It is my pleasure to co-host the Banned Books Week Hop with Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer! I think my blog title says just a little bit about how I feel about the freedom to read, but in case it wasn't quite clear...I Read Banned Books. And, I support others that do as well!
I know, I know....there technically hasn't been a banned book in a very long time here in the US. We are fortunate to live in a place where the government doesn't not absolutely ban us from printing/distributing materials. We use the term "banned" in order to drive the point home - no one can tell me, and shouldn't tell anyone else, what to read. That is a decision I am capable of making, and believe others can as well. If we are talking about young adults - make an informed decision with your child and don't push your decision on others. Let stories be a gateway to deep and meaningful conversations about tough subjects. I have said no to my teenagers several times for their book choices. They weren't happy about it, but we talked about what elements of the story I wasn't ready for them to read about. Together, we made a choice that worked for our family.
If this is the only blog post you read about banned books, I want you to take a look at these sites:
Banned Book Week from ALA
Frequently challenged books are listed HERE
Two posts about recent examples of book challenges HERE
I will have more blog posts this week about banned and challenged books, but today...I know you all want to hop. So, let's get to it! THANK YOU TO Simon & Schuster, Shooting Stars Promotion, and the fabulous Charles Benoit!
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, Illustrated by Henry Cole
April 25th, 2005 by Simon & Schuster
And Tango Makes Three was the #1 challenged book of 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010 because the book deals with homosexuality.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
October 5th, 2004 from Simon Pulse
Ellen Hopkins is a true champion of literacy! She herself has been banned from libraries and schools because her books speak the truth about teen drug use. Crank was the #4 challenged book of 2010.
David Inside Out by Lee Bantle
May 12th, 2009 from Henry Holt
Books with LBTQ themes are often at the top of the challenge list, and DIO is the story of a young man struggling to face his feelings in light of his friends coming out.
You by Charles Benoit
August 24th, 2010 from HarperTeen
YOU was challenged in Florida last year and is a very unique book that speaks to the consequences of ones actions and inaction. This book will shock you in a fantastic way!
There will be FOUR winners. First winner will win TANGO, second will win CRANK, third will win DAVID, and four will win YOU.
*giveaway closed*
The freedom to read to me means that your able to read everything and have your own opinion on what you read.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means those of us who don't have cookie-cutter, perfect lives will be able to feel that someone out there understands us and that it will be okay.
ReplyDeleteThe Freedom to read to me means you have the choice to read any book you want!!
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means I get to excerise my first amendment rights!!
ReplyDeleteLaura
Freedom to read means being able to expand my imagination and my own writing abilities as I explore new stories.
ReplyDeleteThe freedom to read means that I can read whatever I want without interference from anyone, and I'm not missing out on any incredible stories.
ReplyDeletefreedom to read means that you access any book you want to regardless of what others think.
ReplyDeleteBanning books is a problem larger then simply restricting the text. Those written words may be very precious to us authors and blog writers. But the issue is much larger. This issue extends past that church banning Harry Potter for its witchcraft ways. This issue extends past that of the concerned school pretending to protect our children. This issue extends past that of money grubbing poachers seeking refuge behind bogus lawsuits. This issue extends past Middle America, our thoughts, our beliefs, our emotions, and especially, our freedom.
ReplyDeleteBanning a book is no different then strapping a muzzle to a human being. Banning a book is plain and simple censorship. And censorship means the restriction of information. The restriction of information means no advancement to society or humankind, any cures for diseases. Restriction of information means no learning life’s lessons from our history to prevent another holocaust. Restriction of information means not lending experiences to other children to prevent drug abuse and deaths. Restriction of information means many, many things.
Instead, teach tolerance. Teach freedom of religion. Stop being lazy and teach a child right from wrong. Let that child make their own decision, have their own experiences, and help society in their own way. Better yet, talk to your child about what you find inappropriate and what you deem acceptable. Look at what they bring home and talk with your children about it. Do not control try to control other people's children. If you choose not agree with a written word, then simply ignore it, but don’t attempt to ban it.
Freedom of choice! Period :)
To me it means that -I- get to choose what I can and cannot read. It means that my children, my friends, my family all get to choose - that no one chooses for us.
ReplyDeleteTo me it means I have the right to read whatever I want and no one can tell me I can't or that it's not ok to read it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this opportunity
ReplyDeleteIt means that I really can read whatever I want. No one choose books that I read and no one say that I can´t read this book...
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the chance to win♥
This BBW blog hop is really a cool idea. Just keep in mind what the creator of BBW said:
ReplyDelete"On rare occasion, we have situations where a piece of material is not what it appears to be on the surface and the material is totally inappropriate for a school library. In that case, yes, it is appropriate to remove materials. If it doesn't fit your material selection policy, get it out of there."
"Marking 25 Years of Banned Books Week: An Interview with Judith Krug"
to read any book of my choosing.
ReplyDeleteTerri M
Love this blog hop and what it stands for! To me freedom to read has less to do with the actual book and more to do with the ability to read/discuss/absorb any topic that I chose without someone trying to tell me it is morally wrong.
ReplyDeleteNobody has any business challenging a person's 1st Ammendment rights. Often it is parents who challenge books and I think they need to take responsibility for their children are reading. They can always say no... It makes my blood boil when a WONDERFUL book like And Tango Makes Three is taken out of a school or library because some parent or church group think children shouldn't be exposed to it. I WANT my kids to read it, and they have had it read to them since they were very small. The access should be there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the hop!
