“It’s fine to disagree with some books, but it’s not right to restrict the right to learn from other students who may find value in these books. In addition to Bridges and Books, there’s Our Turn, a student organization “Mobilizing, amplifying, and elevating the voices of young people in the fight for educational equity.” Our Turn’s Instagram and Link Tree Because more often than not, those are the ones that need telling the most.” Teen Vogue

I hope, along with my other team members, that in the future the podcast can help promote the reading of stories that have been banned or hidden. “Sometimes we need to read stories that may make us uncomfortable or seem harsh in order to grow as people and learn more about the world around us. “It was important for us to bring light to these stories and so many others because young adult literature provides us with a way to see ourselves, others, and the world in new ways,” Frances Huffman, a junior at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and a participant in Bridges and Books, tells Teen Vogue. Soon to be in its third season, the podcast has featured teen thrillers that grapple with death and sexuality, including A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, Be Dazzled and Reverie by Ryan La Sala, and All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick. To ensure that young people are able to enjoy diverse perspectives in literature, a group of high school students in Pittsburgh recently started a podcast, Bridges and Books, to amplify books that have been banned or challenged in schools. Yet, the more I research each specific banned book, the more results I find that today’s kids aren’t having it when adults try to take their books away. When I set out to start The Banned Bookshelf, I don’t think I was expecting the level of activism I’d find at the high school level. They’re already hearing about these issues when talking with friends, and this gives parents a good opportunity to share their values.

Let kids read whatever it is that interests them and take each one as an opportunity to talk with your kid about controversial issues. In 2021, A Texas Republican released a list of 879 book titles that he felt would make school children feel “guilt, discomfort, or anguish.” Many of the titles on his list cover important moments in black history, sex education, or characters that are LGBTQ.Ĭurrently, all over the state, parents involved in conservative politics are submitting challenges to these books, with no thought for the kids for whom these books are written.