Why is The Hate You Give banned? Well, according to Marshall librarians, it says, ¨It was challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message.¨ The book was first banned in Texas school districts in 2017, but it was later returned to the shelves. The Hate You Give talks about a 16-year-old girl whose life was turned around when she saw her childhood best friend get shot by a police officer. Yes, I will agree that this book does have vulgar language, but to counter that, it can be very eye-opening as to how police brutality can really be. Furthermore, let’s dig a little deeper into why this book shouldn’t be banned.

The Hate You Give was officially published on February 28, 2017. The author sold 1.5 million copies since published. This book is a New York Times best-seller, so all of these things may make you wonder why it is banned. According to Your Teen for Parents, the book is very well-liked because when reading the book, it feels like it is real people telling the story. The book has depth, and the story was well-crafted. Our very own WCHS librarian Mrs. Romine says that she does not agree with the book being banned because people have to be exposed to things that affect the lives of people that are different than us.