Book Review: This One Summer By Mariko Tamaki

Every year the American Library Association (ALA) publishes a list containing the most frequently challenged and banned books of that particular year. In this context, to “challenge” a book entails formally requesting its removal from a library, classroom or curriculum, whereas a “banned” book is actually removed. According to the data collected by the ALA, there were 323 cases of book challenging recorded in 2016, with ten percent of those cases resulting in censorship. The most challenged book of 2016 was This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, which was challenged for containing “LGBT content, drug use, profanity and sexually explicit and mature themes” (Top Ten Most Challenged Books Of 2016). While these themes frequently appear on the ALA’s
Another prominent party that attempts to censor literary works in schools includes the schools themselves. Between 1990 and 2009 school employees, including board members, administrators and teachers, were responsible for 13% of all book challenges. This means that the people who are most likely to challenge a book are the people closest to the students involved, whether that is in their personal lives or in their academic career. According to Henry Reichman the motivations for censorship can be divided into four categories, namely family values, political views, religion and minority rights. In the case of the first three of these categories, the would-be censor acts to protect their values against materials that challenge and attempt to change these values. In the fourth category the opposite happens, as minority groups might sometimes deploy censorship when trying to establish their own set of group values, which is often seen as “political correctness” rather than censorship, but it is often experienced as limiting rather than liberating by those not part of the minority group (Reichman 18). When discussing censorship in schools, the censors’ motivation often seems to stem from one of
As discussed above, these books are most often challenged by parents who disagree with the content of the books. These parents often send complaints to the concerning school’s board, which, in turn, decides what happens with the book. According to Janice M. Walker, “citizens cannot apply court action to require a board of education to use a certain textbook” (27). However, she adds that schools boards are often clearly responsive to pressure from the school community. As a result of this, school boards have often recommended or pressured teachers and school administrators to remove certain text from their curricula. This is justified by boards asserting that they are permitted “in such a way as to transmit community values” (Walker, 27). This is, however, considered unlawful by many advocates of free speech and anti-censorship organisations, as it restricts students from their right to freedom of expression and their right to freedom of acquiring information. This is why in the case of literary censorship in schools, many eyes point to the American constitution. According to the First Amendment the government of the United States cannot make a law that abridges the freedom of speech ("U.S. Senate: Constitution Of The United States"). This is why many challenged book cases that are taken to court are resolved by implementing the First Amendment. One of the