The Freedom to Read: My Take

Recently, the New York Public Library held a teen writing contest with the prompt: “Why is the freedom to read important to you?” I’m not a teen, but as a librarian, archivist, and avid reader of a diverse range of books, I decided to ponder this question and write the following post in response. 

I read “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury towards the beginning of the pandemic. As someone about to enter library school, I figured I should know the book that discusses the most dystopian future for books that has been written. There are parts of Guy Montag’s journey that resonate deeply with me: wanting to learn books so deeply that they become a part of me, something I can use to educate myself and turn a critical eye to things that need fixing in my reality. I love the feeling of becoming so moved by a book that I have to talk about it with others, having genuine conversations and opening our minds. 

Book bans and censorship are on the rise in so many places, with so many of those books being about people of color and/or LGBTQIA+ people. Books that are memoirs get called “pornographic,” others that talk about racial tensions get accused of having an “agenda,” materials that mention different genders, identities, and orientations are labeled as “brainwashing” texts. I’ve read some of these books that are frequently challenged, and they have opened my eyes to experiences I have either seen from the sidelines or that aren’t even in my world. These books haven’t turned me away from certain people or causes; in fact, I believe reading these books makes me a much more empathetic person. They show me that even if I am a pansexual, Latinx person with generalized anxiety disorder, there are so many people living as their own combination of “otherness” that have unique stories and viewpoints. They have their own struggles and triumphs, hardships and joys, some of which are the same as mine but some of which are different. I will never know the fear of being Black while driving (especially after watching your friend get shot for no reason) like Starr Carter in “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, but I do have a better grasp of the ways in which the justice system can fail people of color. I am a queer person, but most people in my life don’t know that; something like “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson helps me learn about others in the LGBTQIA+ community, how I can be a better ally, and about the wide swath of issues and wins this community has seen over the years. 

For me, the freedom to read is crucial to being informed, empathetic participants in community with each other. We can’t be everybody and everything, and a great way to learn about the experiences of others is to read accounts that are truthful, whether they’re in a fictional book or not. I want to be a part of avoiding a dystopian future like the one in Fahrenheit 451, although sometimes it seems like some people would have books burned so that no one could be challenged by their contents. Fire chief Beatty points out to Montag that books contain conflicting messages, so how can we possibly read and determine the truth amidst contrasting information? I think reading and thinking deeply and sharing with others is how we make sense of the many messages that come from the books we read. In those contradictions, perhaps we can find misunderstandings, shortcomings, and common ground, just like we can in communicating with others. Whatever we do for a job or in our personal lives, reading whatever we want to read makes us better communicators, thinkers, and creators. Part of me wishes that I could read every book ever written, though that won’t be possible. I know that whatever books I take the time to read in my life, it will continue to shape me in positive ways for the rest of my life. I truly believe that the power of reading can do that same thing for everyone, if we want.

To conclude, a list of ten of my favorite frequently challenged/banned books in no particular order:

1. Looking for Alaska - John Green
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
3. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
4. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
5. This Book is Gay - Juno Dawson
6. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
   1. There is a fantastic movie of this story as well, though I suggest reading the graphic novel first. First of all, it’s a graphic novel, which is amazing. Second, there is some explanation for one short part of the story in particular that doesn’t get covered well in the English dubbed version; I never understood that part of the movie until I read the graphic novel afterwards.  
7. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
8. Almost Perfect - Brian Katcher
   1. In fact, I like this book so much that I tried to publish a review about it while I was in high school…and I was stopped. I reach out to the author and not only told him what happened and shared the review, but he actually published it on his blog, where you can still read it today! 
9. Animal Farm - George Orwell
10. Go Tell It On the Mountain - James Baldwin
    1. As of today (December 22, 2023), I am still reading this book but I’m nearly done. I had to include it because it’s my first time reading a James Baldwin novel and I love the story and his writing voice