Back in February 2024 there was a lot of conversation on the removal of specific books in schools. HB374 had passed and HB29 had passed the House which had caused debates among the people. Over the summer, Governor Spencer Cox signed the bill that has effectively banned 13 books in schools. Effective on July 1, 2024, these 13 books had to be taken off the shelf.
These books were on only the first list of banned books. Showing that there will be more in the future, when someone deems another group of books unsafe for teens. Davis School District voted to take all 13 out of their schools and Alpine District voted to take seven out of their library. If the school library had these books, they had to throw them out, they could not be recycled or donated. It’s clear that this literature has become considered waste, not even suitable for donation.
The entire “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series by Sarah J Maas along with books by Margaret Atwood and Judy Bloom. These books were banned for sexual content, content deemed as “pornography”, and violence. The list of banned books is mostly female authors and books that have sexual violence against women and LGBTQ themes. “Tilt” by Ellen Hopkins explores a 14-year-old girl’s want for love that turns violent. Scenarios like this happen a lot in the real world and teens need to be aware of it. Teens need to be exposed to real world problems and the issues within their community. By taking away books with diverse stories that show the hardships of life they might be able to find comfort. Many teens might be able to relate to these stories that are being taken off shelves.
While these books are still available in public libraries, not everyone has access to public libraries. Some library cards cost money and not every household has a library close. The school library is where most students interact with books. Censoring and banning titles is not going to help teens grow as students and as people. If a teen loves to read, taking away their opportunity is not the right way to do it. Even though the school library is the book heavy spot, teens are still very resourceful, and if they want to read something they will find a way to read it. Many high school students are almost 18 or already 18 and want to be treated like adults which means letting them read what they want. Literature shouldn’t be kept from the people, especially the ones with growing minds.
These bans and censorship on books are a clear infringement on freedom of speech. Not only are legislators silencing authors’ voices, they are silencing students and teens from also telling their stories. Our world is slowly becoming a dystopian society with the amount of censorship that happens. Why censor if not to control, why ban if not to indoctrinate? Literature should be free to everyone, including teens.
