Opinion: Books are not landmines

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/13/ [login to see] /opinion-books-are-not-landmines
The American Library Association and PEN America say there's been a sharp increase in the number of books pulled from school libraries over the past two years. One complaint that a book is obscene or offensive — from a parent, or, increasingly, a group — can be enough to have it removed from the shelves.

The books that get singled out often feature main characters who are LGBTQIA, or people of color. Many address racism, child abuse, sex, suicide, and other topics that young people may want help understanding.

Some of the most-pulled titles include Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; Looking For Alaska by John Green; and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

I wonder if those who want to keep certain books out of school libraries have thought through how many teens and adolescents react when they're told not to read something: they do it anyway. And avidly. They wonder — I certainly did — what are adults trying to keep from me?