It's Banned Book Week!

Hi everyone,

Long time, no post!  

This post is going to be about Banned Books Week which started on Sunday 27th and it will end on Saturday, October 3rd.   I know that it's Tuesday - I'm a little late to the game. 

What exactly is Banned Books Week? 

According to the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Books Week highlights the "current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools".  

Not only did the ALA publish a list of the most challenged books for 2019 but they also released a list for the top 100 challenged books for the last decade (2010-2019).  

The books that make the ALA's list are challenged for the content that's being depicted.  The topics that are covered in these books range from LGBTQIA+ to Racism.  The storylines can also be viewed as being "age inappropriate", "sexually explicit" or use "offensive language" (ALA, 2020).  You can read more about why books are banned and how the ALA makes the determination for the list here. 

I have read my fair share of banned books over the years. 

Just to name a few of them... Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was the first book that I remember reading that is on the Banned Books List.  I've read Lauren Myracle's TTYL and Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison was one of my series that I had read when I grew up.  These titles are located on the Top 100 Banned/Challenged from 2000-2009. More recently, I've read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.  

If you're interested in knowing what made the list between 2010-2019 - you can check what the ALA reported here. 

Have you read a "banned book" on your own or for school? Do you feel that the book should be banned? If you agree that it should be, why?  Also, do you think that libraries should censor the material that they purchase and provide to their patrons?

Feel free to let me know what you think! 

Catch ya soon with some new reviews :) 

- Jillian