by Amber Kast
We all remember high school, where we were forced to read books for our English classes. Some of these titles included To Kill a Mockingbird, The Jungle, The Scarlet Letter, The Red Badge of Courage, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and many more. But even though most of us were forced to read those books in school, we take it for granted; in schools across the nation (and across the world) every book that I listed above had been banned at one time or another. I know I count my lucky stars that I was allowed to read these books. One of my all time favorite books is The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger and I read it for a class.
We all remember high school, where we were forced to read books for our English classes. Some of these titles included To Kill a Mockingbird, The Jungle, The Scarlet Letter, The Red Badge of Courage, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and many more. But even though most of us were forced to read those books in school, we take it for granted; in schools across the nation (and across the world) every book that I listed above had been banned at one time or another. I know I count my lucky stars that I was allowed to read these books. One of my all time favorite books is The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger and I read it for a class.
But fear not my fellow readers and book enthusiasts, for there is a week just to celebrate and spread the word about banned books. Banned Books Week "is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information" (ALA). This celebration of magnificent books that were wrongfully banned helps by "focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, [and] draw[ing] national attention to the harms of censorship" (ALA).
This year, the celebration runs from September 27 - October 3, with events all across the country ranging from discussing banned books to readouts to speeches. Anyone can get involved with this great celebration!
Visit the ALA Banned Books website for more information, the banned books list for 2015, and much more. Also pop into the library and check out the Banned Books Week display on the second floor!
Here are some additional resources available in our library:
Karolides, Nicholas J., Margaret Bald, and Dawn B. Sova. 100 Banned Books : Censorship Histories Of World Literature. New York : Checkmark Books, 1999. Print.
Call number: 363.31 K147
Ballard, Susan. "The Challenged The Banned & The Filtered." Knowledge Quest 43.5 (2015): 32-37. Education Research Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
"Banned Books Remind Us Of The Power Of The Written Word." Weekend Edition Saturday (2014): Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
PR, Newswire. "Adults Are More Likely To Believe There Are Books That Should Be Banned Than Movies, Television Shows, or Video Games." PR Newswire US 08 July 2015: Regional Business News. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
This year, the celebration runs from September 27 - October 3, with events all across the country ranging from discussing banned books to readouts to speeches. Anyone can get involved with this great celebration!
Visit the ALA Banned Books website for more information, the banned books list for 2015, and much more. Also pop into the library and check out the Banned Books Week display on the second floor!
Here are some additional resources available in our library:
Karolides, Nicholas J., Margaret Bald, and Dawn B. Sova. 100 Banned Books : Censorship Histories Of World Literature. New York : Checkmark Books, 1999. Print.
Call number: 363.31 K147
Ballard, Susan. "The Challenged The Banned & The Filtered." Knowledge Quest 43.5 (2015): 32-37. Education Research Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
"Banned Books Remind Us Of The Power Of The Written Word." Weekend Edition Saturday (2014): Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
PR, Newswire. "Adults Are More Likely To Believe There Are Books That Should Be Banned Than Movies, Television Shows, or Video Games." PR Newswire US 08 July 2015: Regional Business News. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
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