Literacy has many positive effects, not the least of which is knowing how to read. A good book not only transports a child (or adult) to another world through words, but also teaches children about empathy, character, politics, relationships, and more. Even still, in the last two decades, more books have been banned due to political correctness than anything truly harmful. Last year, the chief executive of Index on Censorship, Jodie Ginsberg, said books were being banned due to the “anger of the mob” online, adversely affecting young readers.

There are hundreds of great novels kids should read to discover the world that was, the world that could be, and the world as it is. It would be impossible to draft a comprehensive list. But in the spirit of literacy and the First Amendment, kids going back to school should at least read these classics before they’re banned from schools once and for all.