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duckerduck | 10 days ago

Maybe the EU can open a book portal for the US.

https://pen.org/report/the-normalization-of-book-banning/

discuss

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joenot443|10 days ago

The whole book banning thing is a little weird in 2026, IMO. It's exciting to think about, we all liked Fahrenheit 451, but a book not being bought for elementary schools doesn't really make it "banned" IMO.

There are a lot of books which probably shouldn't be in schools. I don't think children should be given copies of Mein Kampf or Camp of Saints, nor the random dark fantasy novels which are so popular today.

It feels disingenuous to pretend that school-book-choice is anything comparable to government level "book banning" when literally any of the books written about in that article can be freely checked out from any public library in the country.

subpixel|10 days ago

As a parent, I believe there is no book that should be banned from being used by a teacher for instruction. I have the responsibility of ensuring that the school my child attends employs teachers who I trust to make effective and age-appropriate curriculum decisions.

46493168|10 days ago

> I don't think children should be given copies

Disingenuous framing. Book bans remove books from school libraries. A book sitting on a shelf is not giving a book to someone.

> of Mein Kampf or Camp of Saints

Why not? Genuinely, why not? What will happen if children have access to words on a printed page? Most of them have access to a supercomputer in their pocket.

To make my stance clear in case it’s not: there is no such thing as “age appropriate literature.” A free society depends on intellectual freedom. Restricting school libraries from holding certain books is a tactic to raise children to be closed minded adults.

guelo|10 days ago

How about letting the professional educators figure it out instead of emotionally-charged propaganda-fueled activists and their cynical politicians?

squigz|10 days ago

What's wrong with "dark fantasy novels"?

BSDobelix|10 days ago

Banned in public schools...

xdennis|10 days ago

The banned books are things like "All Boys Aren't Blue", a book which describes incestuous child rape and provides step by step instructions for anal sex.

If you think that book belongs in public schools the FBI should have a look at your computer.

Eezee|10 days ago

It describes incestuous child rape, because the author describes his experience of being raped. Victims speaking about their abuse, now that is one step too far and needs to be censored.

guelo|10 days ago

What is wrong with teens learning about anal sex? It's not like not having the information is going to stop them from doing it, if that's your goal.

k3vinw|10 days ago

So not books banned from the general public? Got it!

BSDobelix|10 days ago

If you compare that list of "really banned" books, it sounds like creating a European portal would be a net negative.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_govern...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_govern...

The US list one (1) banned book in a earlier version (Operation Dark Heart) because of national security.

>The first, uncensored printing of 9,500 copies was purchased for $47,300 in early September and destroyed by the publisher at the request of the Pentagon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dark_Heart

gadders|10 days ago

Banned in the same way you don't show certificate 18 films to 6 year olds.