The books the world calls immoral are the books that show the world it’s own shame.
~ Oscar Wilde
Happy Wednesday, Friends!
I found this gem by Oscar Wilde and thought is was perfect for this week.
You see, this is Banned Books Week. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a celebration, but more of a campaign of awareness. The calendar may say 2016, but that doesn’t mean that the reading of books is not being challenged and the push to get them banned from schools and libraries is in full force. If some people had it their way, certain books would be banned from ever being read in the country at all!
Historically, books have been banned for various reasons including being “dangerous” and encouraging independent thinking; inappropriate content such as language, graphic situations; spreading anti- messages (anti-family, anti-religion, anti-government, etc).
But as with all things, what is one person’s literature will be encroach on another’s delicate sensibilities. Personally, I think they need to be encroached on and challenged themselves. But that’s just me. ;)
For more information on Banned Books Week, and to see some of the reasons books have been challenged in the past, check out the American Library Association’s page at www.ala.org/bbooks.
Tell me, have you read any banned books? Which ones?