In honor of Banned Books Week, it’s a good time to look at ways to curate your child’s reading without taking books away from other children, something happening with increasing frequency around Florida and the country.
Book bans have been surging the past couple of years, and the number of challenged books has doubled to more than 10,000 incidents nationwide according to preliminary reports from nonprofit organization PEN America. That’s compared to the surge last year, when there were more book bans in Florida — over 40% of all public school book bans — than in any other state in the 2022-2023 school year.
About 8,000 of the reported book bans were in Florida and Iowa, PEN America said, largely “books featuring romance, books about women’s sexual experiences, and books about rape or sexual abuse as well as continued attacks on books with LGBTQ+ characters or themes, or books about race or racism and featuring characters of color.”
“I believe that censorship is the enemy of freedom,” said filmmaker and honorary Banned Books Week chair Ava DuVernay in a release. “By banning books, we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from the past and to envision a braver future. Books have the power to open minds and build bridges. This is why certain forces do not want the masses to engage with books.”
“If you’re a white kid who only sees and reads about white kids, you can get an inflated sense of how important whiteness is,” Maryland school librarian Melissa McDonald told the National Education Association.
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Proponents say the restrictions are meant to protect children from sexually graphic and explicit stories and provide parents with control over what their children see. PEN America and other advocates claim that the growing book-banning movement is meant to erase narratives that might make white children uncomfortable while whitewashing American history.
A 2023 study by the nonprofit organization First Book found that students spent more time reading after teachers added more diverse books to their classroom libraries, and reading scores improved.
As a parent, it’s natural to want to make sure that the books your child is reading are suitable for their age and development level. Still, there are several ways to track and guide your children’s education without pulling books off the shelves so that no other child can see them either, even if they might benefit from them.
1. Talk to your children about what they’re reading
Regularly talk to your child about what they’re reading and what they think about it. If you don’t agree with parts of the book, use that as a chance to talk about why.
2. Talk to your child’s teacher about what they’re reading
Your child’s teacher can provide the year’s curriculum and reading list, and you can raise any objections with them about what your child will be assigned. The teacher will be able to tell you why these books were chosen and what value and perspective they bring to your kid’s education.
3. Talk to librarians about book suggestions
No one knows more about books than librarians, and they can be an invaluable resource. Librarians can recommend age-appropriate books and help you find lists and reading programs tailored to your child’s age group or make suggestions if your child is reading above their age.
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4. Read the books yourself
The best way to judge whether a book is suitable for your child is to read it. Each child’s development and maturity level is different and your child may be more sensitive than most, or more open to deeper themes.
5. Check online reviews of books
If you don’t have time to read yourself, websites such as Common Sense Media and Goodreads provide reviews and recommendations for books suitable for various age groups and maturity levels. Common Sense Media doesn’t shy away from telling you what potentially sensitive or even objectionable material may be in the book and you can search for suggestions using customizable content limits.
Unlike sites favored by people banning books that focus on single objectionable passages to eliminate entire books, Common Sense Media also looks at positive messages, positive role models, how characters are represented, and the educational and literary value of the entire work.
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6. Talk to other parents about books
Check with friends and neighbors, or other parents you know. You also can join online parenting forums or Facebook groups where parents discuss age-appropriate books for valuable insights and recommendations.
7. See which books are winning awards
There are multiple honors awarded for excellence in children’s literature, and they can make a good start for a parent looking for well-written, age-appropriate books. Here are a few:
- Newberry Medal: Every year since 1922 the Association for Library Service to Children has awarded the John Newbery Medal for Best Children’s Book of the Year. You can see a list of previous winners here.
- Caldecott Medal: This award, established by the American Library Association in 1938, honors artists with the Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year.
- Hans Christian Andersen Award: This international award recognizes a body of work with “lasting contribution” for writers and artists. Awarded every two years by the International Board on Books for Children since 1956.
- National Book Award – Young People’s Literature: This annual award, voted on by writers, chooses the best in Young People’s Literature, and Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry.
By staying aware and investigating the books your child is reading or is expected to read, you can actively engage with your child’s reading choices and help them discover books that are both enjoyable and suitable for their age and maturity level.
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