By Ari Froedden
“And Tango Makes Three” is a nonfiction book intended for three to eight year olds. The contents include the true story of two male penguins, in New York’s Central Park Zoo, adopting an egg and raising the chick as their own. The overall message was that families can look different, as the penguins live happily ever after.
It was the #1 banned picture book in the most recent school year, with challenges citing “illegal obscenity” and even calling for librarians to be arrested.
Last year, 10,046 book bans occurred in 220 public school districts across the United States. 65 of the bans were in New York state. Of the 4,231 titles targeted, themes about LGBTQ+ people, characters of color, and social justice issues were prevalent.
In the U.S.A., bans tend to be in schools and libraries, targeting children rather than limiting adults’ entire access to purchasing books.
A frequent argument for book bannings is that while parents may have the right to decide what content is available to their children enrolled in public schools, the uncensored titles are available to read elsewhere. In theory, any parent who wants to can provide their own children with any book they like. This theory of individualism in education has become more and more prevalent especially with the rise of homeschooling and is applied to sex education, politics, and other topics that have historically been a core aspect of school curriculum. It also cannot be ignored that in the midst and the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns, parents were expected to take on a stronger role in their children’s education, which was an emotional and financial hit on many families.
Over 4,000 more challenges to books in public libraries happened in 2023. Challenges to books in schools and in libraries tend to be concentrated in states such as Florida, Texas, and Missouri, which means access to targeted books is dwindling for entire communities. People who want to limit education do not stop at their own school district, and in their frequently bigoted ideas, tend to believe that no child should have access to the content that is against their personal values. Limiting access to free resources is targeted censorship towards those who cannot afford to supply themselves with the materials.
Many of us accept and embrace our first amendment, so the idea of our access to knowledge being limited can be a shock. In reality, book bans in this country are not new. The first book banned in the United States was Thomas Morton’s New English Canaan, which was published in 1637, and outlawed soon after for challenging strict political structures of the time.
In recent years though, challenges and bans have skyrocketed in number. Censorship in general has become, to many people, a symbol of an escalating political climate and a lean towards authoritarianism. Book bans are being pushed for by the Trump administration, and have become an increasingly volatile topic in the media. There is little question that some content is inappropriate for all age groups. So, is there a better alternative?
Instead of outright banning content that we believe could potentially misguide, equipping the population with the skills to understand things they encounter is far more valuable. Currently, 28 states have pending media literacy legislation for K-12 schools, and higher educational institutions have been implementing such courses already. Being able to critique and interpret the content of books, news articles and information on the internet is a healthier path to take than sheltering people.
Should any book be banned? Literature is an art form that represents, critiques, and theorizes on reality. Some people believe books carry dangerous ideas or are explicit, but that doesn’t detract from their worth if approached with an educated and critical lens. Using banning books as a cure for undesirable content is a flaw in logic because it assumes the content in them is to be taken as true and aspirational, when in reality they are intended to be understood and critiqued on a deeper level. Books should stay accessible to the public regardless of differing views, because books provide the means to challenge ideas and give people the potential to learn, change, and grow from what they’ve read.
