More and More Books Become Banned in the US

A new report has found a “rapid acceleration” of book censorship across the US, with over 2,500 different book bans taking place over the past school year. According to the new analysis, a total of 1,648 individual book titles, many of which mention issues relating to race or sexuality, were the subject of bans by school districts in 32 states in the last school year.

 

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More than 5,000 schools nationally have had books barred from access by students in libraries and classrooms, according to the report compiled by Pen America, a non-profit that supports freedom of expression.

 

The findings come amid a wider debate about race and racism in America sparked by a series of high-profile police killings of black men and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

 

“What we’re seeing is a rapid acceleration in book censorship in our nation’s schools,” said James LaRue, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association, which helped to commission the report.

 

LaRue said that while there had always been “pockets” of book censorship in America, the new report showed that it was becoming more widespread.

 

“We are very concerned about this trend because it has a chilling effect on teaching and learning,” he told The Guardian.

The report found that last year’s most commonly banned books dealt with race, sexuality or religious issues.

 

Among the most frequently targeted titles were “The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, Sherman Alexie’s award-winning novel about a Native American boy who leaves his reservation to attend an all-white high school; “Fun Home”, Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about her coming out as a lesbian and her relationship with her father; and “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out”, by Susan Kuklin.

 

Other popular books that were banned included Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”, and Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”.

 

The report found that books that were the subject of bans last year dealt with issues of race, sexuality or religion. Among the most frequently targeted titles were “The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, Sherman Alexie’s award-winning novel about a Native American boy who leaves his reservation to attend an all-white high school; “Fun Home”, Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about her coming out as a lesbian and her relationship with her father; and “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out”, by Susan Kuklin.

 

Other popular books that were banned included Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”, and Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”.

 

What do you think about this trend of book censorship in America? Let us know in the comments!

 

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