Banned Books Week 2011

Welcome to the end of Banned Books Week!

This year's Banned Books week has taken place from September 30 - October 6 of 2012.

If you don't know, for some reason, Banned Books Week is an annual national celebration by schools, bookstores, libraries, and others in favor of free speech, specifically by celebrating and promoting banned books.

The Huffington Post has published this article (and sparkly interactive graph!) of the ten most challenged books of 2011, and the reasons why they have been banned.

I unfortunately have to admit that out of these 10, I've only read (along with just about everyone else) the Hunger Games books - but you can be sure this handy list just got added to my pile.

Most of the books that are most popular, most prolific, that last the longest and are recognized to have the most cultural value end up banned by someone at some point or another. Harry Potter shaped the dreams and vernacular of an entire generation. Salman Rushdie had a jihad declared on him for the Satanic Verses.

Books are important for how they connect and affect people - even the ones who haven't read them. Reading what's been banned and making our own decisions about them connects humanity together, and breeds tolerance, dialogue, and understanding. Think about it the next time you read a banned book.