BANNED: Does banning books from schools achieve anything? The organization First Book did a study to find out.

It turns out that banning books has a negative impact on reading engagement. Students read more when they have the freedom to choose what they want to read, including access to banned books. A book ban stifles curiosity and a love of learning among students.

“Every child deserves the freedom to explore books that inspire them, challenge them and help them see the world, and themselves, in new ways,” the site stated. 

Pennsylvania had fewer books challenged in the 2023-24 school year than other states, but books like “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher was challenged or banned.

Other challenged or banned books included “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer and “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon.

PEN America has a list of the most banned books of the 2023-24 school year. Top on the list is “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult, about the aftermath of a school shooting Most bans cite the use of a sex-related word on one page as the reason for the ban. It had 98 bans.

Second is “Looking for Alaska” by John Green with 97 bans. It has explicit content, offensive language and depictions of underage smoking and drinking.

Also on the list are “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, and the series of books by Sarah J. Maas that starts with “A Court of Thorns and Roses.”