I Read Banned Books

So what do books have to do with playing in the dirt? (Aside from the fact that books are also one of my reasons to be.) Ahh! I'm glad you asked. See, one of my favorite things about having a little garden is that (theoretically in my case now, but someday) it is a wonderful place to curl up and read a good book. And because I'm very much against someone else getting to tell me I can't curl up in my garden and read whatever I want (especially my most favorite--the Harry Potter books) I am going to celebrate Banned Books Week this week.

"Each fall since 1982, the American Library Association (ALA) has started the school year by reminding Americans 'not to take for granted their precious freedom to read.'

Every year the American Library Association's office of intellectual freedom receives hundreds of requests to take books off shelves (otherwise known as a "challenge") for various reasons; this office estimates the number of challenges is actually four or five times higher than the number of challenges reported to them."

You can find more information on Banned Books Week here. Especially be sure to check out the list of most challenged books--it was kind of an eye opener to me. Many of the books (e.g. "James and the Giant Peach", "The Giver", "A Wrinkle In Time") that I grew up with and still love are listed. And for some I don't really even understand why--what's not to love about Roald Dahl?

The cite also lists many, many things you can do to celebrate Banned Books Week. As for me, I think I'm going to go to the library tommorrow, come home and spread a blanket on the grass, and enjoy the freedom to read whatever I please.