How Banning Books Marginalizes Children By Paul Ringel

In the article,”How Banning Books Marginalizes Children” the author Paul Ringel brings attention to an event called, “Banned Books Week” which has been occurring every year since 1982. This week gives prominence to “literary works frequently challenged by parents, schools and libraries” (Ringel 1) due to the context that relates to violence, religion, offensive language or the mentioning of drug use. 52 percent of the books that are obliged to be challenged in Ringel's opinion includes material that delivers “diverse content--which explores issues such as race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental illness, and disability” (1). Ringel believes books that create controversy and forces the reader to explore should not be banned, because it “end(s) up marginalizing the lives and experiences of many young readers, rather than protecting them” (2) from diverse content.

This magazine was banned due to its anti-slavery pieces, which resulted in the magazine collapsing in just 18 months. The subject of slavery during this time era was an awkward period where publishers were stuck between how to address the subject for younger children in a way that's both historically accurate and acceptable to parents. Ringel includes this evidence to support his claim that by not publishing controversial material it deprives younger children of valuable knowledge. Even though the majority of his evidence is pulled from literary works that are not recent, the reader understands that banning of books has been present for many