Banned Books Find a Home at Samo
For the past few years, the issue of banned books has been a hotly debated topic across America, especially in terms of policies in education. From toddlers to teens, state governments have grown concerned about the information put into young minds through literature. While kids in California aren’t directly affected by these recent measures, other schools have felt the burden of these bans, most significantly in states like Texas and Florida.
In March of 2023, the Martin County School District in Florida pulled 80 books from its schools because of the state’s opinion on the definition of romance novels and content involving race and sex. The books were written by the likes of James Patterson, Toni Morrison, and Jodi Picoult, who have all had a profound impact on the world of teenage literature and high school English classes.
Delaney O’Dea (’24) is one of many AP Literature students at Samo reading Morrisson’s Beloved: a book about slavery in the Civil War that is banned in states like Florida and Kentucky.
“My AP Literature teacher loves Toni Morrison and always talks about the importance of painful portrayals of historical experiences. I thought Beloved was super well-written and exposed the class to a time and experience that we otherwise would not be exposed to,” O’Dea (’24) said.
In Texas, the situation became even more dire. A 2020 comparison study by the New York Times found that the information put in McGraw Hill textbooks in Texas is alarmingly different from textbooks in the state of California that the same publisher created. Whereas the California textbooks contain valuable information on the Harlem Renaissance, the Texas textbooks say the era is dismissed by critics because of “the quality of literature produced”.
Samo librarian Dana Bart-Bell is extremely worried about this anti-book propaganda sweeping the nation and the long-term effect it will have on the country’s youth.
“The rise of parent advocacy groups with a strong ideological influence on what’s taught in schools and put in libraries is very concerning,” Bart-Bell said. “This new trend has done a lot of damage over a short time, both in terms of removing materials and removing access to materials.”
In November of 2023, Texas’ education board rejected the inclusion of climate-crisis policy solutions in the textbooks of students. While this is an incredibly baffling maneuver due to the current state of the environment, the irony behind it isn’t hard to find as the state’s production of oils and natural gas is larger than any other state in America.
Fortunately for Samo’s student body, the Samo library has become a haven for books banned in other states. A yellow cart at the library’s entrance offers students a catalog of books already banned by other states. Among the most notable titles are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, The Call of the Wild by Jack London, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez and This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson.
“There are some books here that people in different states wouldn’t like because of how they expose children to things like drugs, sex, and other parental authorities that are not strong,” Bart-Bell said. “I think having a diverse collection of books that are appropriate for Samo students and their needs and supporting things such as the curriculum and student interest are things I can do.”
Declan Ney / The Samohi
A catalog of banned books shelved on a cart in the Samo Library