Report Finds Young Adult (YA) Literature Is Main Target For Challenges And Banning In Texas Public Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kirsten Bokenkamp, Communications Coordinator, ACLU of Texas, (713) 942-8146 x 109 or (832) 691-7013; [email protected]
HOUSTON -- Books in the hottest genre in literature, called YA or Young Adult, are the most frequently challenged and banned in Texas public schools, the ACLU of Texas reported in its annual investigation published as “Free People Read Freely.”
Texas schools banned 17 books last school year, 2010-2011, a decrease from the 20 taken from shelves the previous year. Most are in the popular YA category, although at Cibolo Green Elementary School, Merriam-Webster’s Visual Dictionary drew objections due to “sexual content or nudity.” As a result of the challenge, the dictionary was placed in a restricted area of the library.
“Censorship of Young Adult books is concerning because these books motivate youth to read, improve literacy levels and drive interest in literature. They are also very relevant to youth, assisting them to make sense of the world and helping them to form their own ideas and values to prepare for the future,” said Dotty Griffith, Public Education Director of the ACLU of Texas. “The ACLU of Texas absolutely respects parents’ right to choose what books their children read and to work with teachers to find alternate titles when parents have concerns. But efforts by a single parent or small group to ban a book and keep all students from reading it infringes on the rights of other parents to make their own choices. That is the effect of banning books.”
Banned Books Week, September 24 to October 1, 2011, celebrates the First Amendment and draws attention to the censorship of literature in public schools. Around the United States, classic books such as Brave New World and The Catcher in the Rye, and newer titles, such as the Gossip Girl series and Twilight have been "challenged" for reasons including explicit language, sexual content, and violence.
The ACLU of Texas annually requests information on challenges to books from all Texas school districts and compiles the data in its Banned Books Report. This year, the report also includes interviews with two successful YA authors: Francesca Lia Block, author of the popular Weetzie Bat series; and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, author of more than 135 books, including the Alice series. A complete copy of the report is available here.
More information on Banned Books in Texas can be found at: www.bannedbookstx.org
