Through the Millard North English Department, students have been able to stand in a courtroom with Atticus Finch, attend lavish parties thrown by Jay Gatsby, scheme and sabotage with Holden Caulfield, and experience unrequited love with Romeo and Juliet.

Classics that are taught at MN, like “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Fahrenheit 451”, “The Catcher in the Rye”, and “Romeo and Juliet”, are only a slim number of the books that have been nationally challenged and considered a banned book at a point in history.

A banned book is a novel that has, at some point, been challenged by a group of individuals in a society for themes they may deem inappropriate. In a school setting, this can cause books to be removed from curriculums, classrooms, and library shelves.

Mostly, the grounds on which a book is banned or challenged can be related to controversial societal issues, such as race, gender, sexuality, and class. To understand why these issues are handled the way they are in these novels, it is necessary to understand the environment where they were developed and examine how they differ from today.

“It’s easy to look at things from 50 years ago and think about how foolish they were. But we need to be mindful that 50 years from now, there will be many things that we do that will be looked down upon [like how it was then],” English teacher Barry Glynn said.

One of the main arguments for banning a book, especially in an educational setting, is for the safety and protection of exposure for children in classrooms. Where this gets tricky is deciding what is considered appropriate and inappropriate.

“I don’t think anything should be banned for adults, but young people should be protected from seeing or having to worry about things before they need to,” Glynn said. “It’s done to protect innocence.”

English teacher Allycia Gutierrez acknowledges that there needs to be a balance between protecting and allowing students a chance to learn.

“I recognize that there is rhetoric out there that is harmful to society, but I also agree that books cannot exist without context and you can’t read a book without knowing the benefits and problems that it has,” Gutierrez said.

Furthermore, it is important to consider if students should be involved in advocating for their education, and how it can manifest if their safety and well-being are a concern with these books. Gutierrez is aware it isn’t as simple as it sounds.

“[Banning a book] is just trying to keep kids safe, but it’s an unrealistic goal. Ultimately, you’re going to grow up and be confronted with many ideas, but if you are in a safe environment, such as a school where you can ask questions and get feedback, you would be in a better place [than if you were on your own],” Gutierrez said.

If a family expresses disapproval, the process for objecting to a novel in Millard has two different pathways, depending on the intended goal. One form is intended to oppose a book being taught to their children, and the other is to object to a book for all students.

English teacher Taylor Van Vliet admits that a parent’s role should only extend to their own children, and can be harmful if applied to all.

“Parents have a right to monitor their own child’s education,” Van Vliet said. “But objecting for your own student is different than removing a book for all students.”

Though the information remains confidential, according to MPS English Curriculum Facilitator Jan Dahlgaard, four books have been challenged here at Millard North in the previous seven years, although nothing has appeared to have gone through removal.

The main counterargument is that the banning of books infringes on the First Amendment right of Free Speech and can silence authors and readers.

“[Banned books] are the cornerstones of our society and literature. They are expressions of the human experience and it’s important for students to be aware of,” Gutierrez said. “I haven’t encountered a book that I teach that isn’t somehow still relevant in 2025.”

Authors of these novels are trying to share a critique of society they find pertinent, which can be displayed through different works of fiction and nonfiction.

“Authors are trying to portray real-life situations and real-life perspectives. Life isn’t always pretty and easy to read,” Van Vliet said.