Books provide entertainment and information. They are storehouses of ideas and cultures, and they give us the opportunity to walk in another’s shoes, teaching us empathy and understanding.

But what happens when some people consider the contents of certain books inappropriate? Who should decide what books are available, particularly in schools? And does it matter if the book is required reading, or simply available on a bookshelf in a library?

Explore these concepts along with the Pico v. Island Trees School District (1982) Supreme Court case, which established that books cannot be removed from schools simply because people disagree with the ideas within them or find them offensive.