Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is an annual event of the American Library Association. It celebrates the freedom to read that is protected under the First Amendment, while also bringing awareness and attention to the dangers of censorship by highlighting actual or attempted book bannings that have occurred across the United States, both now and in the past.

Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association

 What is a Banned Book?

A banned book is one that has been removed from a library, bookstore, or school collection solely because it is considered to contain controversial content.

Sometimes banned books have even been burned or otherwise forcibly destroyed.  

Banning or challenging a book is considered to be serious matter, because blatant censorship of that type is a violation of our freedom to read.
 

ALA's Lists of Most Frequently Challenged Books

A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material berestricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness.

Have you ever read a "Banned Book"?  Do you have one that you want to give a shout-out to? Post a comment if you''d like!