Likewise, choosing one book over another for required curriculum or for a summer required-reading list is not 'banning' of the one that was rejected.
As 'banned book week' draws near every year, I make an annoyance of myself on social media by picking the most prominent book in any photo of a banned book week display that they post, and (after checking) saying that that there's no credible evidence that the book was every banned anywhere, or even formally 'challenged' in any venue.
It's almost been amusing, as more and more of the novels traditionally used in curriculum are de-selected because characters within them use slurs or outdated gender generalizations, or just to make room for more recent works which better fit the current zeitgeist of the educational establishment.
On the other hand, as an adult I'm kind of surprised at the difference in love that I have for classic novels where I picked up that they were culturally relevant and read them of my own choice, vs the ones I was told to read for school. Teaching literature is important, but it does ruin some books for some folks, whereas the allure of the prohibited might such people in who wouldn't otherwise read.
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Likewise, choosing one book over another for required curriculum or for a summer required-reading list is not 'banning' of the one that was rejected.
As 'banned book week' draws near every year, I make an annoyance of myself on social media by picking the most prominent book in any photo of a banned book week display that they post, and (after checking) saying that that there's no credible evidence that the book was every banned anywhere, or even formally 'challenged' in any venue.
It's almost been amusing, as more and more of the novels traditionally used in curriculum are de-selected because characters within them use slurs or outdated gender generalizations, or just to make room for more recent works which better fit the current zeitgeist of the educational establishment.
On the other hand, as an adult I'm kind of surprised at the difference in love that I have for classic novels where I picked up that they were culturally relevant and read them of my own choice, vs the ones I was told to read for school. Teaching literature is important, but it does ruin some books for some folks, whereas the allure of the prohibited might such people in who wouldn't otherwise read.
The American Library Association "Banned Books" list every year is mostly books that were challenged, not banned. It's just pearl-clutching.
Well, and good marketing!
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