While I enjoyed "tossing the hammer" for 23 things, I thought I would write a little about Banned Books Week. Satirizing 1984 just wasn't enough for me...
What was the last banned book you read? I recently enjoyed Deadline by Chris Crutcher, a book that explores the last year of a young man's life, a teen faced with a rare and fatal disease. Crutcher is on the top 10 ten banned authors list for 2007, so I felt I should explore his writing further (his banned books include Whale Talk and Athletic Shorts).
I looked over the ALA's list of the 100 most banned books of 1990 - 2000 and 2007 and both lists contain more Children's and YA titles/authors than adult. All kinds of books, from acclaimed to the simply "campy," are brought under scrutiny for controversial language, sexual content, or religious/political or other social viewpoints.
Author's struggle to portray realistic fiction for their younger audience, while parents seek to guide the behavior of their children (and sometimes beyond their family, claiming a community need for appropriate materials). This is where our guidance as professionals comes in, as well as our ability to represent different viewpoints and perspectives in our collection.
While I consider myself fairly familiar with the Banned Books classics, I encourage you to check out a more contemporary banned book this week and the ALA resources. Make a display about the importance of reading free.
While I consider myself fairly familiar with the Banned Books classics, I encourage you to check out a more contemporary banned book this week and the ALA resources. Make a display about the importance of reading free.
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