Banned Books Week 2017

September 26, 2017

Ahh… Banned Books Week is here! The week has finally arrived celebrating everyone’s right to read whatever they want (September 24-30, 2017).

If you take a look at 2016’s Top 10 most challenged books, most of the titles are fictional, young adult novels that are often cited for strong language, explicit sexuality, drug/alcohol use, or being inappropriate for the particular age group.

Don’t think challenged books are limited to fiction, though; nonfiction is often challenged too. Books that portray religions other than Christianity, racial tensions, wartime situations, or abusive relationships are often viewed as inappropriate for the school aged. These topics are situations that make people, usually the parents of young adults, uncomfortable.

But isn’t that the point?

Shouldn’t we be asking our young adults, our children, our colleagues, and friends to read things that might be uncomfortable? To face the challenges of the world from the comfort of our couch rather than encountering them wholly underprepared in the real world? Our society is constantly in flux, whether we like it or not, and people would rather disregard those that think differently than to understand a differing viewpoint. Perhaps we should read uncomfortable literature and take a walk in someone else’s shoes to better understand someone else’s situation.

It’s allowed to read outside of your “age group” too. Children’s books for adults! Teen literature for kids! Everything for everyone!

Kelsey, the librarian, suggests:

So, take a step outside your normal reading genre and stand for banned.

Image of a fist raised behind an open book
2017 ALA Banned Books week logo

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