Be a Book Rebel Banned Books Week 2015

September 27th thru October 3rd celebrates those books that some thought too dark, too racy, naughty language or thought to be just plain unsuitable for bookshelves. Hundreds of books are challenged each year by readers who believe they're doing the right thing.

But... is it right to censor readership? Is it right to say Alice in Wonderland is unsuitable, or Harry Potter? Yes, those are just two of many books that have been and still are brought up for challenge to be banned. Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Color Purple, Lord of the Rings, The Call of the Wild, The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, 1984, are but a few of the classics that have come under attack. 

No one should have the power to say, "you can't read that." Some of the books on the banned book lists have influenced presidents, inventors, great thinkers of our time and more. What could we have missed out of our lives if these great individuals hadn't read a banned book that made them think about something or see something more clearly. That's why I am a book rebel, I read banned books! 

So this week I challenge YOU to read at least one banned book from one of the lists on the bottom of this

page during Banned Books Week. Then bling out your social media with banners and avatars showing that you're a book rebel. You'll read any book you ding dang want to! 

Want to know more about Banned Books Week? Just visit BannedBooksWeek.org Show the world you are a book rebel with some ALA Banned Books merch such as tee-shirts, bookmarks, posters, and even socks! The funds benefit the American Library Association.

My reading list for Banned Books Week 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Now go forth book rebels and READ BANNED BOOKS! 

Be a book rebel read banned books!

Banning books is not a thing of the past. Every day books are challenged, or removed from libraries or schools. No book is safe from the possibility. At one point the children’s fairytale, Alice in Wonderland was on the banned list.

For a while, my own county libraries banned the 50 Shades of Grey Trilogy from their shelves. Library patrons wouldn’t hear of it, they continued to request, and demand their right to read about Christian and his red room. Now the books are available on library shelves and ereaders.

What would the world be like if readers didn’t rebel and just let someone choose what books were suitable for the public. What if the words of To Kill a Mockingbird, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, or even Harry Potter had never touched our lives?

If there weren’t book rebels we wouldn’t have seen Vivian Lee as Scarlet O’Hara in her curtain dress. Get to be frightened of  saint bernards named Cujo, or see Leonardo DiCaprio become Gatsby. The stories these memorable characters all came from books that were challenged or banned at some point.

What’s the difference between banned or challenged books? According to the ALA a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of challenged materials from public or school libraries, possibly bookstore shelves.

Books could be challenged for various reasons. The top three are explicit sexual content, offensive language, or ‘unsuited’ to any age group. The last meaning any theme or topic deemed unsuitable for viewing. Books that fell into this category were The Hunger Games, The Catcher in the Rye, and Blood and Chocolate. Thanks to awesome librarians, teachers, students, and concerned citizens most challenges are unsuccessful.

What makes the list from year to year can be surprising. Tomes of every genre and age range can be found there. Chances are you’ve got a few of them on your bookshelf or to be read pile already. You can find out more on ALA or Band Books Week websites. To see this years list go to Books Challenged or Banned  2012-2013.

Don’t let someone tell you your books are ‘unsuited’. Be a book rebel read some banned books this week.

This week I’m reading Blood and Chocolate and my son is reading The Hunger Games We’re book rebels, how about you? What are you reading? Do you have a favorite banned book?