Ban This Book

A quick read with plenty of funny moments and an important message.

Ban This Book is about the purpose of libraries, books, and education. Education is portrayed as a process people actively participate in, both in and out of classrooms, centering critical thinking. It challenges imposing individual value judgments on entire communities, making deeper points about democracy.

Gratz also makes the point that banning things does not stop them from existing, but rather just changes how people obtain those things. He goes further by exploring the lure of forbidden fruit—banning books is what makes many of the students want to read them.

It's an empowering story about how libraries inherently recognize the value and power of community, and likewise, the role of community in supporting and defending the library. It teaches young people to use their voices to advocate for what they care about, even when they are scared or are sure they can't change anything.