This spring, bestselling author Jodi Picoult wrote an op-ed in which she spoke out strongly against the recent wave of book bannings. One passage is being shared widely by U.S. librarians and authors on social media:
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with a parent deciding a certain book is not right for her child. There is a colossal problem with a parent deciding that, therefore, no child should be allowed to read that book.”
It was interesting to consider how much this statement resonated with many Americans in light of a talk I attended by Henrik Berggren and Lars Trägårdh, authors of The Swedish Theory of Love: Individualism and Social Trust in Modern Sweden. They explained a source of cross-cultural misunderstanding: Swedes consider policies affecting children in terms of children’s rights, whereas Americans of all political leanings generally emphasize parental rights.
In 2013, Sweden was the guest of honor at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The Swedish Arts Council took this opportunity—being center stage at the most important global event for children’s literature professionals—to release a statement that read, in part:
“Children have a right to culture.…Most children’s writers and illustrators have a genuine child’s perspective. They make children and children’s issues visible—both to children themselves and to adults.…By children’s right to culture, we also mean children’s right to art, to participate in artistic and cultural life, as the Convention on the Rights of the Child puts it. To be presented with challenging art. Different perspectives. A diversity of expression. Relevant, fun, surprising, inquisitive art.…Children are human beings, fellow citizens.”
The U.S. remains the sole member nation not to have ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Book-banning campaigns actively reject diverse, challenging perspectives that might lead to disagreement with parental views. But a response that prioritizes parents’ rights to restrict their own children’s reading fails to universally uphold young people’s rights as individual citizens.
Contemporary books for teens are rich, provocative, and engaging. The following titles stimulate critical thinking and encourage the creation of more inclusive communities. They might make some adults uncomfortable, but they speak to concerns that adolescents are already living with and deserve to engage with through literature.
Three outstanding titles that explore politics and society are The Making of Yolanda la Bruja by Lorraine Avila (Levine Querido, April 11); Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay by Kelly McWilliams (Little, Brown, May 2); and Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories From the Jim Crow South by Jaha Nailah Avery (Levine Querido, July 11). Each skillfully shows how deeply present-day injustices are entwined with past events: We can’t build a better future if we deny painful historical realities.
Adolescence is naturally a time for thinking about gender roles and sexuality. Becoming a Queen by Dan Clay (Roaring Brook Press, April 25); Lion’s Legacy by L.C. Rosen (Union Square & Co., May 2); From Here by Luma Mufleh (Nancy Paulsen Books, May 16); and The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch (Little Island, June 13) are intelligent, passionate works that help teens develop a deeper understanding of toxic masculinity, homophobia, and related subjects.
Mental health concerns often strike at the heart of family life, making them particularly sensitive to address. Three new and forthcoming books treat readers with an honesty that shows respect for their ability to grow emotionally: Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying, with colors by Lynette Wong (First Second, April 25); Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing by Suzanne Methot, illustrated by Jessica Albert and Mapris Purgas (ECW Press, June 6); and Everyone Wants To Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert (Simon & Schuster, June 13).
Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.
