Chapter 34 - Banned Books Week

Banned books week is upon us (September 22 - 28). The desire to ban books seems to fit right in though with the current trend to silence anyone who we find does not agree to what we think or believe. While this week was launched by the American Library Association in 1982, the number of banned books has increased exponentially since then. So while, as a parent, there may have been books that I didn't want my child to read because they may not have been age appropriate, I was able to guide that discussion. I never felt it was my right to insist that books be removed from libraries because I didn't want my child to read them. Sadly that is not the case any longer. In a society where everyone seems to enjoy taking offense, book bans as well as cancelled speakers have become the rule rather than the exception.

Here are some novels around banned books which you might find interesting reading.

The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson - While not strictly about banned books, this novel takes place during the World War II occupation of the Channel Islands. Each chapter opens with a book that was banned by the Nazi regime. Part of the book is how, using books, the residents of the Channel Islands circumvented and even sabotaged the Nazis. I read this book while traveling a few weeks ago and recommend it highly.

The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes - Another WWII book, this one is about three different people - an American author invited to Berlin in 1936, a Jewish author who left Berlin to go to Paris in 1936 and a woman in New York who is resisting a powerful senator's attempts to censor books going to service men overseas in 1944. Of course, they are all intertwined in the story.

The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak - Having to return home because of her mother's illness, Gia is coming back to memories of her rebellious teen years when she started a Banned Books Club at her school in response to the PTA mandated bans. She is also returning to another scandal wherein she got a teacher fired. Should be an interesting homecoming, huh?

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller - Lula Dean and Beverly Underwood have been enemies for a long time. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity on a mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. Not getting the support she feels she should Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home with neat rows of classic and "worthy" literature. What Lula doesn't know is that someone has replaced her books with "banned" literature leaving the classic covers on and that's just the beginning of the story.

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson - When Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River to run a friend's bookshop she thinks she will have a life of literary leisure. Little does she know that the local clientele have banned the store from selling books published in this century. Maggie finds that she may have to go underground to keep the store afloat!

Remember the days when libraries were safe spaces and books were to be enjoyed and shared by all? Here is a quote from the head of the American Library Association - “This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.” - Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom

Sounds like a bad place for us to be...what do you think?