Reading Between the Lines
November 14, 2023 2024-01-05 14:52Reading Between the Lines
The banning of books in school
Most people have read at least one book growing up, whether it was as early as pre-k or as late as college. It is uncommon for someone to have never read something at some point. It will not be surprising if students slowly lose interest in checking out library books since they are being removed left and right.
“I don’t think the school board realizes how bad this can become,” said DBHS junior Arlen Gutierrez-Uribe. “Students might end up going store to store, library to library, just to get their hands on a book that they should’ve been able to get, for free, at their school’s media center.”
Although the internet and online books now exist, some people still go to libraries to check out books. There is a different feeling to holding a physical book that digital books do not have. Media centers make it more convenient for students who might not have a library near their house or cannot access stories online. Some people use this as an advantage to check out books they have wanted to try or have been looking for.
“This is kinda unfair, especially to those of certain identities; it is like taking representation from them,” said DBHS junior Hannah Gage. “Some of what they’re pulling is reasonable, but the rest is also just unnecessary.”
All schools, whether someone is in high school, middle school, or elementary school, carry books that seemingly appeal to their students and their grades. The higher the grade level, the more differences in both interest and literary. Young adult novels are more common in high schools as they appeal to kids and teens over 12. At times, students check out these books to learn more about themselves or what is to come with age. It makes things unfair when school boards pull a book from their inventory with little to no warning. Books are to entertain, inform, and help the people who read them in some way, from coming of age to identity issues or even society and world issues.
“Honestly, I’m not all against book bans, to a certain extent,” said DBHS sophomore Lavender Palmer. “However, it should focus on very explicit things, and it shouldn’t be biased and censor things that teens relate to, like stories about modern day problems or even how a person identifies.”
While censorship becomes an increasing issue with schools pulling out literary pieces, some good things come with it. Some books with explicit scenes should be left alone for grown adults rather than left with impressionable teenagers. Some teens might take things they see from books and run with it, as they do with the media; even if the action is wrong, legal, or moral-wise, they do it because they saw it in a piece of media or literature.
Students use books to explore their imagination and creativity; they should not worry about their favorite book getting pulled out of media centers because of censorship. Students of any age should be able to check out a book that is to their liking and be able to read it.
