Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Written by Jon Williams

It’s no secret that libraries broaden minds. All too often, the public library is—through the wealth of material on its shelves—the only place a person might have a chance to encounter and explore viewpoints and stories of people utterly unlike themselves. For that reason, it is essential that each library should be free to choose that material themselves. Since 1982, the American Library Association has proclaimed the last week of September as Banned Books Week, with libraries across the country celebrating the right of patrons to read freely.

Concerns about what young people are learning means that children’s and young adult literature is a sore spot for censorship. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are the bestselling series of all time; they also faced the most challenges for the decade 2000-2009. More recently, in 2015-2016, popular YA author John Green’s Looking for Alaska came under fire, as did such popular works as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, and Glass by Ellen Hopkins.

Some of the most beloved and classic books of all time are also on the list of most challenged. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, frequently lauded as perhaps the greatest American novel ever written, is a frequent target for challenges. Other classics that are frequently flagged for challenges include Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Color Purple by Alice Walker (currently available on audiobook), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Beloved by Toni Morrison.

These books and so many others that have been challenged make the world (not to mention high school English class) a much richer place, and we owe a debt of gratitude to librarians, teachers, and others who have fought to keep them on bookshelves and in classrooms. Check out our website for a full collection of wonderful audiobooks that are perfect for Banned Books Week.

Banned Books Week Begins September 22

Written by Kyle Slagley

Next week marks the 31st Annual Banned Books Week, a cause near and dear to my heart, as I’m sure it is to most of you. The cause is meant to encourage both readers and librarians to re-examine challenged and banned works, but perhaps more importantly, to promote the freedom to read in libraries, schools, and bookstores.

Having closely looked over the list of books most frequently challenged in the past decade I decided to highlight a few that I have read, and give my reaction to them. If your library chooses to censor these or any other books, that is your choice and you may take my reactions with as much salt as you like.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: This series has been a lightning rod for controversy ever since it hit shelves for the first time in 1997. It was attacked primarily for promoting witchcraft among children and young adults. Despite the conflict, the franchise has made over $15 billion dollars. I own every book and every movie. Do I walk around wearing t-shirts with the Gryffindor crest or the word ‘Muggle’ on them? No. But I think these books are largely harmless because the content is so fantastical that I believe the concerns about witchcraft to be largely unfounded. What kid wouldn’t want to go to a school where he or she can learn how to fly on a broomstick, levitate objects with the flick of a wrist, and live in an awesome castle?

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy: This series, consisting of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, is highly controversial because of its notions concerning both witchcraft and the oppression of the book’s version of the Catholic Church. I found the books incredibly well written – not for the religious controversy, but because of the depth Pullman writes into his characters. The struggles that protagonists Lyra and Will encounter while attempting to come of age in this dangerous world is absolutely fascinating. In this, as well as other series, it’s important to stress to readers that these works are labeled fiction for a reason and are not to be taken too seriously.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Hosseini’s first book was met with a large amount of controversy from both American readers as well as Afghan-Americans. Americans challenged the book because it blatantly exposed things like homosexuality, pedophilia, drug abuse, and oppression amongst the various sects within Afghanistan. Afghan-Americans reportedly never denied the allegations, but rather protested against Hosseini for publicizing things about their culture that they claimed were better left unsaid. For me, the book was an absolute fantastic read. Hosseini has a way of telling his stories which is quite unlike the majority of other modern writers and it really resonates with me. I felt the same about his novels A Thousand Splendid Sons and And the Mountains Echoed.

Are there more books that I could write about that have been frequently banned and/or challenged? Certainly! There are dozens! For a full list of books that fall on this list, check out the ALA’s Banned Books webpage. For audiobooks and movie versions of some of the books on that list, visit the Midwest Tape website and click the Banned Books Week panel on the left side of the homepage.