By Cari Wilson
This article was first published on Cari Wilson’s blog, this and that: tech tips on Tuesdays, on February 28, 2025, and is republished here with permission.
When I was little I shared a bedroom with my brother. One whole wall was covered floor to ceiling with my parent’s books. Most of them were books from university but there were novels in there, too. I remember being attracted to one book in particular, “The Lord of the Flies”. I’m not sure if it was the colour of the book or the image on the front, but I wanted to read it. I had never read a novel, but I was intrigued. Of course, my parents told me that it was not the right book for me to read (and in retrospect they had good reasons) but, in my stubborn little brain, that was like the perfect challenge. So, I set about deciphering the book, one word at a time. My love of reading solidified, as did my determination to rebel against being told what to do!
There’s a whole lot of “being told what not to do” going on these days, especially when it comes to books. And people are not just banning books written for adults – they are banning books written for children, too.
The sources I checked indicate that the first book banned in North America was the book “New Canaan” by Thomas Morton. The book was banned by the Puritanical government of the day as they considered it to be a harsh critique of their customs and power structures.
Since that time, governments, conservative groups, religious groups and parent groups have all banned books, mostly (it seems to me) out of fear. Fear that the ideas in these books will somehow incite the readers to rebel against authority or the socio-politico-religious norms of the time. Fear that the ideas contained in the books will somehow be damaging to the status quo. A status quo, by the way, that has historically been the construct of white, heterosexual, often “Christian” men.
Well, the little 5 year old in me, the one that did not like being given limits, the one that felt curiosity was a good enough reason to read, that kid says “Bring It On!” Of course, she is being cheered on by the adult in me, the one that believes in the power of ideas, the one that believes in free speech and the one that believes that reading is a super-power and it should not be limited. You want to ban a book? Then, I want to read it!
“Harriet the Spy” by Louise Fitzhugh – a book I loved as a child. Banned because it supposedly encouraged children to talk back, lie and spy on people.
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume. A coming-of-age story that addresses topics like religion, puberty and sex…gee, I wonder why they banned that one?
‘A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle and “Harry Potter” by JK Rowling, both banned because of witchcraft!
No, I am not making this stuff up here! And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I haven’t even mentioned picture books that have been banned…
“The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf. Banned for promoting a pacifist agenda. Imagine having the audacity to want to teach children to be peaceful!
“Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories” by Dr. Suess. Banned for being too political.
“The Paperbag Princess” by Robert Munsch. Violent and anti-family….seriously? What I take from this book is that girls do not need men to save them, girls are capable and strong and sometimes princes are not all they are cracked up to be!
Books give us a way to learn about other people, other cultures, other ideas and points of view. Books can help us escape, help us dream, help us learn to think for ourselves and help us answer all of the questions that bubble up inside. Books can be a great ice-breaker or a way to introduce a difficult topic.
For those of us who might (smuggly) think this is an American problem…it’s not. Several of the above examples came straight from Canadian incidents.
What can you do about it? Well, like in any good rebellion, fight back. I am NOT advising violence (my parents read “Ferdinand” to me when I was little) but I am advising being active. Arm yourself with knowledge. Freedom to Read Week was February 24th to March 1st, 2025 and it happens again from February 22 to 28, 2026. Check out the activities on their website. Visit your local library.
Read books that have been banned. Find out why they’ve been banned, read them anyway and then post about it on social media. Tell people.
And in your classroom? Well, read the books! If they fit into what you are learning about. Whether you discuss banned books and why they’re banned….that’s best left up to you and will depend on things like the age of your students and the reason you are bringing it up. Even if you do not tell your students that the book you are reading them has been banned somewhere….you will know! And sometimes, that’s just the right amount of rebellion!
Cari Wilson currently works in the West Vancouver School District where she is the District Vice Principal of Innovation and Technology and an instructor in the Mechatronics Robotics Academy. With a Masters Degree in Educational Technology, Cari has over 20 years of experience in the classroom, much of that in a 1:1 or BYOD environment. Cari is a 2023 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Google for Education Certified Trainer. Cari has spent the last four years studying AI and its potential educational applications and implications.