You know what I hate? Banning books. And yes, people do actually still try to get books banned. In fact, it still happens all of the time. And I hate it. As a dedicated reader, I love being able to read what I want and not have someone tell me that I can’t read it. Now, books get banned or are petitioned to be banned for all sorts of reasons. Some of them you might understand and some that make no sense.
I could get into a whole rant about book banning, but I’m not going to today (though feel free to email me if you’re curious). Nope, instead, we’re going to celebrate Banned Books Week! Starting tomorrow (September), the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom will be celebrating the freedom to read through Banned Books Week. There’s a number of online events they’re hosting (webinars, some free downloads, and a daily blog), but you can easily join the conversation on twitter with #BannedBooksWeek.
In honor of Banned Books Week, I decided to share some of my favorite banned books….and the “reasons” why they were banned.
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
Reasons: occult/Satanism
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.
What is one of your favorite banned books? Will you be re-reading any of them in honor of Banned Books Week?
Even better, why not buy a banned book and help support your favorite authors?
