The number of books removed from stores, libraries, and reading lists because of their themes and ideas has skyrocketed in recent years. ByApril of 2022, for example, school districts in 26 states either banned or opened investigations into over 1,100 books… Five months later, the total tally for the 2021-2022 school year hadrisen more than doublethat.
While some of these objections are, objectively, well-intentioned, many stem from self-titled parents' rights groups backed by nationwide campaigns. According to Pen America, “… the large majority of book bans underway today are not spontaneous, organic expressions of citizen concern. Rather, they reflect the work of a growing number of advocacy organizations that have made demanding censorship of certain books and ideas in schools part of their mission.” Of thenearly 50 groups that have been formedto raise objections, nearly three-quarters of them were createdafter2021. In addition to calls for state-wide bans, a good portion of these groups have taken to using school board meetings, circulated lists, and even criminal complaints to make their point known. Some librarians have even been the recipient of targeted social media threat campaigns for simply providing these resources.
A major concern for up-and-coming creators is that many of these books arenotnew, but were created within the past decade. Nearly half of these books were written with a YA audience in mind. Many of them cover themes like LGBTQ+ acceptance and race relations, both of which have been difficult to find in media until recently.
With any luck, it will be these same audiences who are primed and ready to jump right into the new movie franchises that are bound to rise from these books. In an era where Intellectual Property reigns supreme, these stories would fit right in on the big screen.
Gender Queer
Production studios do love themselves a good graphic novel, and frankly, who can blame them? After all, the storyboard’s practically done!Graphic novels likePersepolishave already laid the groundwork for acclaim in the adapted non-superhero space, andGender Queerby Maia Kobabe would make a wonderful addition. Even better, it’s a memoir, so it’s based on a true story.
So, what’s the hitch? The book, which started out as a way for the author to explain non-binary and asexuality terms to loved ones, has been banned and challenged for showing that very same content. The American Library Association recently cast it as the top banned book of 2021 for its “sexually explicit” images. According to a letter sent to one school district in Wisconsin, the book provides, “misleading and ‘politically correct’ information on gender, sexual orientation, family life, and other sensitive topics of discussion”.
Funny enough, according to the author, the criticism has actually bolstered sales.
Dear Martin
Dear Martinreads like a much-needed update toThe Outsiders—but instead of Ponyboy and The Greasers, we follow Justyce McAllister, a black teen who attends a predominantly white prep high school on scholarship. After being unfairly arrested and released without charges (or, as the author writes, an apology), he tries to make sense of things by writing letters to the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Soon after, he finds himself in a similar situation, this time with more dire results.
Author Nic Stone said she was inspired to write this debut novel for her sons after a series of racially-charged events. It is the subject of these same events that spawned this book’s censorship. Several school districts in Georgia, where the book is based, have banned it from schools, saying it was due to its display of “racial tendencies as a negative attribute of society.”
With films like thebook-turned-movieThe Hate U Givein the not-so-distant past, it’s only a matter of time before this novel receives the same treatment.
Related:Best Movies Adapted from Previously Banned Books
A Court of Mist and Fury
Speaking of which, it’s only a matter of time before author Sarah J. Maas’s widely popular YA fictionA Court of Mist and Furyis adapted for the screen. This book, which is the second in theA Court of Thorns and Rosesseries, stands out not just because of its killer content, but because of the role it has played in the modern history of book banning. This story of a mortal brought into faerie lands after murdering a member of the fey was nearly banned from bookstores in Virginia alongside fellow nomineeGender Queer. A lawsuit filed by Virginia House of Delegates rep Tim Anderson to do so proved to be unsuccessful.
Though it’d probably be smarter to start with the first of this series for chronological purposes, it’s hard not to want to give the one-two punch to dissenters by starting with book number two instead. The extensive action, world-building, intricate politics, and heart-melting romance of this series would be well suited for television series, particularly on networks like the CW and streaming platforms like Showtime.As of now, the series has been optioned for both film and TV, but nothing has gone beyond the preliminary stages yet.
Hollywood does love a movie based on a true story, particularly if there’s already a strong character ready and waiting in the wings to play in it. Jonathan Evison’s semi-autobiographical memoirLawn Boyfollows Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State who just can’t seem to make his way up the proverbial ladder.
Sadly, this title has had some of the most violent outcry on this list, despite its introspective humor. Three citizens filed reports with police after one School Board meeting in Texas and School board members in Virginia received threats of physical violence and even death over their perceived support of the book. Those for the removal of this novel from shelves say it contains pornographic, homoerotic material. In response, Evison said the moment(s) in question, “…involves an adult man recalling a sexual encounter he had with another fourth-grader when he was in fourth grade”. This book’s smart and whimsical view of reality would betonally similar toThe Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Related:20 Most Beloved Coming-of-Age Films of All Time
Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)
Easily the most spiffy name of the bunch,Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)follows an out and proud teenage boy, Jack Rothman. Like most kids his age, he’s—surprise, surprise—sexually active. Unlike most kids, though, his sexual orientation makes him a big fish in a tiny, tiny pond. With sex being a very large part of the teenage rumor mill, Jack decides to write an advice column on his friend’s blog to set the record straight, reclaiming his agency in the process. Unfortunately, this also gets him his very own stalker.
Core complaints concerning the book stem from its open depiction of sex, particularly gay sex. Author Lev A.C. Rosen said the questions asked in the sex column came from asking sex education experts and, of course, teens themselves.Said Rosen in a statementabout the book being banned, “I knew it would be controversial, but I also knew it was needed.”
In the right hands, this book could translate into an edgier, more LGBTQ+ friendly version ofNetflix’sTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
We Are The Ants
Fans of YA science fiction will clamor for a ticket to see this ethereal take on life and death on the big screen. InWe are the Ants, the main protagonist is abducted by aliens shortly after learning about the death of his boyfriend from suicide. He’s given exactly 144 days and a button to push that would save the planet from eminent alien destruction. But, is the world really worth saving?
A mixture of angst-ridden drama and hard science fiction, this book was banned in Utah following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools," despite also landing on Time’s list of “100 Best YA Books of All Time". While the basis of this book is all over the place genre-wise, its main message serves as a grounding mechanism, andcould take point from adaptations likeThe Giver.
Related:Explained: Dune & Why We’re Enthralled by Science Fiction
Make no mistake: banning books and other materials from public useisan act of censorship. Restricting content for all forces other potential users to never have the option of choosing it for themselves. Even worse, people who see themselves in these stories that reflect and speak to them are given the message that their ways of life should not be acknowledged. Now, it’s more important than ever to keep their insight in mind—both on the shelves and on-screen.
