Showing posts with label banned books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label banned books. Show all posts
9.29.2011
Banned Book Week Discussion
Yesterday, six teens showed up for our annual Banned Books Week book discussion. This is a fun meeting because you don't have to actually read a specific book to show up! Instead, we talk about a list of books that ranges from children's books to popular series to classics that people read for school. Everyone has read something on that list, whether it's Junie B. Jones or Animal Farm. It's amazing how many of our school-assigned summer reading books have been challenged or banned somewhere! We talked about a lot of issues and had a really interesting conversation. Celebrate your freedom to read...come check something out of the library! :)
9.24.2010
Just in Time for Banned Books Week...
Several episodes in Missouri this month have brought issues of school book banning and censorship to national attention. This is just in time for Banned Books Week, which is celebrated every year at the end of September. This year's dates are September 25 to October 2.
Issues of book censorship can be tricky, particularly in schools. Some content may be offensive to some people, and that has to be weighed against the educational value of a text when districts are making choices for students. Whether it's required reading, optional reading, or just something in the school library, schools often find themselves on the defensive.
Here are links to information about the situations in Missouri. Remember, these articles are talking about the reasons people have for censoring the materials, so there may be content that requires some maturity.
In Stockton, Missouri, the school board voted to remove The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from the curriculum and from the high school library. Read more about the school board meeting in this article.
In Republic, Missouri, a parent has made a formal complaint about three books used in various ways at the high school: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and Twenty-Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. Watch a news broadcast summarizing the challenge, then read Laurie Halse Anderson's response in this interview.
Issues of book censorship can be tricky, particularly in schools. Some content may be offensive to some people, and that has to be weighed against the educational value of a text when districts are making choices for students. Whether it's required reading, optional reading, or just something in the school library, schools often find themselves on the defensive.
Here are links to information about the situations in Missouri. Remember, these articles are talking about the reasons people have for censoring the materials, so there may be content that requires some maturity.
In Stockton, Missouri, the school board voted to remove The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from the curriculum and from the high school library. Read more about the school board meeting in this article.
In Republic, Missouri, a parent has made a formal complaint about three books used in various ways at the high school: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and Twenty-Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. Watch a news broadcast summarizing the challenge, then read Laurie Halse Anderson's response in this interview.
9.24.2006
Banned Books Week 2006
September 23-30, 2006 is the 25th anniversary of Banned Books Week! The theme this year is a circus motif with the slogan, "Read Banned Books: They're Your Ticket to Freedom."
Vote for your favorite banned book this week! Visit the ALA's web survey to cast your ballot. I voted for Captain Underpants!!!
Some Teen Advisory Board members put up a display in the teen corner to celebrate Banned Books Week. Every book that has a bookmark in it has been challenged or banned somewhere in our country. Check one out and keep the "Ticket to Freedom" bookmark. You'll be amazed at the books people have tried to ban!
Vote for your favorite banned book this week! Visit the ALA's web survey to cast your ballot. I voted for Captain Underpants!!!
Some Teen Advisory Board members put up a display in the teen corner to celebrate Banned Books Week. Every book that has a bookmark in it has been challenged or banned somewhere in our country. Check one out and keep the "Ticket to Freedom" bookmark. You'll be amazed at the books people have tried to ban!
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