Since 1982, the last week of September has been designated as Banned Books Week. According to the American Library Association, it is a time to draw attention to "the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." Books in our local libraries, schools and bookstores are challenged all the time, usually by people who object to the book's content or message and want to prevent others from having access to the materials they find so offensive. As an avid reader, a writer and a mother, I have a problem with the few who attempt to take something away from everybody just because it does not gel with their moral code.
This is just a partial list of books I love, books that have been challenged at one time or another:
-Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
-A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
-The Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
-To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
-Catcher in the Rye
2 Comments on Happy Banned Books Week!, last added: 9/30/2010
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In my High School they "censored" Hamlet because somebody on the school board was offended by the word "damn" in it... so although we all had to read it.. it was "out out... spot" The school lost 3 excellent English teachers over that.. they did it because they were "required to do so" by the school board. But they handed in their resignation at the end of the school year because they couldn't teach at a school that would alter Shakespeare. I feel sorry for the kids in the years behind me that didn't have teachers willing to stand up.
It's hard to believe that nowadays, books are still being challenged. Imagine the classics that we might have missed, if they'd actually been banned!