So we are, literally, #1.
Challenged books are challenged because of complaints to libraries or schools. They don't always involved the book being removed from the library.
Most challenges are not reported.
So there are a lot of problematic things about this.
Here is what I am stuck on.
Of the top 10 books banned, the top 5 were banned for having LGBTQ content.
The LGBTQ content of This One Summer consists of two pages where Windy talks going to a thing called Gaia's Circle, which she says was largely populated by kids with queer parents.
So the mere existence of LGBTQ characters seems to be enough to get a book on this list (unless you have a sense that Windy is lesbian, which she is). Because there's not actual sexual content associated with queerness in this book, just identity.
Which means the mere existence of queerness is inappropriate for young people.
Which assumes that the young people themselves are not queer.
Which, okay, some of them are.
And the same way straight people have seen themselves reflected in endless narratives throughout literary history, queers want that too, okay?
One of the top questions I've been asked since this happened is what benefit the book gains from being challenged.
It's probably true that publicity is publicity and people might go buy the book because it's been banned.
Maybe to support the book or to see what the fuss is about.
The main thing is though that a challenged book is likely a book that is being removed from shelves because people have deemed it inappropriate for their child to read, ergo inappropriate for ANY child to read.
Which practically speaking means the book becomes inaccessible to any kid who NEEDS libraries and schools to access books.
It also means that LGBTQ kids, all kids, get the message that lives are not okay to see queer lives books in school or at libraries.
So yeah I think that pretty much sucks.
I'm not saying you can't have your thoughts on a book or that you can't decide what your kid reads. I do think that it's worth considering that your opinions are opinions and not a reason to take a book off a shelf.
Throughout this whole thing, I've been wondering: what if every time you went to ban a book you had to sit down with a panel of authors and illustrators and librarians and academics and engage in a 40 minute debate on the topic? What if in order to ban a book with LGBTQ content you had to sit down with a panel of queers and explain your theory?
Would less books get banned? Or would we all just end up eating more snacks?
I don't know.
I want to give a shout out to all the librarians and educators fighting the good fight on this. You are awesome.
Meanwhile, the ALA has posted a lot of information on this and it's worth taking a read.
Here's Jillian and I talking to the National Post.
Here's John Green talking about being the most banned in 2015.
