Banned Books Week

"Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." (American Library Association)

Find more resources at bannedbooksweek.org -- including a censorship map. How many challenges in your hometown?

Statistics about challenged books, from the American Library Association.

The 11 Most Surprising Banned Books -- this list includes Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, and... the dictionary.

"Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them." (American Library Association)