book challenges – Katie L. Carroll

Earlier this year, I stood up against book banning in my town when a few parents challenged the inclusion of the Heartstopper graphic novels by Alice Oseman in middle school libraries. I spoke and wrote about this experience across all my social media accounts and sent letters to school officials and my local media outlets. You can read my open letter and find links to some of the news coverage sparked by the attempted book ban in my post “Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Should Not Be Banned From Middle School Libraries.”

While the book ban attempts in my town were defeated, there are many towns across the United States where this is not the case. The American Library Association just released their “2024 Preliminary Book Ban Data.” It shows a small decline in book challenges from 2023, but the numbers were still way ahead of the numbers prior to 2020. This data is pulled from reported instances and media coverage, but all book challenges and bans are not given these, so the numbers don’t give the whole picture.

The ALA also noted that data doesn’t take into account soft censorship. They stated, “Additionally, instances of soft censorship, where books are purchased but placed in restricted areas, not used in library displays, or otherwise hidden or kept off limits due to fear of challenges illustrate the impact of organized censorship campaigns on students’ and readers’ freedom to read. In some circumstances, books have been preemptively excluded from library collections, taken off the shelves before they are banned, or not purchased for library collections in the first place.”

They shared this data ahead of Banned Books Week, which is happening right now. But the fight against book bans shouldn’t only be talked about one week of the year. Book challenges happen all the time, and there are ways to combat them.

Get educated about books challenges. Here are some good places to start: ALA Banned & Challenged Books, Banned Books Week, Authors Against Book Bans.
Be Proactive. Write an email to school administration saying you trust the professionals (i.e. school librarians and teachers) to select books for school libraries, even if there are no book challenges in your area. Find out what the policies are in your communities. Show support to your public librarians by mentioning how you appreciate the Banned Books or Pride Week displays. Read banned books, and not just the classics. Check out the banned books lists and support the living authors who are being affected by these bans.
Pay attention and make your voice heard. I was alerted to the book challenges in my town when I happened to come across an article from a local newspaper on my Facebook feed. Then I went to work to educate myself (I had already read the books in question and had lots of resources at hand), so I could respond quickly and share my voice in support of the books. So often, it’s the would-be book banners that have the loudest voice, and those of us in favor of freedom of reading need to be loud as well.
Volunteer or run for office in your community. This one’s a bit harder as it usually means a significant time commitment. But if you do have the ability and time, positions that support schools and libraries include running for a Library Board or Board of Education position or volunteering for your local library group (often called Friends of the Library).

[UPDATE: Pleased to report that the books were not removed from school libraries. You can read about the decision in this article “Milford superintendent opts to keep ‘Heartstopper’ series on middle school library shelves.”]

Yesterday, I read the article “Milford schools reviewing popular ‘Heartstopper’ books after fielding parents complaints” and learned that parents were challenging the inclusion of these books in middle school libraries. The initial challenge was denied and the books were kept in the libraries, but parents appealed that decision and a more intense review is being conducted by the administration. A final decision has not been made on the fate of these books in middle school libraries.

I wrote a letter to share my views on the book challenge, which I’ve shared with the superintendent, school board members, local media, and across my social media pages. I think it’s important that parents and authors who are against book bans share their voices. Here is my letter:

As a parent of three children, including a middle school student, that attend Milford Public Schools and an award-winning author of children’s book, I do not think that the young adult graphic novel series “Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman should be banned from Milford middle schools.

The bestselling books series is about two boys, ages 14 and 16 in the first book, in England who meet at school and fall in love. The books have also been adapted into an Emmy award-winning Netflix series.

One of the parents challenging the book series said, “We would never ask for a book to be banned.” Yet this parent has requested that the books be pulled from middle school libraries.

According to the American Library Association, a book challenge “is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group” and “a banning is the removal of those materials.” A book ban is exactly what this parent is calling for.

The objections to the book include the use of curse words, the use of slurs to bully a gay student, and discussions of mental health, eating disorders, and puberty. I have read these books and they deal with all of these topics in the context of a beautiful story of love and friendship that centers LGBTQ+ characters. I have recommended these books to my middle schooler.

Books are a safe way for children and teens to approach difficult topics, like bullying and mental health. The MPS guidelines say, “Library collections are curated with the goal of stimulating growth in critical thought and enhancing the overall educational program.” Library media specialists work with the district to provide books that “represent diverse points of view…to enable all patrons a safe space with which to view themselves as well as to elevate empathy for others.” This is exactly what the “Heartstopper” books do.

Though the characters in the “Heartstopper” books may be slightly older than middle schoolers, it is common for kids to read about older characters. Middle schoolers read the “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins where the main character is 16 in the first book. In language arts class this year, my middle schooler read “The Compound” by S. A. Bodeen, which also features a 16-year-old main character. These books also deal with difficult topics like war, nuclear attacks, and surviving in a violent world.

[The next paragraph originally started with the following sentences: “Every parent has a right to take a book out of their own child’s hands. What a parent doesn’t have is the right to take a book out of every child’s hands.” I have now edited to what is surrounded by * below.]

*Many parents think they have a right to take a book out of their own child’s hands. What I want to say to that child is you, too, have rights. You can read about your right to read in this toolkit put together by the National Coalition Against Censorship. Even when a parent makes a choice to take a book out of their child’s hands, it certainly doesn’t give them the right to take it out of every child’s hands.*

It would be a disservice to students to remove the “Heartstopper” books from middle school libraries. I am asking the superintendent not to ban these books and allow my middle schooler to have access to these books at the school library.
Katie L. Carroll