Today, October 7th, is Let Freedom Read Day, a day dedicated to speaking out against censorship and standing up for the freedom to read. The above link has some great info on ways you can take action, so for the sake of redundancy, I won't get into that here.
Instead, I want to talk about a few specific books, why they're banned, what we can learn from them, and why reading is more important now than ever.
“Orwell's vision of our terrible future was that world - the world in which books are banned or burned. Yet it is not the most terrifying world I can think of. I think instead of Huxley [...] I think of his Brave New World. His vision was the more terrible, especially now because it appears to be rapidly coming true, whereas the world of 1984 did not. What is Huxley's horrific vision? It is a world where there is no need for books to be banned, because no one can be bothered to read one.”
― Marcus Sedgwick, The Monsters We Deserve
A book ban refers to books that have been banned in school libraries, classrooms, and/or public libraries, and sadly, it's nothing new. There have been many Banned & Challenged Classics over the years, dating back to the early 1900's.
In 2023, more books are being challenged and banned than ever before, seeing a 28% increase from the previous school year.
While you can check out the full Index of School Book Bans if you're feeling curious, there are a few specific and currently banned or challenged titles that I want to talk about today.
Tricks, Identical, Crank, & People Kill People, by Ellen Hopkins: You read that correctly. Ellen Hopkins has managed to make the 50 Most Banned Books in America list not once, not twice, but four times (technically five, but we'll get to that in a minute)!
I'm sure you're wondering the same thing I was: What on earth is this woman writing about? Well, buckle up!
Tricks tells the incredibly raw story of five teenagers, from very different walks of life, who each manage to find themselves in the world of prostitution.
Crank puts the realities of drug addiction on display, following an honor roll student's descent down a dark path that she may not be able to come back from. Crank is also part one of a series, followed by Glass and Fallout (banned book #5 for Hopkins).
Identical follows 16-year-old twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne, who seem to have it all. However, Kaeleigh seems to be their dad's favorite. Raeanne begins to act out through alcohol, drugs, and sex, but Kaeleigh is facing struggles of her own: what Raeanne sees as favoritism is actually incest and sexual assault, happening behind closed doors.
Lastly, People Kill People explores the topic of gun violence, highlighting the stories and struggles of six characters who each may have a reason for pulling the trigger. It explores topics such as racism, envy, sexual abuse, white supremacy, and revenge
Why they're banned: Obviously, the subject matter of all these books is very dark, and I'd advise anyone to do their research and know what they're getting into before they open any one of them. However, does that mean they should be banned altogether? Absolutely not!
Each one of these books bring attention to real life issues, and the more we're able to understand these issues, the more we may be able to do something about them. That's exactly why books like these are so important.
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini: Tied with People Kill People for #50 on the list comes The Kite Runner. Starting out in Afghanistan in 1975, this story follows Amir through childhood and into his adult life. Amir witnesses something horrible happen to his best friend, Hassan, but chooses not to intervene—a choice that haunts him for the rest of his life. When Afghanistan is invaded, Amir and his family reluctantly flee to the safety of America. Years later, Amir makes a dangerous journey to his war-torn home in an attempt to make things right.
Why it's banned: Oh, let us count the ways... Sexual assault of children, graphic depictions of war, racism, a suicide attempt, and so much more. This is another incredibly dark story with lots of subject matter that could potentially be triggering.
It's also an informative story that teaches readers about the Afghan culture, and depicts the realities that the Afghan people faced during the Russian invasion and the Taliban takeover.
The Handmaid's Tale & Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood: That's right, we've got another multiple offender on the list!
The Handmaid's Tale, now also a popular TV series, takes place in a dystopian future where women are not allowed to read, and their value is determined solely by their ability to have children.
Oryx and Crake takes a somewhat similar route, set in a futuristic world that has been wiped out by plague, climate change, and a government takeover. It follows the story of Snowman, who may be the last human alive, as he fights to survive and find purpose in this new world order.
Why they're banned: The Handmaid's Tale is full of blatant misogyny, as well as graphic depictions of physical and sexual abuse, whereas Oryx and Crake explores topics such as sex trafficking, pornography, and child abuse.
Both of these books depict a future that we may not be so far away from, which is why I believe it's important for them to be read and discussed—not swept under the rug.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison: Published in 1987 and winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988, Beloved now finds itself banned in many modern-day schools. Based loosely on the real life of Margaret Garner, Beloved tells the moving story of Sethe, an enslaved person who made a daring escape to Ohio. However, Sethe struggles to escape from what she saw and endured, making it hard for her to ever feel truly free.
Why it's banned: Beloved highlights the very real horrors faced by enslaved people, with graphic mentions of physical and sexual abuse, racism, and death. These stories are a crucial part of history that deserve to be told.
"The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people, outlawed languages flourishing underground, essayists' questions challenging authority never being posed, unstaged plays, cancelled films — that thought is a nightmare. As though a whole universe is being described in invisible ink. Certain kinds of trauma visited on peoples are so deep, so cruel, that unlike money, unlike vengeance, even unlike justice, or rights, or the goodwill of others, only writers can translate such trauma and turn sorrow into meaning, sharpening the moral imagination."
— Toni Morrison
In conclusion, books are banned when they contain subject matter that may be seen as controversial, offensive, or upsetting to readers. While I do agree that some of the books mentioned above are not intended for younger audiences, and I'm sure some of the people who choose to ban them have good intentions, banning them altogether is not the answer. It shouldn't even be an option.
However, if books are still being banned, that's a good sign: it means that people are reading!
So, next time you see that a book is banned, your first question should be "Why?" Your second question should be "Where can I get a copy?"
The more we are willing and able to learn about the world around us, the better equipped we are to make it a better place. Understanding the past and the present, as well as opening our minds to different cultures and viewpoints besides our own, is a huge part of building a better future.
This is why reading is so important. This is why books pertaining to these things need to be read.
“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.”
― Stephen Chbosky
As always, I would love to know your thoughts! Have you read any banned books? What others do you think deserve to be talked about? Be sure to join me on Discord so we can chat about them! This is a topic that I'd really love to discuss.
Thank you so much for reading, and don't forget to show your support for banned books today!
'•.¸♡ Let Freedom Read! ♡¸.•'