Image courtesy American Library Association/Banned Books Week
We have a sticker that says, “We sell banned books,” by the cash register, and people often ask about it. Really?, they ask, giving us the chance to talk about the fact that books are still at risk of being challenged and banned. And the books being challenged or banned are often the same books that are making recommended reading lists, hitting the bestseller lists or being handed from person to person as fun or meaningful gifts. For example, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and middle-grade graphic novel Drama by Raina Telgemeier, all made the top ten most challenged list for 2019.
I often joke that you could run a good bookstore with only books that have been banned or challenged (i.e. targeted for removal or restriction). You’d have Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, — in fact, you’d be able to carry a number of Judy’s books including Blubber, Tiger Eyes and Forever. You could have the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and many beloved books that I bet would surprise you. (See Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009)
In our most recent newsletter, Judy talks about how censorship often happens here in the United States: The copies of Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret she gave to her children’s school never made it to the library shelf. Books are challenged, banned, or officially or unofficially restricted, or even vandalized. Books are often challenged for dealing with sex or sexuality, but also for dealing with or depicting a wide range of topics and issues. Often this happens so quietly the people who need the books most never know they exist.
Banned Books Week (this year, September 27 to October 3) celebrates the freedom to read and the value of intellectual freedom. Come in and check out our display of banned and challenged books. Hopefully you’ll find something that delights, intrigues, informs and/or excites you. And if you don’t, we’ll be happy to recommend something.
~ Robin Wood, Social Media Manager