Banning books buries voices, silences perspectives, and stifles student growth and critical thinking

By Staff Writers Rajorshi Chatterjee & Matthew Zhang 

According to the American Library Association (ALA), with its new data released in early April, there were 821 requests made by parents and officials to censor books and materials in US libraries throughout 2024, targeting 2,452 titles. These efforts to censor books far exceed the numbers recorded before 2020 and have primarily targeted books that discuss themes of race, sexuality, and gender identity. 

Book banning is a harmful practice that silences the voices of authors and leads to the loss of important ideas. When books are removed from libraries or classrooms, it limits the students’ ability to think critically, engage with different perspectives, and develop empathy. Many educators echo this idea: out of 1,500 educators surveyed by the educational organization First Book, 65% agreed that banning books negatively impacted their ability to teach. In addition, censorship of books often comes from fear and a desire to control, especially when books are banned simply for making a group of people uncomfortable.

This control comes at the cost of freedom of expression for authors and also creates a more oppressive academic atmosphere through their disregard for educators who specifically select these books for their students. For instance, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a while critically acclaimed piece of classic literature, was challenged and banned in many schools because of its themes of racism, use of slurs, and depictions of sexual assault. However, only by addressing difficult but important topics can this and other books allow students to engage with complex societal issues they portray. 

While touted as protecting children, many of these bans simply reflect efforts to reinforce traditional norms. Most books are being challenged not because of objectively inappropriate content, but rather because they present ideas that challenge traditional values that have been dominant in societies for long periods of time, leading to people labeling them as inappropriate or harmful. “Censorship grows out of fear, and because fear is contagious, some parents are easily swayed,” author Judy Bloom says in response to the repeated banning of her books. However, censoring based on one group’s ideals would unfairly restrict others in a diverse student body. 

According to the ALA, the top reasons for book challenges include sexual content (92.5%), offensive language (61.5%), and unsuitability for an age group (49%) — broad categories which permit certain challenges to be framed as protecting children while actually targeting books that question cultural norms. For example, many challenged books, such as All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie target controversial topics such as LGBTQ+ identity or race. This is reflected beyond individual cases — the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that 30% of the books banned in 2024 were about race, racism, or featured characters of color, and 26% had LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Ultimately, these books are not banned for being inherently harmful — they are banned based on personal opinions. 

Ultimately, these book bans rob children of a safe space to learn and think critically. “Analyzing a book requires you to delve deeper and ponder complex questions,” author Meghan Moll said in an interview for the Idaho Education News. Censorship restricts kids and their abilities to develop ideas by limiting a diverse range of information and perspectives that may aid their growth. 

Books on sensitive topics or on topics that oppose the reader’s views can help them better understand the world and learn to become more tolerant. Removing these books from shelves will not solve the real-world issues they address, and under the protections of the First Amendment, authors have the constitutional right to express their ideas freely. 

While parents should have a say in whether or not a book should be banned, these bans should not stifle the true breadth of voices in the community simply because those individual parents are uncomfortable with them. 

While books that address uncomfortable or controversial topics may challenge traditional beliefs, these qualities make them vital to schools and libraries by challenging students’ worldviews and encouraging acceptance, critical thinking, and empathy. Book bans limit important or unique stories, silence marginalized voices, and take away students’ abilities to explore and engage with the real world. Ultimately, books can make people uncomfortable, but that discomfort is often essential for people to grow, reflect, and better understand the world around them.