Going from burned in piles to being taught in high school classrooms, some of the most noteworthy and well-taught literature has been at one point challenged or even banned from the public. While ironic that novels hated for being too violent or vulgar are very often taught in classrooms, such as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger and "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, it's common enough to not even bat an eyelash at.
Censoring books or attempts to do so are so common it's easy not to notice them or even care. When I read J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series, I wasn't reading it to break boundaries or do black magic. More so, when I used to read Shlok Sharma's "Captain Underpants" series, it wasn't to disobey all authority. I was just reading. They're books. Reading was what I was taught to do with them. So, when I hear about how there are schools, libraries and communities set against books that I personally didn't find harmful to my innocence as a child, I know something wrong is happening.
Longwood's Greenwood Library is taking a stance next Thursday, Sept. 29 by celebrating Banned Books Week. There will be readings from banned, challenged and censored books, along with prizes and free food. It will be located in the Greenwood Library Atrium and be held from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Banned Books Week celebrates "the freedom to read," as stated by the website, www.bannedbooksweek.org, and occurs every year on the last week of September. It is a week-long event – this year from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1 – where libraries around the U.S. celebrate books that should be read as written, not censored.
In order to combat censorship of literature, Banned Books Week was created by Judith Krug, a librarian activist, in 1982 "in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries," as stated on the Banned Books Week website. According to the website, "More than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982."
Judy Blume, author of such notable and often challenged books such as "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" and "Deenie," commented through an uploaded video on Banned Books Week's Youtube account, and said, "Those who want to censor are sending such a negative message to kids…that books are dangerous…And that is so sad. I grew up in a time when in my house reading was something to be cherished."
It may seem a little silly to us when we think of books like "Captain Underpants" being banned, but what is a book? Why do people get so scared of something so small, something made of such simple material, something so easily destroyed? It is an "Ignorance is strength" issue, something authors around the world feel, sometimes on a mortal level. Freedom of expression, whether spoken or written, is still an issue today.
"I don't think censorship is ever the solution to any problem, be it societal or be it the kind of information or ideas that you have access to," Krug said.
"I just think it's sad, and always children are the losers when books are censored," said Blume. "I don't even think they [the censors] know to go after books until they know that children are interested in reading this book. And therefore there must be something in it that's wrong."
In 1990, American Booksellers Association President, Ed Morrow, said, "Censorship cannot eliminate evil. It can only kill freedom. We believe Americans have the right to buy, stores have the right to sell, authors have the right to write and publishers have the right to publish Constitutionally-protected material. Period."
If doubtful of the prevalence of book censorship, Banned Books Week's website has a section titled "Mapping Censorship." It has a Google Maps view of America with indications of hundreds of challenges to books marked on location and with the book challenged along with the complaint next to it. The Banned Books Week website says, "This map is drawn from cases documented by ALA and the Kids' Right to Read Project," and that "There are hundreds of challenges to books in schools and libraries in the United States every year. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there were at least 348 in 2010; the ALA estimates that 70 to 80 percent are never reported."
You can read further on Banned Books Week by checking out the official website at www.bannedbooksweek.org. You can also check out the Banned Books Week's Facebook page or YouTube channel to hear the full interview of Judy Blume.