Banned Book Week Why Should You Care

1
Banned Book WeekWhy Should You Care?

• The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
• Challenged for inclusion in 10th grade classrooms
  in Morganton, NC. Challenged for use in 10th
  grade classrooms in Champaign, IL
• Challenged in Jurupa Unified School District, CA
  high school reading list.

June 7, 2007 Arguments Over Removal of Schoolbook
on Cuba By TERRY AGUAYO NY Times MIAMI, June 6
A three-judge panel heard arguments on
Wednesday over the Miami-Dade County school
boards decision to remove a childrens book
about Cuba from elementary school libraries.
Board members said the book painted too rosy a
picture of life in Cuba.
Ga. Judge Keep Potter Books in School By HARRY
R. WEBER The Associated PressTuesday, May 29,
2007 543 PM LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- The
adventures of boy wizard Harry Potter can stay in
Gwinnett County school libraries, despite a
mother's objections, a judge ruled Tuesday. Laura
Mallory, who argued the popular fiction series is
an attempt to indoctrinate children in
witchcraft, said she still wants the best-selling
books removed and may take her case to federal
court.
2
This Really Happened!!(Watch for 50 seconds)
3
U.S. Constitution First AmendmentProtects Our
Right to Read Freely

• Bill of Rights / Amendment I
• Congress shall make no law respecting an
  establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
  free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom
  of speech, or of the press or the right of the
  people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
  government for a redress of grievances.

4
Censorship Takes Many Forms

• Censorship is the suppression or deletion of
  material which may be considered objectionable,
  harmful or sensitive, as determined by a censor.
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship
• What forms do censorship take?

5
American Library Assoc.Freedom to Read Statement

• The freedom to read is essential to our
  democracy. It is continuously under attackthese
  actions apparently rise from a view that
  censorship and suppression are needed to counter
  threats to safety or national security, as well
  as to avoid the subversion of politics and the
  corruption of morals.

6
Banned Book Week Activities

• Nationwide
• Educate citizens on the attempts to challenge or
  ban books
• Celebrate our 1st Amendment Right to Free Speech
• Provide readers with lists of previously banned
  books to read
• Encourage citizens to be vigilant and aware of
  book challenges in their communities

7
What you can do

• Support your local library!
• Stay informed. Go to ALA website for
• more information.
• Familiarize yourself with Supreme Court decision,
  Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 and
  many other court cases upholding the freedom to
  read
• Read books that have been challenged or banned
  and decide for yourself