Does banning books from school libraries protect kids or limit their learning? I got a letter from a parent last month that changed how I see this.

Last month, a parent at my daughter's middle school in Austin sent out a group email asking to remove a book about growing up in poverty because it had some tough language. I was ready to push back hard, thinking this was just censorship. But after talking to her, I realized she wasn't against free speech, she just felt her 12 year old wasn't ready for that content yet. Now I'm stuck: where do we draw the line between protecting young kids and letting them access different viewpoints? Have any of you dealt with a ban request that made you rethink your position?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericschmidt11d ago

...and actually my neighbor went through something similar with a graphic novel about puberty at our public library. She wasn't trying to be a censor, she just felt a pull notice would have been more respectful to parents. I mean, it's tricky because once you start making exceptions for one book, where does it end, you know?

the_miles11d ago

Look at my daughter's 5th grade class in Portland. They had a book about a kid dealing with deportation and parents could opt their child out. Nobody complained, nobody banned anything, everyone got what they needed. That parent in Austin could have asked for the same thing before calling for a ban. Pull notices give families control without taking books from other kids. Seems like the obvious middle ground that works in practice.