Banned Books Week 2015

Yesterday (September 27) was the first day of Banned Books Week for 2015. As I wrote last year, Banned Books Week is of special interest to me as a former English teacher and current teacher educator. Besides being a fascinating topic (especially when we start exploring just why certain books have been challenged or banned), it is a timely one for my students. As they think about their future classrooms and what they will be teaching, they often express concern about bringing in more modern literature because of the possibility that the books might invite controversy. This is especially true when it comes to young adult literature.
Consequently, it is serendipitous that this year's Banned Books Week theme is YA literature. Children's and young adult books often bear the brunt of the censors' scrutiny. For several years, the Captain Underpants series was the most banned/challenged book in the United States, and last year, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian topped the list.

When I attended #nctechat last week, one of the questions was "Why do you think YA is so frequently challenged and often given less respect in schools than canonical literature?" It is a valid question, and it is certainly one that deserves attention and thought this week and throughout the year. I think that many of the concerns regarding YA literature stems from a combination of lack of understanding on the part of the challengers/detractors of what YA is (and how, like all other genres, it can vary in quality from book to book), a knee-jerk fear that comes when detractors hear some of YA's more salacious details without knowing the entire plot, and a true concern that teens might read the books and think that dangerous behavior is permissible.

To commemorate Banned Books Week and celebrate intellectual freedom, here are some resources that you might find helpful:

• Last week's #nctechat was "Say YA to Reading." While the chat is over, you can read the chat on Storify.
• BannedBooksWeek.org has some great resources and ideas for Banned Books Week. 
• The American Library Institution is a treasure trove of information and resources. For Banned Books Week, it has a page dedicated to Virtual Read-Out Videos and a list of frequently banned books. 
• The School Library Journal had an article from September 18th on what librarians are planning on doing for Banned Books Week.

Are you doing anything for Banned Books Week 2015? Please leave your thoughts, comments, ideas, and questions in the comments!