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Banned Books Week was started in 1982 by the
American Library Association, the
American Booksellers Association,
the Association of American
Publishers and the National
Association of College Stores to raise awareness of censorship
problems in the United States and abroad. For the past 25 years, it has
remained the only national celebration of the freedom to read.
Book censorship of all kinds – even book-burning – continues today.
Challenges may come from parents, teachers, clergy members, elected
officials, or organized groups, and arise due to objections to language,
violence, sexual or racial themes, or religious viewpoint, to name just
a few. In
2007, the
ALA counted
420 challenges. Many other
cases go unreported.
This year, in Baxley, GA, the school board banned Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck, Native Son by Richard Wright, and Brave New
World by Alodus Huxley
after a local church minister challenged the books. In Grand
Rapids, MI, school officials planned to razor out the play, TopDog/UnderDog
by Suzan Lori-Parks, and any other “objectionable” material in an
anthology in the AP curriculum. In Manchester, CT, The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was challenged for
racially sensitive content. Tuscola, TX, Cormac McCarthy’s
Child of God was removed and a teacher placed on paid administrative
leave following complaints from one student’s parents.
Banned Books Week is celebrated during the last week of September by
booksellers, librarians, authors, readers, students and other friends of
free expression. Some create banned book displays. Others stage public
readings of challenged titles or sponsor discussions of free speech
issues. We explore some of the many ways that booksellers can observe
Banned Books Week in this handbook.
We hope the Banned Books Week Handbook will inspire you to celebrate the
freedom to read and to come up with new ideas for dramatizing the issue.
If you do participate, we hope you will tell us about your experience so
we can expand and improve the handbook. When you’re ready, click on the
link, We’re Listening!
Thanks for your support!
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