Title: Banning books like ’13 Reasons Why’ makes it harder for teens to open up to adults, author says | PBS NewsHour
Headings: Banning books like ’13 Reasons Why’ makes it harder for teens to open up to adults, author says
Banning books like ’13 Reasons Why’ makes it harder for teens to open up to adults, author says
READ MORE: ’13 Reasons Why’ is provocative and devastating. Is it also dangerous?
“I never understood the power of having books written about your experience … until I wrote one and started hearing from teens.”
“Libraries, to me, are safe spaces, and if young readers can’t explore the themes in my book there, where can they?”

Content: JAY ASHER: No, because every reader is different. There’s no book that’s inappropriate for every person, but there are people who cannot handle everything. Last week I was speaking in Alaska and this one girl said she got to the eighth chapter in “Thirteen Reasons Why” and it became too much for her — she self-censored. But she said there would be a day when she’s able to finish my book, when she’ll be ready. NEWSHOUR: The American Library Association, which keeps a record of challenged books or documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries, listed “Thirteen Reasons Why” as the third most “challenged” book of 2012. What’s your reaction to that? JAY ASHER: A lot of authors see their book being banned or challenged as a badge of honor.