Wanna Read a Book?



"It's Banned Books Week."

"Band books? They have books about Katy Perry? Eminem? Linkin Park?"

"No, knucklehead. Not band like music. Banned like books someone says we can't read."

"Who says I can't read? I learned how to read in kindergarten."

"No. Some people think we shouldn't be permitted to read certain books."

"Why? That's stupid."

"Because they think the books are evil or because they think we're not old enough to understand the real message they contain. Or they don't agree with the message in the book."

"I understand that nobody is going to tell me what I can or can't read. I can decide for myself what I like and don't like. And what I think. They're not in my head. If they say I can't read something, that only makes me want to read it more."




Don't be stupid.
Read a Banned Book.

Comments

Mason Canyon said…
Great post. It is hard to believe some of the books that are banned. And I agree, when someone tells me I can't read something, it makes me want to read it to find out way I shouldn't be reading it.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Joanne said…
That's the good that comes from this issue ... Banning books has a way of shining a light on them, bringing them to even more readers' attention, getting them read and discussions started.
Ann Best said…
Banned books have been around as long as I can remember! And that's a long time!!

The first one I remember is Catcher in the Rye, though it wasn't exactly banned, just frowned heavily upon...

Ah, yes. Read a banned book!

Excellent post.
Ann
Carol Kilgore said…
Mason - Me, too.

Joanne - I totally agree about bringing things into the light.

Ann - Thanks.
Laura Eno said…
Great post! I always think of Fahrenheit 451 anytime I hear the words 'banned books'.
Anonymous said…
Exactly right. We must decide our own fate and that includes the materials we decide to partake of. Thanks for this post, Carol.
Natasha said…
Love this post, Carol. You make a point, without belabouring it.
Unknown said…
Ah...Rayna nailed it! You made a point, clear and concise! Let's all grab a banned book and enjoy reading something we're *not supposed to* !
I love doing things I shouldn't. ;)
Elspeth Futcher said…
Wonderful post, Carol. I'm always curious about why certain books were considered so inflammatory that banning them was the solution. It's a great tool for discovering society's changing mores.
Carol Kilgore said…
Laura - Ban the burning!

Kimberly - I agree. You're welcome.

Rayna - I'm glad you liked the little conversation.

Crystal - Hear, hear!

Teresa - So do I :)

Elspeth - It is a great tool for learning about ourselves. That's about the only thing good about it.
Love the fun, clear and concise way you handled this topic. Now we have to figure out a way to help the people who think they have the right to choose our reading material find their way to your blog.
Anonymous said…
I think its so stupid to ban these books. Think I'll buy a couple and read them to my kids.

Stephen Tremp
Helen Ginger said…
I don't understand people who call to ban books. It only makes others want to read the books to find out what the banners dislike about them. Thus, those calling for a ban defeat themselves.

Ban the banners!
Hannah said…
Yay for banned books! I mean reading banned books!! I love most of the ones I've read.
Maryannwrites said…
Great post, Carol. I remember the first year our local school district took Huck Finn off the reading list because of the use of the n-word. If people want to promote tolerance, they should let students read these books to learn how devastating prejudice is.
Carol Kilgore said…
Jane - Thanks. Send them on if you find any willing to admit it.

Stephen - Way to go!

Helen - Exactly.

Hannah - Same here.

Maryann - I couldn't have said it better.
Arlee Bird said…
I try to avoid crappy books, but I don't want to ban them if some people want to read them. I do think some people should be banned.

lee
Tossing It Out
Linda Kage said…
YAY for banned book week! I love Harry Potter, no way is someone going to tell me I can't read more like him.
Carol Kilgore said…
Arlee - There's a novel idea...ban the book banners. I like it!

Linda - I know that feeling. When I read the list of books that had been banned at one time or other, I was like 'why'd they want to ban that?' Craziness.
Lola Sharp said…
The beauty of the knuckleheads 'banning' (or trying to ban) the books is that it gives the 'offensive' books more press and sales soar. ;) Mwahaha!
Hart Johnson said…
Nothing riles me so much as somebody telling me what to do, so YAY for Banned Book Week! (And I'm with Lola--I hope somebody tries to ban MY books so that all the real people want to read it even more!)
Carol Kilgore said…
Lola & Hart - I'd love to write a banned book, too :)
Anonymous said…
Cheers to banned books. And I love that poster.

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