PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia high school students marked ‘Banned Books Week’ on Thursday by giving some of them away at City Hall.
Students from George Washington High School stood behind a table of banned books at City Hall, offering free copies to passersby. English teacher Emily Cohen said some people were taken aback by the titles they saw on the table.
"I was listening to a gentleman say, 'Bridge to Terabithia’ was banned? They tried to ban ‘Captain Underpants’? ‘Where the Wild Things Are’? 'There's this element of shock and surprise that we honestly want," said Cohen.
The Philadelphia School District does not ban books, but the writers group PEN America said nearly 12,000 books have been prohibited from U.S. school shelves, mostly in Texas and Florida.
Mason Anchia said people passing by the table seemed to appreciate the banned book giveaway.
"For them to come here and grab a book from us, to look at what books we have, what books were banned, it's just informative for a lot of people here," he said.
Sophomore Jaylanie Antonio said she was moved when she read “Of Mice and Men.”
"I was enthralled with the characters that they had,” she said. “And books like that are being banned and taken away from students, it's just heartbreaking to see that."
Cohen said parents should determine which books are age-appropriate for their children.
"I don't think a kindergarten student could read ‘Fahrenheit 451.’ But in high school, they should absolutely read that," she said.
The students had more than 350 banned books to give away, donated through teachers' Donors Choose pages. In addition to handing out banned books, the students also offered library card applications.
The School District of Philadelphia does not ban any books, but nearly 12,000 titles have been banned from some school shelves, according to PEN America.
The School District of Philadelphia does not ban any books, but nearly 12,000 titles have been banned from some school shelves, according to PEN America.
