According to the American Library Association, there are a variety of reasons why fantasy and science fiction books are challenged or banned. For instance, books from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series have been challenged or banned by parents who are concerned that they “promote witchcraft” or even “the Wicca religion.” This suggests that parents are concerned that exposure to fantasy will interfere with their children’s belief in the religious teachings that they are promoting at home.

In some cases, the challenges to fantasy and science fiction books are less clear; for instance, some parents have objected to The Giver because they considered the material “lewd” and “twisted,” but they gave no further justification. This suggests that parents are generally worried about the consequences of exposing children to material that might be disturbing or make children think about the world in a non-traditional way. In my own experience, I have also heard that The Giver has been subjected to scrutiny because it includes references to budding sexuality that are inappropriate for the school environment.

Personally, I do not believe that fantasizing is harmful to children. When students read about different worlds (or imagine their own), they can draw comparisons between these worlds and the real world, which can give them a better understanding of the challenges that society faces today. Fantasizing about different worlds forces students to ask questions, which can ultimately help them develop important critical thinking skills that will be beneficial throughout their education. Therefore, in the future, I hope to include titles of fantasy and science fiction in my own classroom.

In order to address parental concerns, I will clearly justify my choices and explain why I believe the merits of the books outweigh their opponents’ criticisms. I will also give parents the chance to request an alternative assignment for their child if they can offer a similar argument to corroborate their own concerns about a specific title.