It's Banned Books Week!

And we're celebrating... no, we're not celebrating books getting banned, we're celebrating

THE FREEDOM TO READ!

The American Library Association announced the top 10 books most frequently challenged in 2014. Note that the "reasons" aren't always aligned with what's actually IN the book. For instance, there is nothing "sexually explicit" in Raina Telegmeier's "Drama" - it's a lovely young middle grade graphic novel that includes both straight and gay young teen characters having crushes. Here's the list:

1) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”

2) Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”

3) And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”

4) The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”

5) It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”

6) Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:

7) The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence

8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”

9) A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group

10) Drama, by Raina Telgemeier

Reasons: sexually explicit

I'm thinking that choosing to read books from this list I haven't read yet is a good start towards standing up for the FREEDOM TO READ for everyone. So I just ordered three of these from the library!

Do your bit. Talk about the banning of books, and the FREEDOM TO READ.

And exercise that freedom, if you're fortunate enough to have it – read!