Abstract:

With dozens of new children’s books published every day, the number of children's literature products is steadily growing, which indicates that the emphasis placed on children’s books today is remarkably stronger than it was in the past. Children's literature plays just as critical a role as family and schools do in the education of a child. The explicit and implicit messages presented to a child through books help shape the child's worldview. The power of books to influence children is one of the reasons for exercising censorship on children's books. The phenomenon of "censorship” has made a comeback after four books, three of which were written for children and young people, have been recently declared obscene (harmful). In this study, these censored books were introduced and the sections that may have formed the basis for the censorship decision were discussed, followed by an overall assessment of these sections. The most frequent justification for censorship has often given as the common good. However, is it really the case? Does censorship really serve this purpose (the common good)? To simplify the question, is censorship the solution? This study highlights that when the decisions on which book children should or should not read are left to a board or a certain group, children will be forced to think and believe like those who make these decisions

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