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October 1, 2007Banned Books Week, September 29 – October 6
The week of September 29 – October 6 marks Banned Books Week, which is recognized annually by the American Library Association and libraries of all types across the United States. Banned Books Week "celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them." (Intellectual Freedom Committee, American Library Association)
Books are most frequently challenged, rather than banned. That is, someone seeks to remove them from a library's shelves or from a school curriculum, thereby restricting access by others. The most common reasons for challenges are sexually explicit content, language that is deemed offensive, and the belief that the material is unsuitable for the intended age group.
In 2006 the most frequently challenged books included the award-winning children’s book And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, the "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor; both The Bluest Eye and Beloved by Toni Morrison, the "Scary Stories" series by Alvin Schwartz; and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Other regularly challenged books include such classics as Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
For additional information, visit the American Library Association Web site at http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm#wtb
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