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My neighbor's grocery store comment made me rethink challenged books | Banned Book Breakdown - Free To Speak

My neighbor's grocery store comment made me rethink challenged books

I was over at my neighbor's place last Saturday, and she mentioned how she hides certain books from her kids, ones like The Hate U Give, because she thinks they're too political for school. I told her I read it last year at 47, and she asked if it was worth the fuss. That question got me thinking about how we treat the act of reading as passive, when really it forces you to take a side. Has anyone else had a conversation like that, where someone's casual opinion about a banned book made you see the whole debate in a new light?

2 comments

2 Comments

emeryj661mo ago

My neighbor said the same thing about "The Hate U Give" but I told her the book is banned in like 30 something school districts now and that made her pause. She thought it was just some liberal agenda thing but really it's about a kid seeing her friend get shot by a cop. The thing is, hiding a book from your kids doesnt stop them from seeing the real world, it just stops them from understanding it through a story that might make them think. I read it at 40 and it wrecked me because it made me realize how quick people are to judge a whole neighborhood based on one news clip. Maybe your neighbor isnt wrong for wanting to protect her kids, but she's wrong if she thinks a book is more dangerous than the stuff they already see on their phones. And honestly, if a book forces you to pick a side, thats a good thing, because not picking a side is still a choice.

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davidkim1mo ago

Pause for a second and think about that. We are banning a book that makes kids think about consequences, but we let them watch twelve hours of TikTok where people fake their own deaths for views. Thats a weird set of priorities. Also, if the book is so dangerous, maybe we should ban the news too, since that covers the same stuff but with worse writing and no character arc. Not saying neighbors shouldnt worry, but worrying about a library book while your kid watches a stranger eat a tide pod seems like misplaced energy. Let the kids read the book, they will survive it. Probably.