Banned Books Week 2016

Today is the start of Banned Books Week for 2016, and as I've written in 2014 and 2015, it is a week and a topic that is near and dear to my heart. This year's topic, which is spotlighting diversity, is especially timely and relevant. Research indicates that minority authors are often victims of having their books banned or challenged. Additionally, the books that are most likely to be banned are books that focus on some type of diversity. Although this isn't surprising, it is disheartening, since recent events as well as many of the close-minded sentiments that are said in this country and in the world illustrate the importance of reading books from diverse perspectives and about people who are different from us. While I wish that this focus wasn't needed, I'm thrilled that this year's Banned Books Week emphasizes it, and I hope that it helps continue the dialogue about diversity in books.

Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association

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.

Questions and Topics to Explore for Banned Books Week

In the United States, it can be easy to assume that censorship is something that doesn't happen here. It is something sinister and shady that only happens in other places or at other times untouched by such protections as the First Amendment. However, Banned Books Week is a time to remind us that censorship is an all-too-real threat here and now. When I teach my education students (and when I taught high school), I like to use Banned Books Week as an entry point for us to discuss some difficult concepts and questions. For my English education students, the issue of banned or challenged books is an all-too-real threat, and this gives them the chance to discuss and think through their conceptions and concerns. For my other students, this provides us the opportunity to think about curriculum and the potential controversies that might exist in their subject areas. The questions and issues we consider might include:

Preparing for Banned Books Week 2014

Earlier this week, I saw an article on The Atlantic website with the provocative title, "Who Should Decide What High School Kids Are Allowed to Read?" The article examines the recent controversy surrounding the young adult novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post, which is about a gay teenager who is trying to come to terms with her identity. Although it focuses on the debate on whether or not Cameron Post should be an option for students at Delaware's Cape Henlopen High School (the school board first voted to remove the book from a reading list and then, after the backlash, they reinstated the book but also decided to abolish the list to allow students to choose anything they wanted for summer reading), it also provides an opportunity for readers to think about censorship in general, especially when it comes to students.