The Paw Print

By Madeleine Spanbauer

Book banning, a phenomenon that has been around in America since as early as the 1600s, is an issue that has been mounting in frequency and intensity over the past century. But what types of books are the most likely to be banned, and why could present a problem for students across the country?

Pen America is an organization actively working against book bans, specifically in schools. In the 2022–23 school year, PEN America recorded 3,362 instances of book bans across the country. This was a 33% increase in bans since the 2021-22 school year, and these bans impacted access to 1,557 distinct book titles and the works of almost 1,500 authors, translators, and illustrators.

Most book bans can be pinpointed to one general region of the United States. Southern states have a higher rate of book banning than those in the northern region of the country. In Florida, there are 1,406 book ban cases, which is followed by 625 in Texas, and 333 in Missouri.

Overwhelmingly, books that are banned in schools predominantly deal with race, female empowerment, or LGBTQ+ identifying characters. They also may include books on abuse, mental health, and death or grief. Since these bans are occurring in schools, it is no surprise that they mostly affect middle-grade and young-adult novels. One popular middle-grade author, John Green, has faced his books being banned in public schools and libraries ever since his debut novel, “Looking for Alaska,” for containing mature topics such as bad language, dishonesty, underage drinking, and smoking. 

Lucia Duffy ‘25 shared some of her opinions on book bans. “I think that there’s a fine line between banning books for certain reasons. If it’s strictly educational and it provides no damage to those reading it, I think that the books should be allowed. Usually, in educational settings, almost every book should be allowed because most books are educational, whether they’re damaging to one group or another just because they serve us the purpose of exhibiting a point of view throughout history.”

Duffy elaborated, by saying, “In history class, we read excerpts from Mein Kampf because it provides a point of view into history. I think that a lot of the books being banned, as of now, [are banned] to prevent a political viewpoint and prevent a part of diversity from being in the public.”

The most recent development in book bans nationwide occurred here in Illinois, which was the first state in the country to outlaw book bans. Gov. Pritzker said, “Here in Illinois, we don’t hide from the truth, we embrace it,” which could set a precedent for other states to follow in Illinois’ footsteps. Laws such as these may gain popularity in other states, causing book bans to become a thing of the past.