ARTICLE OF THE WEEK -

ENGL 3690
JESS DAMER

BOOK BANS:
WHAT TO
KNOW
SARAH WOOD
What is a book ban?
Different from a challenge, a ban
results in materials being removed
from a library or classroom and is
the potential outcome of a challenge.
A challenge is an attempt to remove
or restrict materials based on the
objection of a person or group of
people.
 "When a book is banned from a district, that
just means it's not accessible in the media
center or the classrooms on that campus. But
that doesn't mean you couldn't go across the
street to the community library or find it online."
Why are books banned?
Contains sexually explicit content
Uses offensive language
Deemed unsuitable for any age group

Spreads "radical and racist ideologies to

students"
 How do books
become banned?
Parents express individual concerns to
librarians, who can limit the students of
those parents' ability to check out certain
books.
If parents want to pull those books off the
shelves all together, the district becomes
involved.
Examples of Censored
Books
"Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe
"Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison
"All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson
"Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez
"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
"Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Impact of Book Bans
Limited representation for students,
leading to feelings of isolation and
invalidation
Questioned professionalism for librarians
Restricted resources for teachers

"The American Library Association tracked

729 attempts to remove library, school, and
university materials in 2021, which involved
1,597 books. In comparison, the association
tracked 156 attempts in 2020 and 377 in 2019."
 Works Cited
Wood, S. (2022, May 17). Book Bans: What to Know .
U.S. News. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from
https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/bo
ok-bans-what-to-know