Banned Books Week 2006

Harry Potter. The Chocolate War. Captain Underpants. Bridge to Terabithia. The Giver. Goosebumps. The Witches. A Light in the Attic. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A Wrinkle in Time. Every year, there are hundreds of attempts to remove books like these from schools and libraries. Celebrate YOUR freedom to read and the right to choose your book during Banned Books Week, September 23rd to September 30th, 2006.

The most challenged and/or restricted reading materials have been books for children. However, challenges are not simply an expression of a point of view; on the contrary, they are an attempt to remove materials from public use, thereby restricting the access of others. Even if the motivation to ban or challenge a book is well intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves. For children, decisions about what books to read should be made by the people who know them best—their parents! "Throughout history, there always have been a few people who don’t want information to be freely available. And this is still true," says American Library Association President Leslie Burger. "The reason more books aren’t banned is because community residents--with librarians, teachers and journalists-- stand up and speak out for their freedom to read. Banned Books Week reminds us that we must remain vigilant."

Comment on this post and and tell us your favorite banned book!

• The Ten Most-Challenged books of 2000-2005
• The 100 Most-Challenged books of 1990-2000
• Vote for your favorite Banned Book!