September 25 - October 2, 2010
The main goal of Banned Books Week, the national event sponsored by the American Library Association and others, is to celebrate our right to read. Intellectual freedom as guaranteed by the First Amendment--the right to read whatever we want (no matter how controversial, unorthodox or politically correct)--is at the very heart of this annual celebration.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Banned Books Week highlights books which have been targets of attempted bannings. A small percentage of these books actually went on to be banned or restricted in certain areas of the country. Happily, most did not. Every year, librarians, teachers, booksellers, community activists--and readers like you--use Banned Books Week to put a spotlight on the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society. Were it not for these efforts, many books on the shelves of libraries, schools and bookstores would not be there today.
_______________
Targeted books which are part of the TWU Libraries collection include the following (clicking on any cover image will take you to the TWU catalog listing for that title):
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini's prize-winning first novel about the friendship between two young boys is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events--from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet invasion; the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the U.S.; to the rise of the Taliban regime. The recipient of the 2004 South African Boeke prize and a 2005 bestseller in the U.S., Kite Runner was adapted to film in 2007. It was also one of the most challenged books of 2008, its challengers commonly citing as their objections offensive language, sexual explicitness and the book's unsuitability for certain age groups.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerA staple in classrooms and school libraries since its publication in 1951, Salinger's classic tale of two days in the life of cynical 16-year-old Haulden Caulfield has also been a perennial target of censors. Despite the book's extraordinary staying power and popularity, parents and others have been raising objections to Catcher for the entirety of its 59-year history. It is one of the most-challenged books of all time, with parents frequently citing offensive language, obscenity and sexual explicitness as their objections to the book.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Mockingbird tells the story of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a small southern town whose family is ostracized when he defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Published in 1960 on the cusp of the civil rights movement, Lee's sole novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, was made into a major motion picture and became a staple of high school English classes across the country. It is one of the bestselling books of all time. It is also one of the most frequently challenged books in history, with challengers alleging the book's racism, offensive language and unsuitability for various age groups.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988, Morrison’s Beloved is a haunting and innovative portrait of a woman and her daughter as they try to rebuild their lives after having escaped from slavery. In a 2006 survey of writers and literary critics conducted by the editor of the New York Times Book Review, it was chosen as the best work of American fiction of the previous 25 years. It was also on Time magazine's list of the top 100 English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. Frequently opposed on grounds of offensive language, sexual explicitness and unsuitability for certain age groups, Beloved has the added distinction of being one of the most challenged books of 2006.
--Sandy Cochran
--Special thanks to Greg Hardin for his input and technical assistance regarding this post, and to the volunteer models in the photos above.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Mockingbird tells the story of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a small southern town whose family is ostracized when he defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Published in 1960 on the cusp of the civil rights movement, Lee's sole novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, was made into a major motion picture and became a staple of high school English classes across the country. It is one of the bestselling books of all time. It is also one of the most frequently challenged books in history, with challengers alleging the book's racism, offensive language and unsuitability for various age groups.
Beloved by Toni MorrisonWinner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988, Morrison’s Beloved is a haunting and innovative portrait of a woman and her daughter as they try to rebuild their lives after having escaped from slavery. In a 2006 survey of writers and literary critics conducted by the editor of the New York Times Book Review, it was chosen as the best work of American fiction of the previous 25 years. It was also on Time magazine's list of the top 100 English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. Frequently opposed on grounds of offensive language, sexual explicitness and unsuitability for certain age groups, Beloved has the added distinction of being one of the most challenged books of 2006.
_______________
In honor of Banned Books Week 2010, get your rebel on and help celebrate our inalienable right to read whatever we please--no matter the objections of others.
Read a banned or challenged--or for that matter, any other--book today.
Read a banned or challenged--or for that matter, any other--book today.
--Sandy Cochran
--Special thanks to Greg Hardin for his input and technical assistance regarding this post, and to the volunteer models in the photos above.
