Have you read Shel Silverstein?

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If you have, then you probably understand the significance of the photo topping this discussion. You may not have read it, as it was banned in many places due to parents who complained about how the book promoted rebellion and disrespect for authority. I haven't read it because it wasn't something we were reading when I was in school. It being banned is the only reason I'm familiar with the title. Book banning has never been as popular as it is now in the US since the days of Nazi Germany, and the book banners spout a lot of the same reasoning. In Florida, the hate group, Moms for LIberty, has convinced schools to ban The Diary of a Young Girl from their shelves. They claim it is because the book is sexually explicit. The more likely reason is that they don't want their children to understand the Holocaust. Ironically enough, a few years ago, a Jewish group tried to get a graphic novel based on the book banned, claiming it played down the Holocaust. My students asked me why people try to ban books. I explained that certain groups of people don't want their worldview or authority challenged by harsh truths or ideas that are different from theirs. Have you ever felt that a book should be kept from students for reasons other than age appropriateness?