It boggles my mind to think that someone would be so outraged by the written word that they file a challenge to ban it across the nation. And yet there were at least 513 reported challenges on books in 2008 according to the American Library Association. Books aren’t the only target either; magazines like National Geographic and newspapers like the New York Times have been targeted by censors as well.
The problem of censorship does not derive solely from the small anti-intellectual, ultra-moral, or ultra-patriotic groups which will always function in a society that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The present concern is rather with the frequency and force of attacks by others, often people of good will and the best intentions, some from within the teaching profession.
Source: Guideline on the Students’ Right to Read from the National Council of Teachers of English
Banned Books Week is the national celebration of the freedom to read. This year’s events will run from September 26-October 3. Though I can’t attend any community readings, I can do some celebratory reading of some of my favorite banned authors.
A Short List of Recommended Banned/Challenged Books
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (challenged in 2009)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (challenged in Howell, Michigan in 2007)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Choose your own banned reading material from the most challenged list.
