what can you do to celebrate banned book week which runs September 29 through October 6? Read a banned book, of course. Great fun is to scan the lists of banned books on the following link (which I will learn how to do nicely once I am not loaded up on Advil for the world's longest and saddest root canal ever) here:http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/explorebbw.cfm
even more fun to do is to note how many banned books you have read - and then ponder over the mystery of some of them as in "why?". A Wrinkle in Time, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Alice in Wonderland, The Bible to name a few. If I wrote a book that was objected to or banned along with such excellent company, I would be thrilled.
The ALA site (American Library Association) is fun to explore if you haven't before - plus their online store has cool stuff like banned books bracelets.
3 comments:
hello im Carolyn Forsman the creator of the banned books bracelets( adut and teen) and a new necklace! and also http://Amazon.com and my own site.
Susan, this is so interesting. Three of the top ten most challenged books are (high school) set texts in the UK. "Of Mice and Men", "The Chocolate War" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." I'm a committed Christian and a massive fan of Phillip Pullman (our finest children's author in my opinion), I don't mind having my faith challenged and I'm more than happy for my eldest girl to read and enjoy him.
It's difficult though. I'm not sure if I'd like to see any book banned...on whose criteria do we judge these things? However, after reading an extract of that "Fight Club" guy's new book (sorry I can't spell his surname)in the Guardian a few months ago I can honestly say there are a few books I wish had not been written.
My own particular beef is with the fact that cynicism seems to proliferate in so much modern literature. Why do we have to make a black comedy out of every tragedy?
Hello Carolyn and thank you for the link :)
Hello Dulce, certain books most certainly make me shudder but I guess my criteria is that of choice. I want "the good, the bad, and the ugly" represented because writing is art and art fills different needs and passions. And the notion of banning books makes me shiver, I feel it's a line that, once crossed, leads to the end of necessary freedoms. Thanks so much for your conversation on this interesting topic!
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