Think about how silly it would be
to ban knowledge of reality. Well guess what? That’s exactly what is going on
right now. Currently, there have been debates over whether or not young adult
books should be banned because of their “inappropriate” content. However, I think that books that deal with
controversial topics, such as self-harm and the harsh realities of teens’
lives, should not be censored in middle school libraries because most teens
find themselves being able to connect with the real issues described in them
and be given the opportunity to learn from their past doings and mistakes. And
if this is not the case, other teens should be exposed to these issues, perhaps
in order to prepare them for what they might encounter in the future.
A majority of these “book banners”
are parents. In the article “Darkness Too Visible,” Meghan Cox Gurdon discusses
the parental concerns about the dark themes in most teen literature today.
While one parent- Amy Freeman, a mother of three- looked for a book for her
13-year old daughter she felt that there was “nothing, not a thing, that I
could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and
self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff.” While this may be true, Freeman (as
well as most other parents) has not taken into consideration the lessons that
these books are teaching young readers. For example, “The Perks of Being a
Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky examines and goes into depth on many mature
topics, like sexual and drug abuse. But most importantly, Chbosky shows readers
that these topics are clearly not appropriate and should not be made an
influence, such as on pg. 100, where Charlie (the protagonist of the story and
also a freshman in high school) says, “Regardless, I decided to never take LSD
ever again.” Also, on the pages before, Chbosky describes the negative impact
and effects the dangerous drug had on Charlie. Chbosky is obviously trying to
get the point across to young adults that taking drugs is bad. In addition to
this, Cox explains that pathologies that went undescribed in print 40 years ago
are now completely spelled out, yet so commonplace in YA fiction that most
reviewers don’t even remark upon it. This simply shows that our generation is
moving on- it is time that teens mature, realize and learn how dark reality can
really be. And adults need to accept this fact.
Like “Darkness Too Visible,” “The
sick-lit books aimed at children: It’s a disturbing phenomenon. Tales of teenage
cancer, self-harm, suicide…” by Tanith Carey proposes a similar idea,
explaining the harsh topics in YA books, and their effects on teens. “Red
Tears” by Joanna Kenrick about a girl who self-harms to cope with pressure
caused some students to begin cutting themselves, or tipped them back into the
habit. In opposition to this, other students said that the novel helped them,
and can also help family members or friends of a self-harmer understand their
issue. In fact, child psychologist Emma Citron says that it is OK for young
people to read these books, as long as parents keep a watchful eye on them and
listen to what they are thinking and feeling. In this case, “Red Tears,” a
story that involves self-harm, is used as a coping tool for self-harmers. This is yet another reason why teen literature
should not be banned, because it gives teens and adults alike useful insight on
universal problems.
Both articles above expressed the
views of parents’ beliefs that YA fiction today is violent and dangerous.
However, “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood” by Sherman Alexie
explains to us that banning these books because of their dark themes is
actually completely useless. Alexie spoke at a promotion ceremony for Seattle
alternative high school to kids who had survived depression, attempted suicide,
gang warfare, sexual and physical abuse, absentee parents, poverty, racism, and
learning disabilities, all of whom had read Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary
of a Part-Time Indian,” which is included on the banned book list. Afterwards,
many of the graduates went up to meet him and ask questions. Sherman Alexie is
very popular amongst teens and pre-teens that have read his book. “And, often,
kids have told me that my YA novel is the only book they’ve ever read in its
entirety,” he says. So why ban it? Alexie also makes an excellent point: If
kids are already going through the controversial issues described in these
so-called “banned books,” then how will they at all affect them? He also speaks
of Ms. Gordon’s article “Darkness Too Visible,” saying, “Does she believe that
a YA novel will somehow shock a teenager whose life has been damaged by murder
and rape? Does she believe that a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who
already lives in hell?” Alexie makes it clear that the banning of books is
pointless. Countless children, such as himself, have already been affected by
these “dark” themes, and can’t hurt them any further. Really, the only
intentions that book banners could possibly have are to save the privileged children’s
lives that haven’t already been ruined, and protect their own ideas of what
literature is and should be.
In conclusion, it is not beneficial
to ban books, whether it may be in middle school libraries, or any library.
They are obviously of importance in teenagers’ lives. Although parents, as do
many other adults, believe that the themes expressed in YA literature are much
too dark, there are many powerful lessons that lay hidden in these books. Teens
need exposure to these topics, and it is important that they learn about them
before it is too late. And as for the harshness of reality that is portrayed in
teen novels, book banners do not realize that in some cases, teens are already
experiencing this in their every day lives. So why take away YA novels when
teens are already living amongst it?
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