We have a RIGHT TO READ! Banned Book Week! (Sept 22- 28)

Censorship in America? Is that allowed?

Something many people may be unaware of is that every year the American Library Association (ALA) advocates and dedicates a week to the awareness of "banned books" in America. These are books that have been challenged or removed from available reading in schools, libraries and sometimes communities altogether. The ALA's Banned Book Week see also: Banned Books

But how can this be happening? Doesn't our constitution demand a right to freedom of speech and choice? Though the United States was founded on this principle it doesn't stop people from openly advocating for the banishment of books from school curriculum and local libraries. And that is their right as well. But whose rights are more important than the others?

It seemed fitting that what I am currently reading is the NYTimes best seller The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. While it is not a currently banished book... the premise of the book is the Nazi rise in Germany during WW2 and how they attempted to burn books they felt didn't promote the Nazi Party propaganda.

Everyone has equal rights but I have to say the foundation on which people attempt to banish books is naive, biased, and ultimately only supports their agenda and not that of the greater population.

We all have a right to read. And we all have a right to choose what we read.

The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) works to promote the "awareness of challenges to library materials and celebrates freedom of speech during Banned Book Week". It compiles lists of books, both classic and new alike, that have been challenged by different areas as well as the reasoning behind the challenge and banishment.

Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels- It is important to note that about half of these are books that were banned/ challenged.

I have followed this movement in past years and some of the titles will shock you (as they happen to be some of the greatest novels ever written). Some of my personal favorites that have been challenged have been Lolita, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Slaughterhouse Five (if you've ever seen Dirty Dancing they also make a reference to banning this novel in the film), and even more current ones such as Perks of Being a Wallflower, the Hunger Games, and Enders Game.

I know that back in 1940 in Germany the ideals of the Nazi party were extreme and many would assume that there would never be that kind of extreme censorship in the US. But censorship has to start small from somewhere and if it is given fuel, the fire will continue to ignite allowing the censorship of any book for the slightest reason. We would no longer be free to express our opinions as writers, let alone read what we choose.

Find your own banned book this week and enjoy! I'd love to hear your favorites!

Banned Books By Year