The Truth Behind "Banned Books"

Banned Books is a concept that is normal for American students to learn about during English class but what is the truth behind banned books. Lets start by explaining it more, a banned book is any book that people complain about for different reason. These books are usually removed from school libraries and curriculums. Most books are banned by parents complaining about a topic that is mentioned throughout the book some examples are:

- Harry Potter by JK Rowling

- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

- Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan 

- The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

- This Book is Gay by James Dawson

- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

- Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman 

- Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

and many more

Theses books can be banned from schools for many reasons. Some common reasons are:

- Racial Themes (example: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

- Alternate Lifestyles (example: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton)

- Profanity (example: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

- Sex (example: Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James)

- Violence (example: Beloved by Toni Morrison)

- Negativity (example: Lord of the flies by William Golding)

- Witchcraft (example: Harry Potter by JK Rowling)

- Unpopular Religious Views (example: The Da Vinci Code by Tom Egeland)

- Unpopular Political Opinions (example: Animal Farm by George Orwell)

- Themes Unsuitable for a Specific Age Group (example: The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky)

Though some of these ideas make sense for the books to be taken out of schools for example sexual themes. There are some reasons that make no sense for books to be removed one of which is homosexuality, yes this is a real reason some books are banned. Parents felt the need to ban books that talk about any sexuality that isn't being straight. This is very harmful and is full of hate for any LGBTQ+ child in those schools. Along with that many people go against books like The Hate You Give By Angie Thomas because it shows the life of a black person in America instead of the normal stories of white kids living their best live.

Overall banned books are a completely stupid thing that allows parents to control what is taught to their children when some of the material should be taught to them. It is also a way that parents can control their children's lives more by blocking out some information that may be taught through books like The Hate you Give and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  I believe that stories that can be used to educate your kids should not be banned unless it is too violent or explicit for their age group, because I believe the best way that children can learn is through the stories they read.