2,304 books were banned during the 2024-2025 school year from school libraries around Florida – out of a nationwide total of 6,870. This list included well-known titles such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and even The Diary of Anne Frank.
These texts were removed because their content was labeled as explicit or unfit to teach in a classroom, and book challenging has reappeared as a recurring problem for many districts at the start of the new school year.
The recent surge of book challenges begs the question: at what point does personal preference infringe on the decisions of trained professionals?
It is natural to feel apprehensive while reading a book containing either explicit material or language no longer used today, such as Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – frequently banned in schools for vulgar language and depictions of violence.
However, it is also important to recognize that educators are practiced in selecting books which are the best for facilitating learning and discussion – a quality that oftentimes outweighs sensitive sections. Sometimes, that decision just has to be trusted.
When a book is chosen for a school curriculum, it is usually done so for specific reasons. Teachers deliberately choose titles based on how they tie into the larger theme of the current unit and share a variety of voices which students may be unfamiliar with. That will inevitably include controversial language or topics – but facing those is exactly what makes an English class a learning opportunity.
English Department Chair Jamie Moore explained that when books are chosen for our curriculum, the focus is to elicit discussion and respectful sharing of opinion.
“We choose texts because they have something within them that stands the test of time,” he said. “Most of the things that we’re talking about are what [it means] to be human.”
And while books that stand the test of time can be uncomfortable, these sections do not invalidate the message or the text as a whole. In many scenarios, it instead serves to further its point, and as a result advances class discussions and our own learning.
“We deal with violence every day,” said English teacher David Johnson. “All of those things are real things that happen in our world. So those are the things that are in books.”
One example of such a book is The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. The Poet X is a coming-of-age novel about the exploration of identity and voice, and it has been challenged numerous times at Saint Stephen’s in the past, mainly due to its explicit content and nature.
Despite this, the book is critically acclaimed and elicits important questions about self-identity and journey, a major focus of the 9th grade English curriculum.
“The experience of what it’s like to grow up as a girl is one of those things where it’s there, but nobody talks about it,” said junior Sophia House, who read The Poet X in her freshman year. “It’s nice having that connection to Mr. Johnson’s room to be able to talk about hard stuff like that.”
She also added that compared to reading it alone, being in the atmosphere of the classroom allowed her to ask questions as well as both share and listen to opinions.
Even with these difficult topics, teachers do understand the importance of ensuring a text is appropriate for class.
“There are definitely books that I might teach to a senior that I would never assign to a freshman,” Moore said.
Letting teachers choose their curriculum is essential because they know their teaching style, what their students should learn, and how they can facilitate that learning most effectively.
“My inclination is to trust teachers to be the professionals that they are,” Johnson commented.
Challenging books in schools interrupts learning and undermines a teacher’s professional knowledge. We need to remember that the purpose of an English class is to analyze texts of all types and unpack topics that would benefit from an environment with peers. Schools are meant to provide a guided learning aspect, and healthy discussion with classmates is a part of that curriculum.
If you ever encounter a text you disagree with going forward, think of the book’s literary value and read it fully before pushing it aside. Take its entire message into consideration, and remember that it isn’t always a bad thing if the book’s perspectives don’t mirror yours.
