Banned Books Week: September 26 – October 3, 2009
Welcome to Banned Books Week, 2009! Celebrating the Freedom to Read! For those that aren’t familiar with BBW, here are the basics. From the American Library Association: What is Banned Books Week? Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups–or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature. What’s the difference between a challenge and a banning? A [...]
