One of the great gifts of being an academic is working with PhD candidates who have great ideas and work hard to turn interesting ideas into dissertations. Even better is when you are asked to be part of a committee for a student at another university.
Our next contributor was a PhD student at Arizona State University and a student of Jim Blasingame. We met at a NCTE Convention and a year or so later I got to sit on her commiittee. It was great, I was able to miss all of the paper work and day to day encouragement and just read a wonderful project. Now several years latter Mandy is a thriving assisstant professor at Utah Valley University.
Our next contributor was a PhD student at Arizona State University and a student of Jim Blasingame. We met at a NCTE Convention and a year or so later I got to sit on her commiittee. It was great, I was able to miss all of the paper work and day to day encouragement and just read a wonderful project. Now several years latter Mandy is a thriving assisstant professor at Utah Valley University.
Meet our Contributor: Mandy Luszeck
 | Mandy teaches reading methods and Young Adult Literature at Utah Valley University. Her research focuses on secondary teacher retention, Young Adult Literature, and multimodal literacy. She is dedicated to supporting teacher development and engaging adolescent readers through literature. You can reach her at [email protected]. |
Conversations in a YA Classroom: Is ACOTAR porn and should we have rating systems on YA books? by Mandy Luseck
My final unit for my Young Adult Literature course at Utah Valley University is on book censorship; a topic that is both timely and contentious, especially in the state of Utah. For this unit, I begin by having students take a poll on their phones or computers using polleverywhere.com, where they respond to the statement: 'There is never a reason to ban books in schools,' by choosing a position from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).This certainly gets the students talking. Many students tend to be more on the neutral to agree end, but I always have a few outliers which contributes to a dynamic initial discussion.
I then flash a local news article from 2023 on the projector with the headline, “Utah author’s children’s book about a kitten is being pulled from school libraries over claims it is ‘sexually suggestive’” (Cortez). I say to my students, “Maybe some books are just inappropriate for young readers and should be removed.” I show them the cover of Itty Bitty Kitty-Corn (2021) by Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham and read the picturebook aloud, which follows the story of Kitty who really wants to be a unicorn, but is mocked by those around her. She then meets Unicorn, who longs to be a kitty. Unicorn reveals to Kitty: “Did you know…that I am a Kitty-corn?” Kitty responds, “Yes, I see that now, you are a Kitty-corn. You are a fuzzy, fury, adorable, Kitty-corn.” To which Unicorn replies with the best line from the book, “I knew that another Kitty-corn like you would see.”
Half my class sighs, the other half looks a bit teary-eyed, and I nod my head, “yes, these books are just too inappropriate for kids to read.”
Leading with Questions, Not Answers (Mostly)
As a university professor in a largely conservative state but in a fairly progressive-leaning humanities college, I strive to lead these discussions through inquiry rather than imposition. Though, if I’m completely honest, the clandestine navigation against censorship and legal bans and towards trusting teachers and librarians is present.
As John Green states, “I don’t think it should be up to me whether Looking for Alaska, or actually any book is in a school or a library, because I’m not a teacher or a librarian, the highly trained, criminally underpaid professionals we’ve employed to make those decisions” (2016, 2:07).
We continue the unit with definitions on bans vs. challenges, censorship vs. soft censorship and so on. Students are also asked to read, listen, and watch a variety of content which includes:
- An Open Letter to Parents Who Wish to Ban My Books from School Libraries by Bill Konigberg (2022)
- The NPR Podcast- When Schools Ban Books by 1A (2021)
- The PBS video- History of Book Bans (2020)
- The Washington Post article - The Rise in Book Bans, Explained by Angela Haupt (2022)
- The ALA website featuring Banned Books Week- https://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned
- John Green’s video “On Banning Looking for Alaska” (2016)
- Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show video “America’s Book Bans: The Latest Culture War Front”(2022)
- And a deep dive into the Utah State Board of Education’s website detailing how books become “removed” from Utah schools-Sensitive Materials Flow Chart and Definitions
“Wait… Are We Talking About Porn?"
During our second class session in the unit, we walked through the official Utah School Board process for reviewing and potentially removing “sensitive materials.” Students were surprised to learn how vague the guidelines can be—and how many books have already been pulled from school shelves (currently 18), including works from authors like Ellen Hopkins, Toni Morrison, Judy Blume, and-- notably taking up five spots-- Sarah J. Maas.
