Research in the Teaching of English Aug 2023

But These Are Our Stories! Critical Conversations about Bans on Diverse Literature

Ruth McKoy Lowery

Abstract

The field of children’s literature has been adversely affected by the current alarming resurgence of book banning across the United States. Book banning has become the grandstanding stage for individuals on different political platforms to institute their desire to silence issues and people; most of these banned books share experiences that differ from mainstream white society. In their zest to muzzle others and create a dogmatic uniformity to a majority white mainstream, some parents and their political allies have targeted books they deem inappropriate, books that celebrate the kaleidoscope of races, cultures, and mores that make up the US. This essay examines the current wave of banning children’s books and the reasoning behind this trend. I argue that this trend of reader suppression seeks to silence minoritized voices and prevent critical conversations. Finally, I make a call to action for educators to share diverse stories so young readers, especially Black and Brown children, can see representations of themselves in books and other media.

Journal
Research in the Teaching of English
Published
2023-08-01
DOI
10.58680/rte202332609
Open Access
Closed
Topics
race and writing voice and style affect and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Neville et al. (2025)
    “[Writing]’s Like in a Hot Car Finally Opening the Window”: Humanizing Writing …
    Research in the Teaching of English

Cites in this index (0)

No references match articles in this index.

Also cites 15 works outside this index ↓
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    Teaching and Teacher Education  ↗
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    Critical literacy in the elementary classroom
    Language Arts  ↗
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    I bring them here to tell their stories”: Transnational Latina mothers’ critical literacy…
    Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy  ↗
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CrossRef global citation count: 13 View in citation network →

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