By Sherry Wang (she/her), 17, Staff Writer
September 30, 2023
Reading has always been a great way for teenagers to better understand both themselves and the world. Unfortunately, many books are banned—through removal or restrictions—from schools, libraries, and bookstores. Many are banned because of references to race, gender, and sexuality, including sexual orientation, making it difficult for many readers to access books featuring characters that are representative of them.
To spread awareness as well as to celebrate and support authors whose books have been banned, the American Library Association (ALA) hosts “Banned Books Week“, an annual event that will take place this year October 1-7.
In honor of this, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Camryn Garrett (she/her), author of young adult novels Full Disclosure, Unofficially and friday i’m in love. Garrett has been writing since she was a child and was first published as a teenager. A black, queer author, she writes books with characters to represent diverse readers.
Garrett’s books have been banned for discussing race, sexual health and identity, and queer pride. We discussed the importance of representation and diversity in literature, the impact of book bans and what you can do to help.
The importance of access to books
Literature has always been important to Garrett. “I’ve always been kind of shy,” she says. “I loved having books to escape from…reading books about different people in different places exposed me to a lot of things I never would have experienced or known.” Garrett says reading as a teenager helped her discover more about her identity, including sexual orientation.
Similar to her experience, Garrett explains the importance of exposing young people to diversity. “Kids can see people who may or may not look like them,” she says. “Exposing them to different lifestyles, I think is always important. You live in your city. You haven’t been anywhere else and you can see all these different possibilities from books.” Learning about others can make teens feel less alone and increase empathy and acceptance of others.
Books can also be a source of security and joy. “Even now I think books are really comforting,” she says. “It’s nice to get out of your head and go on a trip and an adventure.”
Teenagers have questions
Like many others, Garrett did not have access to comprehensive sex education as a teenager. It’s not like she and her peers didn’t have questions. She remembers her health teacher saying, “I’d like to answer your question, but I’m not allowed, because we’re only allowed to talk about abstinence.”
Books can help readers learn more about themselves in a safe way. “I wanted to create a book where people could explore their sexuality and explore the idea of sex in general,” says Garrett. “I wanted to be really honest about it, without any stigma or judgment.”
For example, Garrett wrote Full Disclosure, about a girl who is HIV positive. Garrett says that in her class on sex, “There was no discussion about how people with HIV live today.” The discussion of HIV/AIDS appeared outdated, as opposed to including the advances made with prevention and treatment. He wanted to help destigmatize the issue.
Reaching out to teenagers
Garrett says her books have been banned at least three times. “I’ve seen libraries say, ‘We don’t have this book in the teen room anymore,'” she says. “We’re going to move it to the grown-up room and the kids are going to have to ask to take this book out.” Which is not a clear prohibition [but] it’s frustrating because the reason many authors, especially young adult authors, write the books they do is because they want to reach teenagers. They want to reach young people.”
When asked why she thinks book banning has increased, Garrett explains, “[Books] they expose teenagers to a lot of different ideas and opinions, and a lot of these places where bans are enforced don’t want that. They don’t want conflict. They don’t want dialogue.” This can lead to people not learning how to think critically about the situations around them.
How can you help?
There is some hope. For example, Illinois has passed one law which prohibits book bans in public schools and libraries. The bans can be tricky to navigate, but Garrett has some suggestions. “Requesting an author’s book from the library is always important,” she shares. “You can also ask to study certain books in class … going to your local library, being active, asking your parents to go with you to community and school board meetings, to make it clear that you’re not in favor of the ban.”
Teenagers can make a difference. “I think it’s really important to just make your voice heard in any way you can,” says Garrett.
Representation Matters
It’s disappointing that books that teenagers can relate to are banned, but remember: you’re not alone in your experiences. Teens deserve a well-rounded education and access to a variety of books that represent our world.
Thank you, Camryn Garrett, for participating in this article!
