Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Banned Books Week 2015


This is Banned Books Week, a week set aside to celebrate the freedom of speech and the freedom to read whatever you want. Here's more information on Banned Books Week from the American Library Association (ALA).


It's also a great time to read for yourself some of the books that have been challenged or banned. Many of them are classics or highly regarded modern books, and by reading and reviewing them, we can bring attention to some great literature that should be available for all to read.

The way I see it is that it is perfectly OK not to like a book or even to be offended by a book - if that's the case, then you don't have to read it. However, it is not OK to ban a book and remove it from libraries or schools so that no one can read it. In the case of kids, I think that it should be the parents' role to decide what books are appropriate for their kids, not random citizens whose values may be entirely different than yours.

Often, books for children or teens are banned because they deal with difficult topics - violence, abuse, homosexuality (or any kind of sexuality), racism, etc. While parents can decide what is age-appropriate for their own kids, I think it's important for kids and teens to read books that deal with these kinds of difficult topics. All of this - and more - is a part of life, and kids and teens should be exposed to a wide range of real-life issues. Books are a safe way to bring these difficult topics up and can often spark useful discussions with parents, kids, classmates, and teachers.

The ALA has published lists of the most frequently banned books by decade, including the latest decade, 2000-2009. They also have lists of most frequently banned books for each year, from 2001 - 2014.

I like to use these lists each year to choose books to read to celebrate this week. Two years ago for Banned Books Week, I read Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Both were absolutely amazing books!

Last year, I read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (last time I read it, I was only 16) and The Agony of Alice  and Dangerously Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (this series is #2 in the top banned books of 2000 - 2009).


This year, I went to the Top 10 lists at the ALA site and chose Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, #2 on the list of most frequently banned books in 2014, and Looking for Alaska by John Green, #7 on the list of Top 10 banned books in 2013. Both books were incredible - powerful and important, each in their own way.


Come back here later this week for reviews of:
  • Persepolis - Thursday
  • Looking for Alaska - Friday

For more information, links, and fun ways to celebrate Banned Books Week, check out Sheila's blog, Book Journey.

How are you celebrating Banned Books week?

12 comments:

  1. Persepolis is such a great read. It's so frustrating to me how scared society seems to be of stories that look different from theirs.

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    1. I agree completely, Lindsey! We need more diversity in our books, not less!

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  2. I reserves Persepolis at the library yesterday!

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    1. Great! Hope you like it. I just reserved the sequel!

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  3. I loved both Persepolis and Looking for Alaska! I'm glad they are making Looking for Alaska into a movie as this will help promote the book sales as well.

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    1. Yes, I can't wait to see the movie! And I still need to read Paper Towns so I can see that movie, too. Looking for Alaska has already been climbing up the best-seller list just based on news that there will be a movie!

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  4. I read The Catcher in the Rye for my choice last year, and it was my first time reading it. My choice this week is another book I haven't read before.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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    1. Which one did you choose for this year, Laurel? I really enjoyed Catcher in the Rye a few years ago - I think I understood it far better than when I was a teen!

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  5. I haven't read either one of those. But, I'll definitely be checking them out now!

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    1. They were both excellent, Stacie. If you are interested, I posted a review of Persepolis yesterday & Looking for Alaska's review will go up later today.

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  6. Persepolis has been talked about a lot this week. It is one I have not read yet.

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    1. It's a good one to talk about this week - it's been heavily banned. I discuss why it's been banned in the review I posted yesterday.

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