Freedom to Read

 Author's Note- Expressing your opinion is expressing yourself.  Everybody's opinion is unique and important; it makes our Society what it is today.

Citizens are marching holding their signs high and chanting their opinion in clever rhymes.  They are trying to ban a book from the library.  In the midst of all of this a young boy watches from the sidelines, angry at these protesters, but there’s nothing he can do about it: or is there? Americus, by Jonathan Hill, proves that banning books is wrong and unjust because it goes against our right to freedom of speech. You should never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.  

Everybody has their own beliefs, which tend to affect their actions.  According to the American Library Association, a total of 348 challenges on books were received in 2011. Julia Shay, the librarian at the Asa Clark Library states that,“Kids can handle a lot more than we give them credit for.”  However, overbearing mother in Americus believes wizardry to be ungodly; that the Bible is the only book suitable for reading.  That opinion is all well and good and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but nobody has the right to say who can and cannot read a certain book.  She can live like that; she can force her children to live like that, but she has no right to speak for everybody.  A lot of people enjoy escaping from day to day stress by reading a wonderful book.  There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good fantasy book.


Enjoying books that are suitable for their age is something that is recommended for children, but it’s really up to the parents to censor what their children are reading, not the library's. If you try to hide something from your child, for example a book that may not be appropriate for them at their age, they are going to find it.  That’s when the curiosity starts to grow and what encourages them to open the book and see why their parents hid it from them.  It’s best to be open and honest; the same goes for libraries.  If you find out your library has banned a book, most people will be curious as to why it was and go out and find it somewhere else.  Banning a book is igniting the flame of curiosity.  All the people need is one little spark, it’s enough for them to seek that book and read it. Most every librarian loves to read, so it must hurt them to see a classic banned because one person doesn’t find it to be an appropriate book. 


In America, too many classics are banned for no good reason; not enough people have the courage to take a stand.  We need to stop these men and women who insist that some books should not exist or be present in their library.  Then there are also newer books that people try to knock down before anybody gets the chance to read it.  Classics have stood the test of time, but every book deserves the chance to flourish.  Freedom of speech is a right every American has, therefore nobody should have the right to take literature away from other people.  To Kill A Mocking Bird, The Harry Potter Series, The Lord of the Rings Series, and The Junie B. Jones Series are just four amazing books or series’ that have been banned because people don’t find them to be pertinent, so they try to take it away from everybody else.  


The Harry Potter Series is a magical world of wizardry cleverly written by the profound J.K. Rowling.  This phenomenal series has been challenged and banned for many reasons but the main reason is wizardry.  Parents are afraid that their children will live their life in the magical wizard world.  Rather than being at school, they are daydreaming at Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry.  These parents are putting so much effort and time into the wrong things.  They could be making the world a better place but instead they try to take something away from the world.  The Chronicles of Apathea Ravenchilde, is the book challenged in Americus.  It’s very similar to The Harry Potter series because The Chronicles of Apathea Ravenchilde is also being challenged on the grounds of wizardry.  All of these paranoid people in Americus join together to ban a book series they know nothing about except that they think it’s a terrible piece of garbage, which is completely wrong.  They protest and they yell, but for all of the wrong reasons.


Jonathan Hill’s Americus, shows that taking a stand against banning books and utilizing the freedom of speech right is something to commend. Don’t ever be afraid to speak up for what you believe is right.  Expressing your opinion is the start of making this world a better place.