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Banning Books
Banned Books

A Persuasive Essay Assignment

Final Essay due March 24th

Throughout history, books have been the target of censorship. At times, these books are even banned from schools and public libraries because the content in them is thought to be too offensive.

For this assignment, you will be reading one of these banned books. Which book you read is your decision, however you should keep in mind the appropriateness of your choice- make sure it is a book that your parents would not find objectionable.

After you have read the book, you will be writing a persuasive essay defending whether or not the book should or should not be banned from a middle school library.

Your essay should include a paragraph that summarizes the book as well as three logical, defendable reasons why the book should or should not be banned from a middle school library. While you may look up the reasons why the book has been challenged in the past, the thoughts expressed in the paper must be your own.

You are expected to use the information about persuasive essays learned in class to format this paper. A rubric outlining the expectations will be posted on my Teacher Page. Your essay must be typed and follow the standard requirements for an essay: double-spaced, Times New Roman, one-inch margins. Any secondary sources or research that you use must be documented with in-text citations and included on a Works Cited page.

If, at any time, you have questions regarding the book you are reading or the essay you are writing, please ask


Cited: page. If, at any time, you have questions regarding the book you are reading or the essay you are writing, please ask me.
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