Yesterday was the start of Banned Books Week 2016. Here’s the Wikipedia description of what this is about –
Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International, that celebrates the freedom to read, draws attention to banned and challenged books, and highlights persecuted individuals. Held during the last week of September since 1982, the United States campaign “stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them” and the requirement to keep material publicly available so that people can develop their own conclusions and opinions. The international campaign notes individuals “persecuted because of the writings that they produce, circulate or read.”
Do you make it a point to read banned books? Any of your favorites end up on the Top Ten list (or the 100 most frequently challenged)?
Oh, and I especially love how Dav Pilkey (author of the Captain Underpants series, which has appeared on the list 5 times since 2002) explains how you can show your concern about particular books (or really, anything in life) that doesn’t involve forcing others to share the same viewpoint.
“Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is?
Read the inaugural post which explains
the idea and how you can participate too.”
~ Melissa S. Ford, Stirrup Queens
That’s very interesting! I am all for reading banned books because I think forced reading or banning is very bad. I think a lot of blood has been shed in my country recent during the recent years because books “apparently” hurt people’s sentiments which is actually never the case. If you read something and you don’t agree, it means you disagree with the author. There might be others who agree with the thoughts expressed and that ought to be fine too.
I completely agree, Esha. Thanks for dropping by!
Brava! I’m a fan of so many of these books. Handmaid’s Tale, for instance. Thanks for giving me some more to put on my list.
And thanks also for the excellent dream interpretation. You may be on to something!
You’re welcome Lori, on both counts. Happy to help!
I am up for reading a banned book this year as well. Last year I read One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan which is banned here.
Thanks for reminding me about the banned books week. 🙂
You’re very welcome, Shail! 🙂
I always intend to read banned books, does that count? 😉
Cyn K also wrote about this and posted the most challenged list from 2015. I was surprised to see The Bible on there. I feel like reading religious texts can help you understand others’ beliefs and viewpoints. But, really, I’m not for any books being banned. I kind of have a “throw it all out there and let people think for themselves” mindset.
I have a similar mindset – both about the “throw it out there” and the intention of reading banned books. I’m hoping to do better this year. And I agree – the Bible was a surprising addition.
PS I meant to post the link to Cyn K’s post: https://cynk.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/banned-books-week/
Funny thing – looks like we both commented on Cyn’s post within about two minutes of each other. 😀
I love Banned Books Week, and our school library does a great job of highlighting challenged books. I am so fortunate to work in a district that patently refuses to censor. Parents can challenge, but books are not removed from the library. This was the first year I had a student whose family doesn’t want him reading certain things, and I can’t go against a family’s wishes, but I never have to worry that those books won’t be available to other kids because they don’t mesh with their beliefs. So many of my favorite books are on these lists. Oh, Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian! Oh, everything Judy Blume! Oh And Tango Makes Three! I wish that people weren’t so narrow minded in their beliefs and could read some of these books with an opened lens, because reading about other experiences actually can build empathy. Woo hoo Banned Books Week!
Your school library sounds awesome, Jess! I used to belong to a reading group that met in our local library (we’ve now moved away from that area), and they were forever choosing titles I wouldn’t have given a second glance. Each time I read one, I came away with something, and was grateful the story was put in my path. I plan to use the banned books list as my own little reading group list. Whoo hoo Banned Books Week indeed! 😀
Captain Underpants is awesome. Thank you for that. May we all embrace, read, promote challenged books.
You’re welcome, Middle Girl. And yes, may we all. <3
I’d never before heard of this week. What a great idea. I can’t think of any reason a book should be banned. I’ve read some books that I thought were lousy writing. I may have fantasized about slapping the writer, the editor, and the publisher, but not banning the book. What do you call a banned book 50 years later? A classic.
Excellent point, Lori! I’ve had similar feelings about certain books (I can even think of a couple that I don’t believe are on the BB list), but I can’t imagine keeping other people from reading them.
I totally agree that there should be freedom to read whatever we want. Even banning of books is not right in my mind. I never knew that there is a day week like that.
Yep, it makes me sad that we need it, but happy that it’s there to help balance things out.
Oh…so many many books I haven’t read yet. *sigh* But 5 shades? hahaha, ok, I guess I get it. I have read a few others from years past, but not enough. One of my favorites from childhood is Little Black Sambo. It took me years to understand why it would be banned.
I admit, I had to laugh when I saw Shades on the list – it hurts my brain that it even exists, and drives me bonkers that it’s so successful (I checked out the free sample on Amazon and couldn’t make it through the first chapter), but even books like that shouldn’t be banned, because they can actually be quite useful… LOL!
http://www.boredpanda.com/50-shades-of-grey-book-fort-goldstone/
The library had a table out, and one of the twins’ favourite books from childhood (And Tango Makes Three) was on it. They couldn’t believe it was banned. “It’s about penguins!”
Your twins are very wise. There are so many head-scratchers on the list. *sigh*
I clicked on the list of banned books from 2000-2009 thinking I wouldn’t know a single title, only to find out I’ve read quite a few (I loved the Judy Blume books when I was a pre-teen and I can’t for the life of me figure out what could be wrong with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn!). I agree with previous commenters sentiment that banning a book because you don’t like what it says seems like a strange idea. They are stories, told for entertainment and to cause the reader to think on that topic. I guess the subject matter (witches and wizards are not often referred to fondly by certain Christian followers) could make people uncomfortable, but than why not treat it like TV shows or movies and simply don’t read it? And, honestly, doesn’t banning a book make it more attractive; everyone wanting to see what was so wrong with it that it was banned? It kind of makes me want to read more of the books on the list, although as I mentioned above, I still might not understand what is so wrong with the book….. (Side note, Lovely Bones was on the list and I read that book and it still haunts me, so I might throw a caution sticker on it so you read it knowing the potential it has to stay with you and not in a good way)
I thought the same the first time I checked out the Banned Books list many years ago, and found a number of titles on it that I’d already read. And you’re right – I was even more interested to read the others, out of curiosity as to why they were banned. I’m hoping some day banning like this will be a thing of the past.