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Christen Hurley

Professor Welsh

EDU 230

13/05/2021

Lush: Banned Book

Every year, books across America are challenged; some of these challenges result in

bans. The reason for these bans vary based on the content within any given literature. Lush by

Natasha Friend, published in 2006 is meant for the middle school age group. This realistic fiction

novel portrays the life of a middle school girl with an alcoholic father. The reason this novel is

classified as realistic fiction is due to the believable problems that are faced, the realistic setting,

and the characters within it are regular people. Though some see Lush as appropriate for middle

schoolers, others objected. These objections led to the book being banned in several school

districts. The ban resulted from some of the content Friend included within the book as parents

believed it was inappropriate for their children to read. Some controversial topics that parents

were worried about specifically include: alcohol/drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit

content, and being unsuited for the age group. Out of context, it is easy to agree that Lush should

be banned, but reading the book will easily change most readers’ perspectives. Not only does

Lush teaches many lessons, from the dangers of drug use to the uncomfortable truths about

sexual relationships, but it also has the opportunity to give young girls a way to understand some

of the things they are going through and can help children of alcoholic parents.

The reason for the banning of Lush is primarily because of the content it offers. The

main character, Sam, has an alcoholic father at home. This alone left a lot of critics and parents
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unhappy with the book. Those in favor of banning Lush felt as though alcohol has no place in a

book meant for middle schoolers, even though drinking or doing drugs is never encouraged. I

find this reason to be a bit outlandish due to the context of the book. Sam struggles with various

issues surrounding her alcoholic father, such as, emotional confusion, lack of communication,

and abuse. These topics are important to cover because there are children all over America that

are going through very similar experiences regarding an alcoholic/drug abusing parent. Those in

support of Lush being banned are lacking an understanding that students are exposed to these

experiences involuntarily, which makes taking these books away much more of a problem.

Another issue rising from the fact that parents cannot understand how their children

interact with other children, as well as the issues they constantly face during a period of social

development. The way students interact with each other changes drastically from elementary

school to middle school. Students become more aware of things that parents see as “too explicit”

for them, but these kids are going through these experiences and issues whether or not adults feel

as though they are ready for them. In society, middle schoolers are still seen as innocent, and

Lush demonstrates that it might not be the way that adults think it is, and that made some parents

uncomfortable. One issue that is commonly seen would be the language within the book. Words

like “slut” and “whore” are used in the book, which was a cause for concern according to those

in favor of the banning. Unfortunately, this language is not uncommon among middle schoolers,

and they should be able to understand the impact of these words on others, which is what Lush

really highlights. Critics may have been uncomfortable because offensive language should not be

used among middle schoolers, but by including these words, students reading this book might be

able to relate to it on another level. If Friend would have used language that did not relate to

readers of the middle school age group, they would be much less likely to connect with the text.
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The “sexually explicit” content in this book also contributed to it being banned. Lush

contains kissing, groping, mentions of bras, and even dives into nonconsensual sexual advances.

Friend truly highlights the changes a young girl goes through during late middle school, but

critics believe that the material is too much for middle school readers to handle. If the content

was placed within the book with no intent to help the reader, I would agree. Fortunately, Friend

uses these controversial topics to teach young girls (and even young boys) the pressures that

come with growing up, including the start of exploring sexual feelings. Lush also highlights the

importance of consensual relationships, rather than supporting nonconsensual advances. In one

scene, Sam is at a party, drinking, but as she is trying to leave, a boy from her school tells her to

follow him, and she does. Unfortunately, when she follows him into the room, she is almost

immediately groped and advanced on by two other boys. The events after this show the support

Friend has for young girls and women that have experienced something like this; she also shows

her readers that these kinds of advancements are not okay, nor should they be accepted.

Lush has a lot to offer to young readers. People in favor of banning the book fail to see

the bigger picture and lack the understanding of the different experiences and issues students

face at home and school. This book gives young females the ability to understand that they are

not alone in their experiences, no matter how difficult they may seem. It also gives students with

alcoholic parents the ability to recognize that some things are out of their control, but that does

not mean that they cannot get help, or cope properly. Lush shows that communication solves a

lot of issues, and that people should not keep their problems to themselves. Friend encourages

readers to share their problems with trusted individuals in their lives, even if the problem seems

to big to conquer. She also resonates with readers regarding bullying, as she highlights several

characters being subject to bullying and how they dealt with it. The aspect of bullying is relevant
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to young readers; some have encountered it and others have contributed to it. By seeing a

different perspective through Lush, readers have the opportunity to understand their peers, and be

more compassionate.

Many books have been challenged throughout time, but I feel as though Lush does not

belong among the banned. This book truly teaches young readers lessons about growing up with

difficult circumstances and can also make them feel less alone. The realism that this book

portrays may be shocking to adults that do not understand the difficulties students face during

middle school and beyond. Readers need books like this to be able to relate to, form a different

perspective, and better understand that communication solves a lot of issues. This book was not

deliberately written to influence young readers in a negative way, and anyone can see this by

simply reading through the book.