Books

Atticus Finch takes to the courtroom preparing to give the testimony that would change the course of society. 

George and Lennie, two migrant workers, pursuing their dreams of owning a farm. 

Celie overcomes the hardships of her life such as abuse and she starts to discover herself. 

All of these characters’ stories teach valuable lessons about overcoming obstacles and taking a stance for what you believe in. 

To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Color Purple are all books that have been banned from the shelves of many libraries and school systems. 

Over 3,000 books have been banned in the United States all which feature either LGBTQ+ themes, characters of color, or books on race and racism.

Not allowing students to read about important historical events runs the risk of history repeating itself. 

Refraining from teaching children about racism or sexual assault puts them at danger of beliving in those beliefs and even acting upon them. 

Reading is a privilege not everyone is granted and taking away this privilege from students harms their education and futures. 

Florida 

According to PEN America, forty percent of the  3,362 books banned in 2023 were from Florida. 

The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis has passed several bills and laws which enable him to ban more and more books. 

In early 2023, De Santis passed the “Parental Rights in Education” bill also known as the “Don’t say Gay” bill. 

This bill banned Florida public school teachers from holding classroom instruction about sexual orientation and any talk on the students gender identity. 

In Florida, Escambia County School District plans to ban almost 1,600 books from its inventory including dictionaries and encyclopedias claiming they contain “inappropriate content.”

Dictionaries are where students are taught to read and where learning meanings of words is essential. 

Taking away the privilege of learning new vocabulary directly harms a person’s scholarly development. 

Banned book week 

In  many countries children don’t have resources to learn to read and write. 

Banning books because they focus on minorities or talk about being gay, is ignorant and shows how so many US citizens take for granted the resources we are given. 

Regardless of many books being banned, many schools from around the country celebrate banned book week from October 1st to the 7th. 

 Banned Book Week is a week which allows for the freedom to read anything, and draws attention to banned books.

Loretto Acdemy’s Librarian, Ms. Villasana said, “ I truly appreciate that all libraries all over the United States have an opportunity to celebrate Banned Book week in order to encourage all readers to exercise their right to read whatever book they desire.” 

She also focused on how here at the  Loretto Academy Library we open the doors to several banned books. 

Ms. Villasana said, “We have many banned books available at Loretto Library in order to encourage students to promote awareness about this important readership event.”

How you can help 

Read banned books!

Reading banned books empowers books to be able to spread their powerful messages while educating students’ curious minds. 

All students should have the freedom to read what they want and should have the resources, like the dictionary, to further their education. 

Next time you see any banned book such as The Hate You Give or 1981, I highly encourage you to stop what you’re doing and read them!