2nd Argument Essay Draft

Oscar Mendez                                                                                                          11/11/13

Should Books with Tough and/or Mature Content be Banned from Middle School Libraries?

It has been seen throughout the world that content aimed at young audiences are getting darker and violent, this doesn’t only apply to movies or similar media, but to literature as well. Crank by Ellen Hopkins, is directed towards a middle school audience, yet it graphically depicts rape and explicit usage of drugs. Books that contain these topics should not be read because they explicitly depict gruesome topics and can negatively affect readers.

Books containing mature and explicit topics horrendously depict bad situations. Meghan Cox Gurdon of the Wall Street Journal describes teen fiction as a house of mirrors, where reader’s mind receives nothing but views of “Damage, brutality, and losses of the most horrendous kind.” Kidnapping, pederasty, incest and beatings are the new norm, content that would easily receive mature ratings as a movie are being sold without hesitation, books like Crank that depict usage of drugs and rape, is only one of many where books narrate topics such as prostitution and self-harm. Parents such as Amy Freedman have a tough time picking out books for their children in a world filled with “Vampires, suicide, and self-mutilation,” there’s really “Nothing, not a thing that I could imagine giving my daughter,” nothing positive in this world of YA fiction that is worth reading. For the reason that YA fiction is filled with mature topics, they should be removed from libraries and book shelves.

Readers aren’t always ready to tackle the grotesque world of teen fiction. Children’s book expert Amanda Craig tells us that mature YA books are “Aimed at young teens at the time when they are most likely to go through self-harm or experience suicidal thoughts.” Why risk it? Books, such as Red Tears by Joanna Kenrick, that deal with self-harm already affect its readers. “I know a girl of 12 in whose class the book spread like wildfire – several of them started cutting themselves.” Says Craig. Some readers actually returned to old habits as a result of reading these books. One girl, Jess felt as if (the book) “Was too close to home for me to read. I’d finish reading and immediately reach for my blade.” Amanda tells us that we should be “Very cautious about giving it to a young person to read alone.” Because books with mature topics can strongly influence us, books dealing with explicit content should be removed from libraries and book shelves.

Some believe reading books with tough problems other teens may be facing will help them by removing the feeling of isolation, or maybe even find new hope. Wrong! Are kids who read books such as Crank where the protagonist finds a savior in drugs supposed to feel as if drugs are their hope as well? Are kids supposed to believe that if a girl they read about is coping with the same problems they are with dangerous tactics, supposed to do the same thing? Nope. Authors exploit these depictions as if they were good, when they’re not. “When you write for children, you have a moral and social responsibility,” Says Craig. “There’s often a fine line between raising the profile of the problem so that more young people can seek help, versus presenting it as another option for young people to express how they feel.” Child Psychologist Emma Citron believes that Kids may head down a morbid path if there isn’t a parent guiding them through the book. “Parents should be vigilant,” She says. “These subjects should not be consumed by young people alone.” Because many of the topics expressed in YA books are too difficult to be tackled with alone, they should be removed from libraries and book shelves.

If we are going to try and save as many young minds as we can, we must put an end into the distribution of these books, as they just meant to destroy them. Why act later, when it’s already too late?