TIL my favorite childhood novel was banned in several countries for its political themes.

I was 38 years old when a librarian casually mentioned that *The Giver* was banned in some schools, and it hit me that I had never questioned why a book I loved might be seen as dangerous, has anyone else had a similar wake-up call about a book you thought was harmless?

2 comments

2 Comments

calebw5015d ago

Funny you mention that book, it was the same one for me actually. Found out my kid's school district had it on a restricted list for parents to sign off on, and I was blown away. That book got me thinking about stuff like memory and choice when I was a kid, stuff that felt pretty harmless at the time. Looking back, I guess it does make people question how much control any system should have over what you know, which some folks see as a threat. Still feels wild to me that a story about a kid who can see in color gets labeled dangerous.

miller.avery15d ago

Wait, just to be clear, that book’s main character is a boy who can see in black and white, not color, right? It’s the whole point of the story. The difference makes the danger part way more literal. A kid who can see color is just weird. A kid who can see color in that world is basically a revolutionary.