As a teacher of writing and literature, and as a humanist, banning books is about as bad as it gets. Book banning has always been a short-sighted strategy attempt to control thinking and access through censorship. As of late, this issue is back with us at an alarming rate, gaining strength and power. The challenged books often focus on issues of race, history, gender identity, and sexuality among others. I think there is an argument for age appropriateness, but I argue that our students need to participate in conversations on controversial topics and issues of identity to understand the society in which they live and as part of their coming-of-age process. Sure, it is uncomfortable at times, but it speaks to specific human perspectives that we can only understand through exposure. Students must have opportunities to critically examine a full range of issues that relate to their human existence. They need to understand what is at stake and have their voices heard. Or, as best put by one of my students, “By banning books, society isn’t just removing paper and ink– it’s silencing stories, ideas, and voices that challenge, provoke, and ultimately teach us lessons” (Breedlove).
Each year, my department participates in Banned Books Week. We have speakers, activities, and book giveaways. This year, students in my literature class contributed to these efforts through the creation of a Banned Books slideshow. This is a simple but impactful project that raises awareness for my students and others who see it.
Once we created the slideshow, it was distributed across campus on closed-circuit TVs and sent out as an instructional supplement for teachers to embed in their LMS. This kind of project has a public outreach and community engagement component that takes it beyond the classroom, increasing a sense of investment for students.
Here’s how my students and I created our Banned Books slideshow:
Researching Banned Books: Students started by researching the history and current resources on banned books so that they understood the issues, actions, and challenged books. I shared the ALA site and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) site on intellectual freedom along with lists of banned and challenged books. This allowed them to understand the context behind banning books as well as what is at stake.
Choosing a Book: After students reviewed the resources, they chose a book and added it to a spreadsheet. There are so many choices! I asked students to review the list to avoid duplication. I also encouraged them to review both current and past titles along with the reasons the book was challenged.
Creating the Slideshow: For this project, I used one of my favorite assignment tools, Google Slides, for creating collaborative presentations. Students easily created the project together. Each slide includes the title, publication year, author, why it was banned, and why they consider it an important text. Students also included an image of the book cover and a citation. I allowed them to design their slide for visual appeal and rhetorical impact.
This project was meaningful for students as they discovered that many of their favorite books and important books are banned. They couldn’t believe some of their beloved childhood books such as Charlotte’s Web (talking animals) or Where the Wild Things Are (child abuse) appeared on the list. They also reflected on the lessons learned from important texts like To Kill a Mockingbird that contribute to our understanding of race and humanity or Gender Queer that teaches about gender identity and LGBTQ+ themes. They also recognized the importance of multicultural texts such as The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian by ShermanAlexie, or The Color Purple by Alice Walker which represent a diversity of voices and perspectives. Students learned about the processes for challenging books and participated in the current cultural conversations on this issue. When students completed the project, they felt the potential impact of their voices as their work was distributed to others for awareness and possible change. Students engaged deeply in the project and joined others who stand for the freedom to read.