That’s when one student raised his hand and declared: “Well…pornography should be banned from schools.”
I hadn’t realized we were talking about pornography, but I let him continue. His argument was that porn is inherently bad and that the industry exploits those involved. I didn’t object, but I did ask him to elaborate: Who gets to define what counts as porn? Were we really seeing examples of pornography in the materials that had been challenged or removed from school shelves? And one thing I didn’t press him on—but have thought about since—is how his understandable concern about exploitation in the porn industry connects to the kinds of books being pulled. I’m not sure it does.
I hadn’t realized we were talking about pornography, but I let him continue. His argument was that porn is inherently bad and that the industry exploits those involved. I didn’t object, but I did ask him to elaborate: Who gets to define what counts as porn? Were we really seeing examples of pornography in the materials that had been challenged or removed from school shelves? And one thing I didn’t press him on—but have thought about since—is how his understandable concern about exploitation in the porn industry connects to the kinds of books being pulled. I’m not sure it does.
According to this student, ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sara J. Maas) was rightfully removed since it was clearly porn.
As someone who has read most of the ACOTAR books (I bowed out by book three once the romantic tension fizzled--because what’s the point?) my eyebrows raised. Was this porn? I certainly don’t consider it to be so-- romantasy, yes. Porn, no.
As someone who has read most of the ACOTAR books (I bowed out by book three once the romantic tension fizzled--because what’s the point?) my eyebrows raised. Was this porn? I certainly don’t consider it to be so-- romantasy, yes. Porn, no.
Another student jumped in to state: “Well, then you’d need to determine what defines porn vs. smut in literature.” Fair point. And once again: Even if a book contains sexual content—does that make it inappropriate for all teens? And does it justify legal removal? Furthermore, couldn’t we trust educators to assign and advertise the right material for students?
Phones, Filters, and Double Standards
Another student brought up the question, “What about teens who have phones? They have access to a slew of inappropriate material. If they want to find it, they will.”
The first student responded, “Just because they can access inappropriate material doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to shield them from it.”
The first student responded, “Just because they can access inappropriate material doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to shield them from it.”
Which raises a real tension: Is the goal to shield students from content, or to help them navigate it critically? During our contemporary fiction and authenticity unit earlier in the semester, the students had read pieces from Laurie Halse Anderson and the Time’s article by Matt de La Pena (2018), “Why We Shouldn’t Shield Children From Darkness.” My students have already carefully discussed the importance of tough material to be accessible to young readers. But I guess when we talk about sexual content--and consensual sexual content for that matter-- that’s different?
I brought up the point to my students that often, book bans target what’s trending. The real threat isn’t the content—it’s the popularity. These are the same books many mothers are reading secretly but don’t want their teenage daughters to read (my Bunco group, anyone?). We’ve seen it before: Fifty Shades of Grey was the target 14 years ago. The titles change, but the motivations don’t.
According to author Foz Meadows (2021), “it’s ultimately less about helping kids and teens than it is about helping adults to police them.”
The Ratings Debate
The same student continued: “At the very least, we should put ratings on books. We have ratings for movies, why don’t we have them on books?”
This comment transported me back to standing in front of James Blasingame’s Young Adult Literature class at Arizona State University, as a new PhD student completing a graduate teaching internship in his course. At the beginning of class I had been asked to give the day’s “book talk.” As an ultra-conservative-university-raised academic, and, thinking I was being helpful, I offered a movie-style rating during my plot summary. At the time, I thought I was empowering students with information. Now, I cringe.
This comment transported me back to standing in front of James Blasingame’s Young Adult Literature class at Arizona State University, as a new PhD student completing a graduate teaching internship in his course. At the beginning of class I had been asked to give the day’s “book talk.” As an ultra-conservative-university-raised academic, and, thinking I was being helpful, I offered a movie-style rating during my plot summary. At the time, I thought I was empowering students with information. Now, I cringe.
In response to the student, I acknowledged that while book ratings might seem like a good idea to many, numerous authors and literary scholars are strongly opposed to them. I asked my students why they thought that might be, and the general consensus was that ratings can oversimplify—and even stigmatize—complex works. Additionally, ratings can function as a form of soft censorship, leading parents, teachers, librarians, and others to avoid shelving certain books based on broad classifications that fail to reflect how sensitive topics and themes are actually presented.
