hit newsstands last week, noting,
鈥淣ever have our nation鈥檚 libraries played such a pivotal role in strengthening communities through education and lifelong learning. Libraries are a microcosm of the larger society. They play an important and unique role in the communities that they serve and provide an inclusive environment where all are treated with respect and dignity. No longer just places for books, our public libraries serve as a lifeline for some of our nation鈥檚 most vulnerable communities. From community-wide issues [such] as illiteracy, homelessness and community silos, our nation鈥檚 public libraries are acting as catalysts in fostering community-wide solutions that strengthen communities.鈥�
These statements describe our classrooms as well. And never has it been more important for us as educators and librarians to 鈥渒eep the light on,鈥� the theme of this year鈥檚 September 22鈥�28.
As we educators consider our curricula and think about the texts we鈥檒l offer to our students to support it, perhaps, the most important finding of this year鈥檚 report is the list of the eleven most challenged books of the year and what that list says about books that some don鈥檛 want others to read:
1. George by Alex Gino –聽Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning 鈥渄irty magazines,鈥� describing male anatomy, 鈥渃reating confusion,鈥� and including a transgender character
2. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller –聽Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints
3. Captain Underpants series, written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey – Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple
4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed 鈥渁nti-cop,鈥� and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references
5. Drama, written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier –聽Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher –聽Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki –聽Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
8. Skippyjon Jones series written and illustrated by Judy Schachner –聽Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture
9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie –聽Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint
10. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten –聽Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
11. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan –聽Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
Note that five of the eleven challenged books feature LGBTQ+ characters鈥攃hallenges to LGBTQ+ texts have been rising.
In fact, three of the book challenges I鈥檝e been working on just since the beginning of this month are against LGBTQ+ books:
- an autobiographical graphic novel sometimes described as a 鈥渄arkly funny family tale.鈥�
- 聽 which 鈥渢race[s] the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today’s world.鈥�
- 聽鈥渁n anthology graphic novel created as a response to the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, benefiting the community after that hate crime and supporting broader awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.鈥�
I鈥檓 flummoxed by some people鈥檚 reaction to the books above and others featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes.
Recently, in Virginia, which was read aloud in her daughter鈥檚 second grade classroom:
One illustration, in particular, shows Milk before a crowd of protestors. Those protestors are holding signs that read “gays must go鈥� and 鈥淕od says no.”
Burleson [the mother] says the images were very confusing for her young daughter.
‘That image was enough for my daughter to come home and question why God would hate anyone he created,’ she explained. ‘She has been told her entire life God doesn’t hate anyone, love everyone [and] if you don’t understand something about someone pray for them, ask questions.’
And, yet, the mother wants the book banned!
This is one of the many reasons the exists鈥攖o defend texts and those who choose to teach them or have them available in their libraries. In addition, part of the Center’s job is to remind those who don鈥檛 want their students to read certain texts that they have the right to make that decision about their own students but not a right to make that decision about anybody else鈥檚 students.