Book banning is more than simply the act of taking a book off of a shelf, it is erasing history and silencing a voice. Book bans generally target books containing subjects related to LGBTQ+ and race, or books featuring historical figures, events, and topics of controversy. Banning these books limits the access of children to books about historically oppressed communities. Having access to different view points around the world is necessary to getting a complex understanding of the world as a whole. Encouraging diversity in education helps create greater multicultural awareness and helps students with different backgrounds all succeed. It is important for students to recognize the extent of the diversity in this world in order to be sufficiently prepared for an evolving world.

Children use books to understand the world around them, and they deserve to see themselves represented in the books that they are reading. 

“It allows them to see people like themselves experiencing things, overcoming them and learning how to manage them in real life,” South Librarian Julie Vignoul said. “That’s why it’s so important to have diverse voices in our authors, main characters, side characters, everybody needs to be able to see themselves in the books no matter where they come from or who they are.”

Forty-five of the 50 states in the U.S, including Oregon at a district level, have banned books. According to the Multnomah County Library, the most book challenges took place in the Willamette Valley and in Northeast Oregon. On the other hand, in June 2025, Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill that aimed to reduce the number of book bans to schools and libraries. This bill restricts books from being banned for the sole reason of being written by or being about members of a protected class. While this bill greatly impacts access to books in Oregon, many other states around the country are facing rising book bans. According to PEN America, 21,810 book bans have occurred across 45 states and 451 public school districts since July of 2021. These book bans are removing students’ rights to receive and read information about their world.

By exploring diverse perspectives, readers can better analyze different moral and ethical questions. It forces readers to think critically about the world and its complexities. 

Reading banned books can lead to more thoughtful debates and conversations amongst children. Key examples of banned books to read include the following: 1984 by George Orwell, a dystopian novel depicting the totalitarian society of Oceania under the constant watch of Big Brother; All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, a memoir of Johnson’s struggles as a Black queer man; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, depicting a young woman’s experiences through police brutality, racism and sexuality; and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, a dystopian novel depicting a totalitarian, patriarchal government that enslaves fertile women. 

There are thousands of banned books offering different narratives from diverse perspectives; they can, with the simple turn of a page, allow readers to deepen their understanding of the world and of people whose experiences are different from their own.

Article by Anna Andrejko