In 2023, a 33 percent increase of banned books in public schools swept the country. These titles were banned for a multitude of reasons: content named “inappropriate”—such as violence, sexual content, and racial issues—the challenging of religious viewpoints, and offensive language in the efforts of protecting children from ideas and information that may be deemed as “difficult” for them to understand.
Though many people are divided on the issue, the HMS Library is promoting students to read banned books by making them accessible to students.
These banned books include titles such as The Giver by Lois Lowry; Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Lord of Flies by William Golding; and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback, amongst other stories.
By exposing students to these books, HMS is fighting back against these unreasonable bans and expanding the amount of knowledge children can receive through the school library.
