Banned Books Assignment by Tyreun Holmes

Book Cover

00080587 — 2025-10-20 01:55:00 UTC

Book Cover

00080587 — 2025-10-20 02:03:14 UTC

Description

00080587 — 2025-10-20 02:21:52 UTC

The book All Boys Aren't Blue discusses the journeys that many Black queer boys go through and Johnson does this by recounting some of his own personal experiences. Therefore, its LGBTQIA+ and sexually explicitly content is where the challenges and bans for this book have come from. As for the groups, parents and state-level politicians seem to be the main groups of people that want the book banned. Meanwhile, every other groups mostly, if not entirely, believes that the book shouldn't be banned. To no surprise, this book has been banned in several school districts and continues to receive challenges and bans to this day.

Analysis

00080587 — 2025-10-20 02:37:39 UTC

The majority of parents, politicians, and parent-led groups that ban this book state that the book is too sexually explicit for their kids to be reading. This would be slightly understandable if it weren't for the fact that only two of the book's chapters refer to such content. As for the other groups, instead of seeing the sexual content as a negative, they see it as an opportunity for teens and young adults to become knowledgeable on several topics regarding sex and sexual education. From the bans and challenges made so far, there are no real middle ground stances. People stand either for the bans or against them. Lastly, in most recent cases regarding All Boys Aren't Blue, it was banned after a petition and/or school board committee review. However, sometimes it ended up being restricted to higher grade levels instead, still making the book available.

Interpretation

00080587 — 2025-10-20 02:47:39 UTC

All Boys Aren't Blue first experienced challenges with censorship back in late-2021, about a year and a half after it's initial release. While I do believe majority of the reasoning for this book's ban being centered around sexual content, I believe that the primary speaking point of this book being Black queer boys has a role to play in it. Specifically, I believe that there are racist and/or homophobic undertones that are potentially influencing the decisions for banning this book. It's not the primary factor for these bans, but it's a present one. Lastly, the First Amendment plays a role in the banning of All Boys Aren't Blue because it limits a student's source to learn about several topics regarding sex and sexual education.

Evaluation

00080587 — 2025-10-20 02:51:12 UTC

I think that the parties trying to ban All Boys Aren't Blue are completely in the wrong here. I say this because not only do I see this as an attack on the access of information for a particularly vulnerable group of people (teens), but I also see it as attacking the freedom of expression of a Black, queer person. While all three groups have experiences attacks in recent years, queer people and especially Black people have seen hatred toward them for decades—if not centuries. These book bans are just another part in shaping the world into one that lacks diversity and equality in every aspect.

Description

00080587 — 2025-10-20 03:02:57 UTC

The book The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows the high school life of Charlie following the suicide of his best friend. While this book particularly surrounds the teenage community, a variety of its topics such as sexually explicit and LGBTQIA+ content and depictions of sexual assault, drug use, and profanity have been the main reasons for challenges and bans. It seems that only parents are the main group to stand for banning the book while every other group thinks otherwise. To no surprise, this book has been banned in several school districts, restrained in others, and receives challenges regardless to this day.

Analysis

00080587 — 2025-10-20 03:13:40 UTC

The majority of parents that helped ban this book mainly stated that the book's depictions of sexual acts, drug use, and profanity were too extreme for their kids to be reading. While this is partially understandable, this book was written in the context of a high school in the 90s, and these events were things that students had to deal with at the time. However, people who read this book, teens and young adults in particular, are still able to relate to many of the experiences Charlie goes through to this day. Therefore, stating that this resonance with the book should keep it from being banned. Given how long the books been available, many school districts have taken middle ground stances. As opposed to outright banning the book or keeping the book fully available, they recognized the importance of teens relating to the book and of adults having concerns with the book. As a result, along with bans and challenges, many schools have simply restricted The Perks of Being a Wallflower to their higher grade levels.

Interpretation

00080587 — 2025-10-20 03:25:15 UTC

The Perks of Being a Wallflower first experienced challenges with censorship back in the early 200s, a few years after its initial 1999 release. It's hard to truly pinpoint if there are any additional factors outside of the main ones as to why this book has been banned. I could see an argument that homophobia acts as an undertone given the book's LGBTQIA+ content, but most parents focus on the sexual abuse, drug use, and profanity. Lastly, the First Amendment plays a role in the banning of The Perks of Being a Wallflower because it limits a student's source to learn about several topics regarding sexual abuse and drug use along with the chance to relate to Charlie's experiences with growing up and dealing with loss.

Evaluation

00080587 — 2025-10-20 03:32:49 UTC

I think that the parties trying to ban The Perks of Being a Wallflower are partially in the wrong here. I say this because while I do understand not wanting kids to read about drug abuse and sexual abuse, its still important for them to be knowledgeable about it. Not to mention how this book could potentially be seen as wonderful way for teens to learn how to handle loss due to suicide or loss in general of someone close to them. I see parents wanting to ban this book as more of an over-reaction of its content rather than taking it as an opportunity, as many schools have, to educate their children about the topics they're worried about.