Controversial Conversations in the ELA Classroom: Using Banned Books to Enhance Learning

Abstract

Banned books are a hot topic in schools and libraries all across the nation. There are many reasons why a book may be banned or challenged and all of them are related to readers being exposed to topics that others deem unsuitable. Parents are reluctant to have their children exposed to controversial topics through books in the classroom setting when this is, in fact, a great place for them to have conversations about difficult subjects. The English classroom is a unique space in which students and teachers can have open discussions about topics such as violence, drugs, alcohol, language, and sex. The fact is, many students are having experiences that are comparable to these controversial topics whether adults want them to or not. Through carefully and purposefully studying banned books students have the ability to learn through the consequences of characters in a book. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a perfect example of a book that has been challenged and banned on many occasions but can be used to teach students valuable lessons on things such as gang violence, drugs, alcohol, and death.