Banned Books: Why Reading Them is So Imperative

By Ava Krysko

As Barack Obama once said, “Reading is important. If you know how to read then the whole world opens up to you.” This couldn’t be more true. Reading is the sail on a boat called knowledge that will take you on an unforgettable journey. The importance of reading is something often forgotten. Many times, people will underestimate the value of reading, societally or personally. Reading helps you to become an informed and integral individual in society. In fact, reading for thirty minutes a day can increase your IQ level by up to fifty points. 

Recently, there have been movements to ban books in schools across the U.S., which is completely unacceptable. PEN America found that during the 2023-24 school year, solely in Florida, 4,561 book bans occurred. By taking away books, people are taking away the right to learn and freedom of speech. Books are fundamentally a tool for learning and for teaching others about different ways of life. Whether a book is fiction or nonfiction, it has the ability to enlighten someone on a new perspective of an issue and change the way we view aspects of life. Reading has the capacity to teach someone a language or inform someone about an event that happened hundreds of years ago and how it relates to today. Maryanne Wolf, a professor-in-residence at UCLA and director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice, says that "We have more opportunity to deepen our insights, our epiphanies, our sense of our own best thoughts. It [reading] gives us more empathy, perspective — taking into other people's viewpoints, thoughts and feelings.” Books help people walk a day in someone else’s shoes and understand other viewpoints. It allows schoolchildren to attend more inclusive classroom environments and become accepting of others. 

Through reading, there are endless possibilities. Reading should not be controversial, as it allows children to obtain an education with more variety. Books can truly make a difference in a child’s life. I fervently encourage you to continue on your reading journey and to advocate for those who are having the right to books stripped from them. You never know what book will pique your interest and what that will end up leading to. I’ve picked up many books that I was unsure I was going to like, and then they ended up being some of my favorites, such as Persuasion by Jane Austen. I promise that once you crack open a book, you won’t be able to stop; reading is just that amazing and enticing.