protest of banning books

Dear Ms. Berner, I have heard a rumor that you are considering pulling a few YA fiction books from the shelves in MS51. I sincerely hope you don’t do this. YA Books help kids get though rough times by relating to their problems. For some kids these books may be to intense, if that is so they can put the book down and find another one. YA books don’t just help the kids who are addicted to substances or have been abused by parents but it helps kids that are, “privileged,” with their problems as well. 

Sherman Alexie, author of the great book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has said his book helped one girl go from being a hopeless teen mother to a woman who was heading to college with a three-year-old child. It inspired her to not give up on her dreams, even if others had. The book can help others know that no matter where you come from you can make yourself a good life doing what you love. There are cases like this all over the world. Many authors have mentioned that their books helped people get though rough times and in certain situations save lives. You wouldn’t want a life saving book of the shelves would you.

I understand there are some students that cannot handle the issues that are exposed with detail in these books. If this is the case they can move on. “If you don’t want your kids to read a book fine, don’t let them, but do not choose what is right for everyone else, says author Ellen Hopkins. If you believe your child should not be reading this book, because it is too dark or too harsh, don’t deprive other kids from an exciting read who needs the help and support this book can provide. The kids who are intimidated or scared by these YA novels will put them down immediately anyway, causing them no harm, the harm that could be caused here is if the kids who need them don’t read them.

I can’t think of many drug addicts or pregnant mothers at our school. So some people may think, “then who needs these books?

” There are many kids who need these books. There may be some that have less obvious problems, but these problems are still important and still can be solved with certain YA books. Sherman Alexie told of how a kid who attended private school with rich parents it would seem that he had a perfect life. Although he too got much needed comfort from Alexie’s book. The book was about a kid who lived in a run down poverty-ridden reservation, although this, “privileged,” child related to what Alexie had written. He related to the main character’s plight of feeling as though his life had been chosen for him.  The boy wanted to be a writer but his dad was forcing him to be in the army. Alexie’s book taught kids to follow their own paths and thus supported children’s issues concerning their future.

Anne Fine, a critically acclaimed English author, made a good point in the article, “Age-rated books: Right or wrong?” She mentioned that there are many other medias that provide this content for the youth. This is important because if you censor books that it could be possible that kids would ignore reading book, and only listen to music or watch movies. If we censor these YA texts, than kids may turn to other forms of media to immerse themselves in a great story. This would result in kids reading less and less and losing overall interest in books.  Therefore, losing the support, hope and entertainment that can be found in YA literature.

You can see that these books are extremely important and cannot be taken off the shelves. I hope you consider this letter in creating your decision, because literature is vital to a child’s education and wellness. This is because these more mature and extreme stories will relate to kids problem and help them get out of their seemingly hopeless situation. YA fiction literature helps everyone get though tough times and kids who cant handle it will censor what they read themselves or with the help of their parents.