Banned Books Week: What book would you go to the ‘slammer’ for?

As part of this year’s Banned Book Week Celebration, we are answering questions posed by the American Library Association.

The short answer is– all of them, any of them, each and every one of them!  The longer answer is that nobody, NOBODY has a right to tell me or anyone else what they can and cannot read and think.  To be sure there are some books that I would be happier to go to jail for than others…including:

To Kill a Mockingbird – Who would deny anyone the right to reach into the mind of Scout Finch and think about racism in America and what it has done to our communities and our children?

Harry Potter – Why would anyone try to deny children (or adults) the pleasures of the complex and imaginative world of Hogwarts, and the rich story of courage, loyalty and love that is found in all seven of the books in this series?

Daddy’s Roommate – Because families come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and gender mixtures, and kids deserve the opportunity to read stories that reflect the world in all its glorious diversity.

It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex & Sexual Health – What purpose is served by prohibiting children who are curious about their physical development from finding out about themselves in a clear and factual way?  Certainly if parents want to talk about these matters with their kids themselves, that is fine, but no one should try to deny access to information on this topic to other parents and kids who are looking for it.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time — What right does anyone have to keep a wonderful story like this out of other people’s hands because they don’t like profanity or because it does not reflect their religious views?  None, I say!

So, those are a few of my favorite books that other people have tried to keep out of libraries and therefore keep away from other people.  There are many, many other books that have been challenged or banned that are not my favorites; books that I don’t like the content of, or that offend me personally, however I would risk jail to defend any of them and my right…YOUR right to read them!

∼Krista, NL Library Director

 

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Banned Books Week: Lunch with a Banned Book Character

As part of this year’s Banned Book Week Celebration, we are answering questions posed by the American Library Association. 

It took me a while to decide on the answer to this question. It wasn’t which book to choose that stumped me. The answer to that came easily. I wanted to eat lunch with someone from Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird.

 

Of all the books I read in school, this was the one that always stayed with me. No, the difficult part was deciding which of Lee’s characters to sit down and eat my PB & J with. Lee created so many wonderful, unique and inspiring characters. Did I want to eat with Scout, the story’s youthful narrator who tried to see the best in everyone?

Or maybe I would want to eat with Boo, the mysterious recluse next-door.  I even considered Mayella Ewell, the young woman who falsely accused a black man on rape. Could we discuss who her role as a woman at the time led to her insecurities and the destructive path she took?

In the end though, I chose the world-weary Atticus Finch who stands as a hero and role model to so many who read Lee’s work. Atticus is a single father, lawyer, and philanthropist. We see how deeply he cares for all men and women from the very beginning of the novel. He raises his children to be accepting of those who are different from them, and to be kind to others. Both in his personal life and his work life, Atticus strove for fairness and equality for all people. By defending Tom Robinson, a black man, he makes his stance on the matter clear.

I would love to talk to Atticus about the racial tensions that still linger in our country today. I wonder what Atticus would have to say about the Black Lives Matter movement or the current election campaigns. How would he feel about the fact that the country elected its first black president? While much has changed since the time of the novel, there is still so much we can learn from its characters, including Atticus, a white man who stood up and supported the rights of a man thought less by others, due to the color of his skin. Many could learn from the example he set, and I, for one, would love to hear his thoughts on the matter.

 Sharing a sandwich with him would just be a bonus.

∼ Amy, NL Teen Librarian

 

Banned Books Week: Who influenced you to read?

As part of this year’s Banned Book Week Celebration, we are answering questions posed by the American Library Association. 

My aunt Florence Marsden As part of this year’s Banned Book Week Celebration, we are answering questions posed by the American Library Association.  I thought I’d talk about who in my life most influenced my love of books and my right to read.delighted in gifting books for any special occasion.  I remember an extensive collection of Golden Books before I ever learned to read!  Her gifts silently supported the idea that reading made you smarter and much more interesting.

My dad, Chuck Marsden, read every day, anything he could get his hands on, including our comic books.  With his example, I don’t think I ever questioned that I had the right to read; I just had to finish homework first!

Their legacy?  I begin and end each day with a book in my hand.

∼ Miss Shirley, NL Children’s Librarian