Banned Book Week

I don't know about you, but when I see the list of frequently challenged books of the previous year, I now have my must read list.  There is just something about reading books that have been challenged or even banned that just feeds my inner rebel.

When I first heard about Banned Book Week, I was intrigued about the concept.  I had never thought that we were still fighting for intellectual freedom.  It was all very Orwellian to me.  As I explored the different lists of challenged and banned books, I noticed that all the required reading from when I was in high school was on the list:  Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, Of Mice and Men, and A Separate Peace.  All of these books were required reading, and we discussed them in depth.  I also noticed many great classics on the list.

American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom has made the last week in September Banned Book Week.  ALA has put together a press kit  with free resources to help librarians, both school and public library, celebrate intellectual freedom and educate the public on censorship.  They also have a site to buy promotional items such as shirts, buttons, posters, and bookmarks.

I know that many elementary librarians might be hesitant to celebrate Banned Book Week, but there are many great pieces of children's literature that has been challenged.  Books like the Harry Potter series, Captain Underpants series, And Tango Makes Three, and The Lorax are just some examples of children's books that have been challenged.

If we keep quiet as a profession about the challenges to intellectual freedom, then we are no better than those that are actively doing the censoring.  We need to be active advocates for not only funding for our library programs, but for the ability to choose books.  Our libraries should be stocked with books that will appeal to all students, not just a few.