Banned Books Week is a calling-out of the efforts to censor books, as well as a celebration of the Freedom to Read.
As writers and illustrators of creative content for children, we're affected by the efforts to censor books, even when it's someone else's book being challenged.
It's happened to authors and illustrators, of fiction and nonfiction, picture books and middle grade and Young Adult!
It's happened to Lauren Myracle, Sherman Alexie, Ellen Hopkins, Suzanne Collins, Sonya Sones, Peter Parnell, Justin Richardson, Henry Cole, Phillip Pullman, Sarah Brannen, Amy Sonnie, and so many more!
How will you acknowledge the importance of the right to read this week?
There are lots of suggestions at the American Library Association website, and as galvanizing inspiration, here's a video from Thomas University, made last year for Banned Books Week:
Share your Banned Books Week celebration in comments!
Illustrate and Write... and Read On,
Lee
3 comments:
I just wrote a blog post about it, and how I'm so grateful that my parents let me read whatever I wanted. I'm grateful that I read all sorts of amazing (but banned) books in high school.
In reading over the list on ALA's site, I was surprised to see that even Captain Underpants has been banned. My fourth grader adores this series -- and I'm grateful his elementary school encourages this series that tickles the heck out of the fourth grade funny bone, and has made my son fall in love with reading.
I showed the film, Precious Knowledge at the Bisbee library. The film catalogs the struggle of the ethnic studies program in the Tucson school district, where they "boxed" the books that were core to this program.
I hadn't realized it was banned books week until I read your post. Thank you for that. I'm one of those parents that believes in the freedom to read. My parents never censored my reading choices growing up, and I try not to censor my kids' books. Now, as a published author, I am even more grateful to my mom and dad and for my school teachers who opened my mind to the possibilities of books.
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