, then want kids to read the Bible, which has adult content in it.

Like drunken incest.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

One the list are some that caught my eye:

• They Called Themselves The K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
• Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community
• The Life of Rosa Parks (Famous Lives Series)
• Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America
• The Abortion Debate (Essential Viewpoints)
• Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
• Rosa Parks
• What Were the Negro Leagues? (What was...? Series)
• Who Was Maya Angelou? (Who was...? Series)
• When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana
• Love to Mama: A Tribute To Mothers
• Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra
• Maus 1: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
• Who Is Sonia Sotomayor? (Who was...? Series)

This would be a useful list for liberal parents of younger children. I've never heard of any of these books. Buy them all, look at them, and if the content is age appropriate by your standards, give them to the kids, tell them that some kids are not allowed to read them to pique their interest, and then let them loan them to their friends pending their friends' parents' approval.

 

[sun rise]

This would be a useful list for liberal parents of younger children.

So learning about American history (Rosa Parks) etc is only for LIBERAL parents. Well, given the anti-American right, I suppose the left are the ones who truly care about American history rather than imposing right wing political correctness.

 

[sun rise]

Meanwhile six year old students are shooting teachers in the classroom.

The left is not the one who is banning those books. The right is all in on making it possible for everyone, terrorist, criminal or 6 year old to have weapons.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So learning about American history (Rosa Parks) etc is only for LIBERAL parents. Well, given the anti-American right, I suppose the left are the ones who truly care about American history rather than imposing right wing political correctness.

Well, yeah, it just means they have admit they suck at picking their heroes, and instead of upholding those who died to set people free they glorify those who died owning slaves. They glorify traitors. They have to accept those statues really did mostly go up as blacks were [re]gaining rights. They have to swallow the reality their religion, indeed no religion, has a place in the United States Government. That means they have to wake up, grow up and share society.

 

[Shaul]

The left is not the one who is banning those books. The right is all in on making it possible for everyone, terrorist, criminal or 6 year old to have weapons.

The Left certainly does their share of book banning. The Right certainly does not "make it possible for everyone, terrorist, criminal or 6 year old to have weapons". Get real.

 

[Sand Dancer]

So learning about American history (Rosa Parks) etc is only for LIBERAL parents. Well, given the anti-American right, I suppose the left are the ones who truly care about American history rather than imposing right wing political correctness.

They want to pretend that we didn't have a racist and sexist past. We're #1!

 

[fantome profane]

The Left certainly does their share of book banning. The Right certainly does not "make it possible for everyone, terrorist, criminal or 6 year old to have weapons". Get real.

Whatever, are we at least all on the same page that banning books is a bad thing? Can we all agree on that much?

 

[Watchmen]

It seems the anti-free speech right wing brigade far far far exceeds any free speech issues the left is guilty of. I wonder how long it will be before they're actually burning books along with censoring teacher speech in the name of political correctness. The one thing that can't stand is actually allowing freedom to read because that threatens their ideology. I won't write exactly what I think of those who are actively trying to promote racism, rewrite history and destroy America but they're taking lessons from China and other totalitarian regimes who rewrite history and suppress people learning about it.

The article comes from https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/

Report on banned books in schools for 2022

One the list are some that caught my eye:

• They Called Themselves The K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
• Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community
• The Life of Rosa Parks (Famous Lives Series)
• Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America
• The Abortion Debate (Essential Viewpoints)
• Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
• Rosa Parks
• What Were the Negro Leagues? (What was...? Series)
• Who Was Maya Angelou? (Who was...? Series)
• When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana
• Love to Mama: A Tribute To Mothers
• Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra
• Maus 1: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
• Who Is Sonia Sotomayor? (Who was...? Series)

A quick Google search suggests many of these were not outright banned, but were temporarily pulled because of a parent complaint and returned to the shelf after review. That is, for example, what happened to the Anne Frank Graphic diary in Texas. So now I’ve got to question whether this list is accurate or a political hit piece.

 

[Watchmen]

Whatever, are we at least all on the same page that banning books is a bad thing? Can we all agree on that much?

It’s not that simple. For example, I absolutely love “The Road” by Cormack McCarthy and would not mind one bit if it was required reading in high school, but I would “ban” the book from an elementary school library.

 

[fantome profane]

It’s not that simple. For example, I absolutely love “The Road” by Cormack McCarthy and would not mind one bit if it was required reading in high school, but I would “ban” the book from an elementary school library.

I figure if any elementary school student is capable of finding that book in the library and reading it, they have earned the right.

 

[SomeRandom]

I figure if any elementary school student is capable of finding that book in the library and reading it, they have earned the right.

Well I suppose varying reading levels is something to consider as well and they tend to overlap. Some students might be able to devour an Oscar Wilde play whilst others their age might find them too difficult.

Books are pretty varied and kids are just as varied. Whilst I personally favour a free for all approach, I will concede that there should be some lines drawn. Not for inappropriateness or for the sake of sheltering children, but a line drawn that takes into account differing sensibilities and capabilities.

I suppose it will be more a “generalised” approach. Since I’m sure in today’s age of information, I sincerely doubt that the school library banning a book makes it unreachable to today’s youth. Who likely all have some version of Kindle or at the very least access to the internet lol

 

[fantome profane]

Well I suppose varying reading levels is something to consider as well and they tend to overlap. Some students might be able to devour an Oscar Wilde play whilst others their age might find them too difficult.

Books are pretty varied and kids are just as varied. Whilst I personally favour a free for all approach, I will concede that there should be some lines drawn. Not for inappropriateness or for the sake of sheltering children, but a line drawn that takes into account differing sensibilities and capabilities.

I suppose it will be more a “generalised” approach. Since I’m sure in today’s age of information, I sincerely doubt that the school library banning a book makes it unreachable to today’s youth. Who likely all have some version of Kindle or at the very least access to the internet lol

Honestly, one of my greatest joys as a child was walking through the stacks in the library and looking for a new random book. I would pick a section and just see whatever caught my eye.

If things keep going like this the school library will have three books at the most. (and they won’t even be good ones)

 

[SomeRandom]

Honestly, one of my greatest joys as a child was walking through the stacks in the library and looking for a new random book. I would pick a section and just see whatever caught my eye.

If things keep going like this the school library will have three books at the most. (and they won’t even be good ones)

Honestly the library was already somewhat out of date when I was going to school. Like yeah I like the aesthetic as a book nerd lol. But computers had firmly taken over by the time I was in late primary school. And that was like the late 90s early 2000s
But yeah if you ban everything good then why bother having a library? Lol

 

[Watchmen]

I figure if any elementary school student is capable of finding that book in the library and reading it, they have earned the right.

So let’s put playboys in the elementary school library. Just for the articles, of course.