Controversial Books Should Be Taught In Schools Essay

The topic of whether controversial books should be made available for students to read or not has always been a hot topic for parents and the school board. On one side of the argument, a group of parents are against this as they don’t want their kids or in fact any child to read a controversial book. While another group of people are directly supporting the decision to allow schools to have students have access to a disputed book. When parents don't allow their kids to read such a book, they are limiting their capacity to acknowledge and understand many eye opening topics such as the LGBTQ or the history of racism. Creating restrictions on providing access to certain controversial books allows students to not explore their maturity. Although

However Cedarville District claimed the books promoted witchcraft, disobedience, and disrespect for higher authority. Novels are often challenged as many parents like to state that children can’t handle difficult ideas and information such as these books . Even though fiction books allow children to grow their imagination and immerse themselves in a world of fiction that allows students to learn about different ideologies. Books that are being made available to students in school libraries or being taught in class help focus on teachings about racism and other forms of systemic oppression that affect students in a positive way as they might not have been educated on topics like these. Books can help create successful bonds such as allowing students to engage into a world where they can develop their minds together with an

Reading books such as “Out of Darkness” by Ashely Hope Perez or “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison both emerge as a form of abuse. From source #5, the list of the top 10 most challenged books of 2021 all have a form of LGBTQ, racism or even sexual abuse. Allowing students to engage in controversial books improves social cues by increasing problem solving and awareness of empathy to such things. For example in source #6, school districts and parents have the authority to make these decisions based on what they think is better for curricular choices. However, limiting students’ access to materials usually in libraries violates the law. The law indicates schools can remove material out of concern based on what appropriates school-age children to not help suppress ideas. In souce #5, we can understand how the list includes LGBTQIA+ content, sexual education, and abuse based on the books picked out. The most alleged instances of book banning are often political. For example in source #6, it states how “In 1975, the Island Trees Union Free School removed from the school library several books that it regarded as “anti- American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic.” This goes to show that many parents and schools will challenge books simply because they dislike the ideas presented and are motivated by the desire to suppress a book’s ideas. The