At this point, I moved on with the day’s lesson plan-- but what I should have done is hopped on the classroom computer and done an AI search for a list of the pros and cons of book ratings. According to Chat GPT, pros and cons of adding ratings to YA Books can include the following:
Pros
- Informed Choices for Readers, Parents, and Educators
Ratings help readers, caregivers, and teachers make decisions about what content is appropriate for different ages or maturity levels. - Promotes Transparency
Clear labels about themes (e.g., violence, drug use, sexual content) can foster trust and prevent surprises. - Supports Sensitive Readers
Some readers appreciate content warnings to avoid potentially triggering material (e.g., trauma, abuse, self-harm). - Facilitates Curriculum Planning
Teachers can more easily select texts aligned with learning goals, community standards, and school policies. - Normalizes Difficult Topics
Rather than banning or hiding controversial content, ratings can legitimize it as worthy of attention, just with some context.
Cons
- Risk of Censorship or Book Banning
Ratings may lead schools, libraries, or parents to ban or remove books based on perceived "inappropriate" content, limiting access to diverse stories. - Overgeneralization
A rating system can’t capture the nuance of how a theme is handled—e.g., a book about assault that is ultimately empowering may still get flagged. - Reinforces Moral Policing
Some argue it positions adult authority over teen autonomy, assuming teens can’t handle complexity or choose wisely. - May Stigmatize Certain Topics or Authors
Books dealing with LGBTQ+ themes, racial injustice, or mental health are often disproportionately flagged, leading to biased restrictions. - Can Be Misused Politically
In highly politicized environments, ratings might be weaponized by advocacy groups to push ideological agendas
Conclusion: Trusting Teachers, Trusting Teens
Now that the semester has come to an end, I’ve continued to ruminate on that classroom conversation. That one comment—“Isn’t ACOTAR just porn?”—sparked a dynamic debate, not just about Sarah J. Maas, but about what we allow teens to read, who gets to decide, and how we define boundaries around literature. Should teens be shielded from sexual content, or taught to navigate it? Should books come with ratings to warn—or to restrict? And when we say a book is “too much,” are we protecting students, or policing their experiences?
These aren’t easy questions, and my goal isn’t to answer them for my students—but to create the conditions for them to grapple with these questions deeply and honestly. What continues to surprise me, even after years of teaching this unit, is how quickly the conversation shifts from hypotheticals to the deeply personal. Students talk about books that changed them, and like Kitty and Unicorn, helped them feel seen. They also recognize how easily those books might have been the ones challenged or pulled. I specifically had a student who mentioned it made her sad that the ACOTAR books were on the banned list, since those books got her through a really rough time when she was in high school. We never know which books will be the ones that students need. And it’s a shame if we block them from the ones they do.
In a moment when book bans are escalating and trust in educators is under threat, I come back to what John Green reminded us: It’s not the job of politicians or external stakeholders to make these decisions. It’s the job of the trained professionals—teachers and librarians—who know the students, the community, and the curriculum. And maybe, more importantly, it's our job as educators to trust students. If the works they choose are perhaps too mature or even triggering for them, we teach them to be responsible and accountable readers, to know it’s okay to put a book down (or skip ahead). And we also trust them to engage with tough, complex, and meaningful literature—that they have the ability to ask questions, wrestle with ambiguity, and form their own conclusions.
While I may have had moments of discomfort during an unexpected conversation on “porn” in my classroom, it’s exactly the kind of discussion I want my YA classroom to make space for.
While I may have had moments of discomfort during an unexpected conversation on “porn” in my classroom, it’s exactly the kind of discussion I want my YA classroom to make space for.
References
Cortez, M. (2023, October 6). Book challenge to ‘Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn’ halts new library books in Texas. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/10/6/23901523/book-challenge-itty-bitty-kitty-corn-shannon-hale/
de la Peña, M. (2018, January 9). Why we shouldn't shield children from darkness. Time. https://time.com/5093669/why-we-shouldnt-shield-children-from-darkness/
Green, John. (2016, April 12). On the banning of Looking for Alaska [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69rd-7vEF3s
Hale, S., & Pham, L. (2021). Itty bitty kitty-corn. Abrams Books for Young Readers.
Maas, S. J. (2015). A court of thorns and roses. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Meadows, F. (2021, September 16). YA book ratings? Here's why not. Shattersnipe: Malcontent & Rainbows. https://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/2021/09/16/ya-book-ratings-heres-why-not/
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