Thursday, September 26, 2013

The Book Chat: Banned Books

I am pretty darn disappointed in myself right now. I was so excited to blog about banned books for Jessica's Book Chat link-up this week, and now it's almost 10 p.m. and I haven't prepared anything. I really couldn't miss such an important topic, though, so here's just a small handful of banned or challenged books I've read and loved (click on the book covers to see my reviews on Goodreads):




I am a firm believer that banned books = banned ideas. I think the idea of school districts banning books is ridiculous. If a particular parent doesn't want his or her child to read a book, fine; give them an alternate assignment. But don't punish the whole class by limiting their exposure to new ideas. If it were my (far-in-the-future) child, I say I'd rather have them be introduced to "controversial" ideas (like women in authority ... seriously! see #6 on this list) in the classroom where they can participate in academic discussions, and where I can know what they're reading and have my own conversations with them about the subject matter if I feel it's necessary.

How do you feel about the idea of "banning" books? Have you read any banned or challenged books that you particularly enjoyed?

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P.S. — Don't forget: There are still a few days left for my #bookphotoaday challenge on Instagram! I'd love to see your photos!