What do you think of the concept of Banned Books Week?
The concept of Banned Books Week is very appealing to me because it helps the public understand what books are banned and why. Furthermore, this event also spreads awareness of the books that are banned, and readers are often attracted by banned books because of the interest in their content. Therefore, these books, although banned, are promoted to many readers who possibly have never heard of them.
I also think that the significance of Banned Books Weeks is that it makes readers think deeply about banning as a tool for promoting a certain agenda or propaganda (Schaub, 2015). For example, readers might ponder why Persepolis is banned. They will get acquainted with the book and find out about the human rights issues described in it. Thus, these books are perfect mediators of certain thoughts and concepts that are rarely considered.
Although I have not read any of these books with my students, I planned to introduce Persepolis or Looking for Alaska to them. Some teachers are afraid that the depiction of controversial issues in the books can adversely influence students, but a recent study shows there is no correlation between controversial books and antisocial behavior (Ferguson, 2014). Furthermore, many of my students read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and told me that they had enjoyed it, although the book was labeled as highly controversial quite frequently. That is also the reason why I could not find any of the books in the school library. Controversial books are still tabooed because of their content; even the most progressive schools avoid using them because they do not want to provide lengthy explanations to anxious parents or resolve any conflicts that might happen.
What message does banning books send to teens?
I strongly agree with the article that discusses teenage fiction and explains why its darkness is a positive feature rather than a negative one. Indeed, teenagers who experienced abuse can be revealed when reading about someone who understands their pain and fear (Johnson, 2011). I believe that banned books are not perceived by teenagers as something they should never encounter; instead, it only encourages interest in these books. Teenagers start asking questions: why is it banned? Why am I not allowed to read it? What is the author describing there that is so dreadful? Teenagers are interested in horrors and mystical stories, but they are even more interested in books they are prohibited from reading. Therefore, it appears that banning books is not an option because it will only increase adolescents’ interest in them.
It is also possible that some of the teenagers are not interested in banned books at all. It is often the case that those teenagers are not interested in reading, which is not good, but understandable. There is also a group of teenagers who were brought up with a fear of everything that is “not normal,” “prohibited,” or “wrong for you.” I believe that these teenagers will display little interest in banned books, but there is another question: why did their parents decide what is right and what is wrong for them? The issue of the banned books is pretty much the same. Why should official authorities decide what books are bad for teenagers and what books are not? (Gaffney, 2014). Teenagers will perceive this message as “you need to grow up to understand this.” However, there is little chance that teenagers will listen.
References
Ferguson, C. J. (2014). Is reading “banned” books associated with behavior problems in young readers? The influence of controversial young adult books on the psychological well-being of adolescents. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(3), 354-363.
Gaffney, L. M. (2014). No longer safe: West bend, young adult literature, and conservative library activism. Library Trends, 62(4), 730-739.
Johnson, M. (2011). Yes, teen fiction can be dark – but it shows teenagers they aren’t alone. The Guardian. Web.
Schaub, M. (2015). The 10 most banned and challenged YA books this year. Los Angeles Times. Web.