An essential part of a Wilmington Friends education is reading books. It provides students with different views, perspectives, and beliefs that encourage them to reevaluate their personal biases. Over time, students’ reading preferences evolve. They begin with silly stories like Knuffle Bunny, The Day the Crayons Quit, and Pete the Cat, and gradually move on to more sophisticated books like The Great Gatsby, A Testament of Hope, and Klara and the Sun. Wilmington Friends School is unique because of its commitment to teach-
ing controversial, often oppressed, and complex histories, regardless of the author’s race, class, or gender.

Banned books have become an educational crisis over the past five years. Nearly 10,000 titles have beenreported as inappropriate. These books deal with themes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, and social justice. Classics like The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee have been challenged by parents who believe the content is inappropriate for their children.

The Wilmington Friends community feels strongly about the issue of banned books. Senior Ella Morton ’25 believes that banning books violates the First Amendment. Morton ‘25 says, “Freedom of speech is being infringed upon when you are not able to read someone’s published work.” She adds, “There are some books that need to be read.” She believes the government should not have the authority to ban books. She says, “The government is pushing to ban books about people of color, LGBTQ topics—things along those lines—so that they can censor learning about other people and past experiences.” Morton ‘25 would feel completely comfortable with reading a banned book.

Students also understand that young children should not read books with graphic content. Avery Martinenza ’25 says, “There is a more appropriate age for more graphic books, but every genre of book should be accessible to all students, especially if it is relevant to the topic they are learning.” When asked why certain books are banned in schools, she
responded, “I think there are some social standards for what is appropriate to teach children. People can take those standards too seriously when it comes to education. Instead of learning from our past mistakes, some believe we should hide that information rather
than teach it.”

Because banned books often provoke emotion and controversy, they tend to
challenge societal norms and encourage critical thinking. They are powerful tools for
creating interesting conversations in classrooms and promoting intellectual freedom.
Martinenza ’25 also believes that every person brings their own experiences and biases.
“I think there could be embedded bias that could skew someone’s thoughts in a different
way. That is why it is important to learn different perspectives on different events.” In
her view, engaging with banned books not only broadens our thought process when
thinking of complicated issues but also helps us recognize and question the biases, both
personal and societal.

At a time when book banning was on the rise, Wilmington Friends School Students stood united, believing that banned books would benefit their education. They believe banned books advocate for freedom, different voices, and thoughtful thinking. The community recognizes that while age-appropriatecontent is important, silencing books that explore complex social issues causes more significant harm. Students like Ella Morton and Avery Martinenza emphasize the importance of confronting difficult histories and perspectives rather than erasing them. As the nation continues to debate what is appropriate for students, students at WFS remain committed to reading books by mature authors. In doing so, they reinstate literature’s role not just as enjoyment, but as a vital tool for growth, empathy, and change.