Dear Ms Berner,
I understand that you and some of the parents of students here at school
don't like the material in our YA fiction books and don’t think they are
appropriate for us, the students, to read, so you are taking them out of the libraries
in the school. We would like to
understand more clearly why because us kids like these books. The sex, drugs
and rock and roll theme of some of these books can seem risqué and
controversial. However we need these books, not only because some of them are
fantastic pieces of writing, but because they can also teach us valuable
lessons. These so called “inappropriate” books can help prepare us for what
lies ahead in life.
Parents don't want their children reading these books because of
the sexual content or violent or heavy plots and ideas, but being exposed to
these topics can open our minds, and help us to learn and grow from the
character’s mistakes. Also, the books help us become aware of more complicated
situations. So in my opinion and in the opinion of most of the students in the
grade, these books shouldn’t be banned.
The book Forever by Judy Blume focuses on themes and
questions about sex and intimacy. This book is banned in some libraries. But
this informative and touching novel about life as a growing teen shouldn’t be
banned. As Judy Blume said in an article found on Infoplease.com about banned books, "Let children read whatever they
want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together,
we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear." Many
of Blume’s books are banned. Despite this she realizes that kids need to be
exposed to these kinds of topics.
Forever explores about the many options teens can have in a relationship. Blume
is trying to make teens aware of how big of a step sex is in a relationship,
and how they can deal with it and maintain a healthy relationship. As said in
the book “Like my mother said, you can't go back to holding hands.” Reading
about these mature topics can help kids think about what they want to do in the
future, and how they can handle similar situations maturely and reasonably and
still have fun.
With hormones
raging high, teenagers have crazy mood swings and feel like no one understands
them. A scene frequently seen in a household of a teen is when he or she yells
“Mom, you just don't understand” then slams the door. But reading some of the
newer YA fiction books can show teens they are not alone. Topics like
depression, cutting, and other heavy subjects that teens are going through are
the real controversy with these books. According to the article “Yes,
Teen Fiction Can Be Dark-But It Shows Teenagers They Aren't Alone” by Maureen
Johnson from The Guardian, “If subjects like these are in YA books, it’s to
show that they are real, they have happened to others, and they can be
survived.” So reading these books can show how others cope and show teens
aren't alone. Reading these books can provide comfort with what's happening in
their lives because most of the time teens are embarrassed about their issues.
These books are banned from
libraries are because parents and teachers think that authors are promoting
things like cutting as ways to deal with issues. As shown in the same article
as mention before “No one writing about self-harm is teaching how to self-harm.”
All authors are trying to do is show there are others with the same problems as
you and how they overcame it and you can too.
To be honest, I do understand the point of being concerned with
these heavy topics. I know I wouldn't want kids reading books like 50 Shades
of Grey in middle and high school. And I understand that these books can be
hard for some to process. Some topics are controversial and are against some
religious beliefs. For example, a Catholic school banned Harry Potter. “Most
controversy is centered around the witchcraft and occult themes.” (from “Man
From Ministry Bans Potter” by Tania deLuzuriaga from Globe Stuff) But some teen
books like the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar present teens with glamorous lives, which are very unrealistic and
materialistic. Gossip Girl is about the fabulous lives of Upper East Side teens
that are rich and very privileged. They can go and do what they want, and get
almost anything they see. Also there are many negative influences in this
series, such as gossipgirl.com where kids can send in tips to try to ruin people’s
lives. A quote from an article on
bannedbooks.world.edu says it all, “So we have a popular teen series for girls
set at a posh New York City private school populated by hard-drinking, bulimic,
love-craved rich kids being mean to one another.” This will show girls that
this is the only “good life” and that’s not all that matters in life. So some
books can be not the best for kids to read, but they shouldn't be banned.
Banning books in schools and libraries isn't going to fix any
issues in the world today. Exposing kids to these topics can help them cope
with issues and try to fix them. Teens need someone to relate to, and to see
how people can deal with certain situations so they can deal with their own
struggles the same way. I understand some books go against religious beliefs or
send the wrong message, but that doesn't mean teens shouldn't know these things
are out there. Books like Gossip Girl and Harry Potter are very
entertaining and are just enjoyable reads. So books shouldn't be banned but
rather talked about with kids if needed. So our books should be here to stay!
Thank You
Kate Pamplin 802
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