Mirrors, Windows, and What We're Really Fighting For
A reflection on book bans, shared hopes, and how we can stop fighting each other and start fighting for kids.
Years ago, I came across Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop's beautiful metaphor about books being mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. It stayed with me. She was talking about books that help us see ourselves, understand others, and step into new worlds. That idea has guided so much of my work as a teacher and a parent. It reminds me that stories are more than entertainment. They help us grow, connect, and build empathy.
But lately, it feels like we've lost sight of that.
Across the country, tensions around school libraries and classroom books are rising. Parents, educators, and advocacy groups are often on opposite sides of emotional and deeply personal debates. Groups like Moms for Liberty say they want to protect children. So do librarians and teachers. And yet, instead of working together, we find ourselves in conflict.
This post isn't about taking sides. It's about exploring how we got here, what we might be misunderstanding about each other, and how we can shift the focus back to what matters most: supporting kids through stories that reflect the world and open up their hearts to it.
Two Sides of the Same Concern
It's easy to paint groups like Moms for Liberty as the villains in this story. Their calls to remove books from shelves and classrooms can feel personal, especially to those of us who have dedicated our lives to helping children learn and grow. But when I take a step back, I try to remember this: most of us are here because we care deeply about kids. The difference is in how we define "protecting" them.
Parents want to feel safe sending their children to school. They want to trust that what their children are reading aligns with their values or at least isn't something they feel unprepared to talk about. That desire is real. And it's often rooted in love and fear, a potent combination.
As educators and librarians, we want to protect children, too. But we also want to prepare them. We believe that stories, especially ones that introduce complex ideas, help children become more thoughtful, compassionate, and resilient. We aren't handing students books to shock them. We're handing them mirrors and windows. We're offering them the chance to ask questions, see themselves, and make sense of a sometimes confusing world.
Tension comes when trust breaks down and the conversation becomes "us versus them" rather than "how do we work together?"
Common Ground, Missed Connections
When we step away from the headlines and social media arguments, there's often more we agree on than we realize. Most parents and educators want the same things: for children to be safe, to grow into kind and capable adults, and to have the tools to navigate the world. We may disagree on how to get there, but our core hopes are strikingly similar.
So where does it fall apart?
Sometimes, it's about fear of change, influence, or losing control. Sometimes, it's about not feeling heard. For parents, especially those who feel their concerns have been dismissed, taking a stand against a book that makes them uncomfortable can feel empowering. For educators, our expertise and intentions are being called into question by people who may not see the thoughtful decisions we make every day.
It's not that one side is full of villains and the other heroes. It's that we're often talking past each other.
I've seen conversations shift when we stop leading with defensiveness and start leading with curiosity. When we ask, "Can you tell me more about what's concerning to you?" rather than "Why are you trying to ban books?" we create space for real dialogue. And in that space, we might find that we're not so far apart.
The Wrong Battle
It's easy to forget what's at stake in all the noise around book bans. We're spending so much time fighting over which stories kids should have access to that we're missing the bigger story entirely.
Across the country, schools are facing shortages of funding, staff, and resources. Teachers are burning out. Librarians, if a school is lucky enough to still have one, are often stretched thin, trying to meet the needs of hundreds of students with limited support. Meanwhile, children's mental health needs are rising. Technology is changing how kids engage with the world, and many are quietly struggling to make sense of themselves.
Books are not the enemy here.
When we focus our energy on pulling titles off shelves, we're ignoring the deeper, more urgent questions: Do all kids feel seen and valued in their schools? Are we helping them build the skills they need to think critically, speak kindly, and act courageously? Are we giving them tools to understand the world, not just as it is, but as it could be?
If we really want to protect children, let's fight for fully funded libraries, smaller class sizes, inclusive curriculum, more counselors, and mental health support. Let's fight for schools where every child feels like they belong.
That's a fight worth showing up for.
Turning Toward Each Other
Books have always been more than paper and ink. They carry ideas, identities, and possibilities. They invite us into deeper conversations with ourselves, with each other, and with the world.
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop reminded us that books can be mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. But maybe they can also be something else: a table. A place to sit down, listen, and talk.
We don't have to agree on every title or love every storyline. But we do have to trust that young readers are capable of wrestling with big ideas and that, with guidance, compassion, and conversation, they can grow stronger because of them.
The next time someone challenges a book, what if we pause before reacting? What if we listen, ask questions, and look for shared hopes? What if we turn our energy away from fighting each other and toward building something better together?
In the end, this was never just about books. It's about who we're becoming, and the stories we're willing to share to get there.
Works Cited
Reading Rockets. “Rudine Sims Bishop | Reading Rockets.” Www.readingrockets.org, 2025, www.readingrockets.org/people-and-organizations/rudine-sims-bishop.