Banned Books Week: Are You Listening to a Controversial Audio Book?

This week, September 26-October 3, 2009, is Banned Books Week. This is an annual event in the US, celebrating the freedom to read.

During this week, attention is drawn to the damage caused by censorship as well as attempts to ban books in the US.

These challenges are usually thwarted by libraries, teachers, and other community members.

Whether you live in the US or not, please take a moment to appreciate the importance of literature and your freedom to choose any book or audiobook to read, learn from, and enjoy.

Classics:

No books are safe from being challenged. Several classics have been challenged at schools and colleges.

Imagine being unable to experience The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (challenged in 1987 by the Baptist College in SC because of language and sexual references), or The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (challenged multiple times since its publication).

My favorite novel of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, has been challenged as recently as 2004 for language labeled as degrading to African Americans. Ulysses by James Joyce was burned in the US, Ireland, Canada, and England in the early 1900s.

Recently Released:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was one of the most challenged books last year. Sexual content and explicit language led to the removal of The Kite Runner from some libraries, while others censored the content, removing controversial scenes. Popular author Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper ended up removed from some libraries due to sexual content.

Children’s Books:

Interestingly, And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, a children’s book about two male penguins raising and orphaned chick has remains one of the most challenged books of the past 3 years. Even though the story is based on real events observed in a zoo, the book is said to present same-sex relationships and should not be available to children.

So What?

In 2008, 513 challenges were filed with the American Library Association. Challenges are in the form of formal, written complaints that are filed with a library or school. These complaints request that books be removed for inappropriate content. This seems like a small number, so what’s the big deal? For every reported challenge, there are at least 4 that are unreported.

Still unimpressed?

Think, for a moment, about someone else deciding what materials should be available to you. Think of the books you have read that someone else may have deemed inappropriate. Imagine not being able to talk with your children about books. Imagine not being able to read To Kill a Mockingbird. Now go find one of those frequently banned titles and read it, and then celebrate your freedom to choose to read it.

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Tagged as: Banned Books