Today marks the first day of the annual Banned Books Week (September 26th through October 3rd). Per the American Library Association (ALA):

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights 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.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them

I have not loved everything I have ever read. Whether it be because of content, writing or just not my taste. I have banned books from my own library. My own library being the important words of that sentence.  I would never consider my own thoughts and feelings on books to be a barometer on what is appropriate for any other person or institution.

Who challenges books and why? Parents are the number one culprit for reasons such as the material being sexually explicit to inaccuracy. Take look at the wonderful graphs and charts from the ALA.  As a parent, I can understand concern over books of certain subject matter being utilized in schools. My daughter brought home a couple of titles that caused my eyebrows to raise during her junior and high school jail sentence (that is what she calls it). I read the books myself, checked over the syllabus from school and discussed them with my daughter. I wanted to be certain she was comfortable with the material.  Funny that those were the books she had an interest in and received easy A’s on homework and tests.  If my daughter had expressed discomfort, I would have requested she be allowed to read a different book. Lucky for me, this was an option in her schools. The thought of challenging a book selection would have never crossed my mind.

The ALA compiles lists of the most challenged books but it is by no means comprehensive. Research has suggested that for every one challenge that is reported to the ALA, there are four or five which are not reported. I have taken a look at the lists on the ALA website. I have read some of the challenged books but not nearly enough. There are titles that make no sense to me and those where I can understand concern but not to the point of censorship.  Please take the time to review these lists, you may find yourself surprised.

• Banned and/or challenged classics
• 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990 – 1999
• 2008 top-ten list
• Most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century

You should also check out the Banned Books Week website for information on events, what you can do and a very informative map that shows the attempt to ban books is alive and well today.

I have seen some challenges and events honoring this week (Bites, The Biblio Blogazine) but at the moment, I want to put forth my own personal infinite challenge. No time limit, no set number, no set list of books. I want to take the lists provided and revisit those challenged books I read oh, so long ago and discover those titles I have not had the opportunity to enjoy. I will be keeping track and sharing my progress in the reading challenges tab.

Is there anything you are doing to honor these challenged and banned books? I would love to hear your thoughts about some titles that you caused you to think “Really? Really? Why?”

Banned Books Week is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• August 1, 2009 -- Random Reading Challenge (0)
• July 15, 2009 -- August Reading Challenge (and more) (0)
• December 8, 2009 -- Teaser Tuesday (12.08.09) (20)
• December 1, 2009 -- Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, and Madness (Matt Birkbeck) – Review (2)

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Share your ABC’s
3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs
4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website
5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag

Available or single? Single
Best Friend? Yup – my friend Angel!
Cake or Pie? Cake, chocolate, cake, chocolate, cake, chocolate
Drink of choice? Mocha Java Monster
Essential item for every day use? microwave
Favorite color? blue
Google? maybe this should be my essential item?
Hometown? Omaha, NE
Indulgences? brand spanking new books, fuzzy socks, Triple Shot iced Breve
January or February? Do not like January – resolutions already failed!
Kids and their names? Jessica
Life is incomplete without…? Jessica, my dogs, my cats
Marriage date?Ummmmmm??????
Number of siblings? brother
Oranges or apples? Apples
Phobias and fears? Home invasions – eeeekkkk (I have planned escape routes since I was a little girl)
Quote for the day? “A room without a book is like a body without a soul.” – Cicero
Reason to smile? My daughter.
Season? Fall – almost time to pull out the fuzzy socks!
Tag 3 people?

Sandy at HODGEPODGESPV
Natalie at The Book Inn
Krista at Life or Something Like It…

And anyone else who would like to play!

Unknown fact about me? My biggest regret is not continuing to play the violin.
Vegetable you hate? Peas!!!  No thought required about this one!
Worst habit? Procrastination.
X-rays you’ve had? Ankle, wrist, back, foot.
Your fave food? Pizza (where is the phone?)
Zodiac sign? Taurus

Do what you will with this information!!!!

ABC's of moi is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• March 25, 2010 -- The River Kings’ Road – Review/Tour (0)
• December 8, 2009 -- Teaser Tuesday (12.08.09) (20)
• November 12, 2009 -- This and That (new winner, awards, e-reader giveaways) (10)
• November 3, 2009 -- Teaser Tuesday (11.03.09) (4)

Thanks!

Cutest Dog Competition is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• No Related Post