Because public schools are designed to serve the widest range of interests and are committed to the ideal of democracy, teachers cannot afford to avoid teaching works or presenting ideas that offend some members of communities. Students need to learn the value of controversy and of the challenges posed by a text. Richard Wright's "Native Son" and…

Presented at the Broward County Library (Florida) on September 11, 1984, to coincide with Banned Books Week and to mark the centennial of the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," the address in this booklet reviews the reasons why this classic book has always been in trouble with the censors. Drawing upon the Pulitzer Prize winning…

Unfortunately, three of society's worst problems during the last decade--racism, sexism, and maladjusted parents--are reflected in the content of children's books. While censorship of books of questionable value is not recommended, it is necessary to judge and to find fault with them and ultimately to steer children into reading the good books…