The biggest problem with literacy in middle and high school isn’t that students can’t read; it’s that schools don’t give them enough time or the right conditions to enjoy reading. Students get better at reading by reading books they care about every day at school. (Kittle, pg.78)
The traditional literary canon taught in English classrooms is
often valued for its historical and literary significance. Still, the subject
matter, language, and social context of the books don’t appeal to many
students today. Contemporary YA literature explores issues such as race, identity, mental health, trauma, injustice, sexuality, and other topics relevant to students today. They include literature by authors
of color, LGBTQ+ perspectives, and characters from different socioeconomic
backgrounds. Students reading these books can see themselves in the topics,
themes, and social situations they face every day.
In her article titled Think Beyond the Literary Canon, Megan
Mayle does not argue for replacing the classics with contemporary works. She
believes combining the two will create more stimulating conversations and get more
students interested in reading. “Student engagement and motivation are essential
to creating a successful learning environment.” (Mayle, pg.9) When students are
engaged and interested in the literature they read, they learn to tackle
real-world problems like social justice, independence, mental health issues,
identity, and more. When the books students read are banned or challenged in
schools, it shows those students that they are not valid, their feelings and
insecurities are not real, and they are not important enough to have a place
amongst the classics.
Students need to be able to express their frustrations,
thoughts, and ideas with their classmates and teachers. The current educational
system sees students as empty containers that teachers need to fill. If the
students listen, are disciplined, comply, respond when asked, and adapt to the
teacher’s environment, they are seen as model students. When they speak out,
talk back, ask questions, and dare to be different, they are seen as students who
are disruptive and not there to learn. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo
Freire mentions that “knowledge emerges only through invention and
re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry men
pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” (Freire, pg. 1)
Those students who crave knowledge don’t just want their container filled; they
want honest conversations with their teachers and peers. They want an open
dialogue in which they can express their thoughts and feelings. They want their
teachers to learn and investigate alongside them. Teachers cannot give that
kind of attention to students if they are there just to fill their containers.
In Engaged Pedagogy, we read that “to teach in a manner that
respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to
provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately
begin.” (Hooks, pg. 13) When you take away materials that students want to
engage in, books that show them something about themselves, subject matters
that truly interest them, and expect them to still want to engage in the
classroom, you are sorely mistaken.
The classroom is a rare space where freedom can be practiced
through dialogue, mutual recognition, and a shared commitment to growth.
Teachers and students can fully engage with each other and refuse passive
roles. Banning and challenging books will severely limit those conversations
and take the joy of reading away from many who do not relate to the older
classics that are still on the same reading lists that have existed for the
last 30 years.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Continuum.
Hooks, B. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as
the practice of freedom. Routledge.
Kittle, P. (2020). Let them read, please: What it takes to
build a culture of reading in secondary schools. Educational Leadership, 77(5),
77–81.
Mayle, M. (2021). Think Beyond the Literary Canon: The
Potential for Young Adult Literature within a High School Classroom (Honors
thesis, University of Akron).
[Written for ENGL 2800 class UVU Spring 2026]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026
