Banned Book Week, Literature Locked Up, Censorship Leaves Us In the Dark, however you would like to refer to this atrocity, it's a reminder to all of us the importance of the freedom to read. This week draws national attention to current and historical attempts to remove certain books from a library's collection. Held during the last week of September since 1982, this week tends to bring together readers, librarians, and all literary types in the shared support of freedom to express ideas.
This year's list includes 11 titles; Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987), Fun Home by Alison Bechdel 2006), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865), A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss (2005), Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958), This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki (2014), and Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson (2005), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (1969), George by Alex Gino (2015), Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Neale Hurston (1937), Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2000), The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017). The majority of the books listed tell stories of LGBTQ characters. The NCAC (National Coaltion Against Censorship) state that they are "dedicated to protecting kids' right to read, to learn and to access information."
Keep the lights on!