Title: Banned Books - Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org
Headings: Banned Books – Top 3 Pros and Cons
Banned Books – Top 3 Pros and Cons
Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and libraries?
Pro 1
Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when.
Pro 2
Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries.
Pro 3
Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids, but doesn't stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them.
Con 1
Parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people.
Con 2
Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it.
Con 3
Books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development.
Discussion Questions
Take Action
Sources

Content: Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Source: American Library Association, “Top 11 Challenged Books of 2019,” ala.org (accessed Apr. 21, 2020)
Sources

1. American Library Association, "Banned & Challenged Books," ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2017)

2. American Library Association, "Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2016," ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2017)

3. The Harris Poll, Adults Are More Likely To Believe There Are Books That Should Be Banned Than Movies, Television Shows, or Video Games," theharrispoll.com, July 8, 2015

4. Speak up for Standards homepage, accessed via archive.org, Feb. 25, 2017

5. Clare Trapasso, "Queens Sixth-Graders No Longer Must Read Racy 'Diary of a Part-Time Indian,'" nydailynews.com, Aug. 1, 2013

6. National Coalition against Censorship, "Censorship and the First Amendment in Schools: A Resource Guide," webjunction.org, May 9, 2016

7.