When Books Are Banned, Students Are Silenced: The Real Cost of Limiting Literature

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

Sociology Class Reading Response

    For our first module, we read Chapters 1, 2, and 4 of Age of Fracture by Daniel T. Rogers. Here is my reading response:

    Age of Fracture by Daniel T. Rodgers explains the different shifts in intellectual life during the late 20th Century. Chapter One talks about a shift from collectivism to individualism, the "me decade". This chapter also focused on changes in presidential speeches, especially Reagan, as he emphasized personal responsibility and a reduced role for the government, as seen in his first inaugural address in 1981. Reagan’s communication style and ability to connect with the people evoked emotions throughout his speeches, by which he could influence public opinion in ways no previous president ever had. Chapter Two focuses more on the shift from Keynesian economics to market-oriented and supply-side economics. Instead of letting the government intervene and manage everything, deregulation happened, a reduction in taxes, and there were more individual decision-making powers. Chapter Four talks about the shift in social and political thought when it comes to race and identity. Race was now seen as a social construct rather than a fixed biological category, and scholars emphasized the role that all cultures play in shaping social realities. During the late 20th Century, marginalized groups began to assert their identities and demand recognition and rights while intellectuals and activists such as Martin Luther King Jr, Alex Haley, W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Jesse Jackson, Toni Morrison, Cornel West, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, and many others, influenced and reshaped the discourse around race and identity for years to come.

    As I was reading chapter four, many of the names of intellectuals and activists were very familiar to me. I am an avid reader, especially when it comes to biographies, memoirs, non-fiction, or historical fiction. The names of Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Alex Haley, and James Baldwin were all familiar because I have read their books as they are now banned. You may be familiar with some of the titles as they used to be required reading in school some time ago. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Roots, Beloved, The Bluest Eyes, Go Tell It to the Mountain, and The Color Purple are just some of the titles that you may have heard of. Many of these books are critical as they talk about slavery and the violence that occurred that caused significant historical trauma that should not be forgotten or swept under the rug. The powerful storytelling in each of these works is what makes them masterful and deserving of a place amongst other great authors. Banning books limits our access to diverse cultures, histories, and viewpoints, which is essential for fostering empathy and tolerance. Many of the banned books today reflect the period in which they were written, so banning them essentially erases important parts of history that need to be talked about, remembered, and not forgotten.

[Written for SOC 4100 class UVU Spring 2025]

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