ReplyDeleteLove what this challenge stands for! We must protect our First Amendment rights! The choice itself is imperative and precious.
ReplyDeletei'd say it just means reading what i want when i want! who cares?!
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means to me that people have the right to read what they want, when they want. Just because some person doesn't think the book is appropriate for themselves, they have no right to block others from reading it.
ReplyDeleteIt means to me that i should have the right to read anything that i want to. everyone should have the right to chose..
ReplyDeleteTo me, the freedom to read means that we can read whatever we want to read .. whenever(:
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means that I have the right to pick up a book and read it regardless of content. No one should be able to stomp on my right or choice.
ReplyDeleteTo me, freedom to read simply means you can read whatever you like. No one else should judge what is "appropriate" for you to read about.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means to me that I have the priviledge to read and decide for MYSELF if the book is appropriate for me or my kids.
ReplyDeletebtw, thank you for stopping by my blog. :)
Well that I can read anything I want no matter how controversial the public think it is!
ReplyDeleteBeing able to exercise that First Amendment. A book should never be banned. Speech should be allowed at all times whether written or spoken.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for co-hosting this!
ReplyDeleteI like to think I have a right to read and write what I want and decide by myself what's right and wrong. Yeah, freedom is great.
Kinda hard to give my cat a butterfly kiss, but I managed. :)
Last I checked we live in America where freedom is everything. Would I read all the banned/challenged books? No, there are some which hold no appeal to me, but I want the CHOICE to decide for myself whether to read them or not.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that this year's BBW Poster is the Statue of Liberty holding a book and the caption is Freadom to Read (Note spelling error is correct) What I fear, with the closing of bookstores like Borders, is that we have end up with less reading choices. Will we experience less freedom to read what we want if publishers don't publish as many books?
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting this hop...btw!
ReplyDeleteFreedom To Read means that I as an individual can make the choice to read what I want and when I want. Also, you as an individual can choose what you want to read and don't want to read. Neither of us has the right to decide that for each other...unless you are my under aged child.
Kristin
To me it means that we can read whatever we want and not be punished for it. But some people think reading is stupid, it isnt, so i dont think we have the freedom to read in the exact sense to where we dont get symbolized for it. But the freedom to read means reading freely.
ReplyDeleteDominique...
ReplyDeleteTo me, "freedom to read" means that I have the right to read what I want, regardless of the content. And while someone else may not like it (and they are perfectly entitled to their own opinion), they don't have the right to tell me that I can't. It's MY choice, MY right.
couponcookie at gmail dot com
For me, freedom to read means being able to access any book regardless of whether someone finds it objectionable. =D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway. I so want to read And Tango Makes Three. I think it has a wonderful message.
ReplyDeleteHere's Mine: Read Banned Books Week Hop and Giveaway
Thanks so much for the giveaway! This is such an excellent idea for a blog hop.
ReplyDeleteJen -
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your site and for co-hosting this week's hop. I'm going to link to your blog in my future posts this week.
Laurie
To me Freedom to Read, means just that, we are free to read and therefore write anything that could relate to us in any form. Books expand our knowledge, and being able to read any books we want, will expand our knowledge that much more.
ReplyDeleteAdri
It means being able to read what I want from all that if offered.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway!
The Freedom to Read has several meanings to me. The most important is that I don't have to go to a list and make sure that the book I want to read is not banned or wonder if it is going to be available when I want to read it. We are all very fortunate currently and we have that luxury. We should all be very thankful!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jen. For all that you do!
To me it means that I can decide what is appropriate for me to read, not have someone else try to determine that for me.
ReplyDeleteKelsey d
To me it is the opportunity to be able to choose what I read without someone telling me that I should not do so because of content that is explicit
ReplyDeleteYou should have the freedom to read anything you want without persecution.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read what I want, when I want - being able to choose whatever suits my mood, without recrimination or judgement
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read what I enjoy, not what others deem appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI should have the freedom to read anything that I want to read. Not what others think I should read.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means *I* choose what is best for me and my family to read, not someone else with different beliefs and morals than me.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means it's the family's decision to decide what the teen reads, not the school/library system.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read for me means the ability for anyone to read anything of their liking.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the amazing giveaway!
Freedom to read means I can make up my own mind on what I think about a book and what I want to read...
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how many great books are being banned. I think many people fear things for the wrong reasons.
ReplyDeleteMichelle (@OBoyledBooks)
OBoyledBooks.blogspot.com
Freedom to Read means nobody can tell me what I can and cannot read.
ReplyDeletejeryl.marcus@gmail.com
Freedom to Read is as vital as our First Amendment right to free speech. If one is allowed to express, then I am allowed to read!
ReplyDeletefreedom to read means that I can choose what to read without being judged for it. it means that my fav bookshop or library has all the books I might be interested in, even if they can be considered controversial or challening. It means that publishers and government cannot decide not to print something just because it does not align with their point of view.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means I can make my own choices about what I decide to read without having to fear government intervention or judgement. I shouldn't end up on a list or be ostracized because of the books I choose. Freedom to read means I can look at the world through someone else's eyes and maybe learn something in the process.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means that neither censors nor religious/family rights/hate groups have the right to tell others what ideas, cultures, or lifestyles they can read about. Freedom to read means that I can make up my own mind about what I believe/support, and no one else has the right to do it for me.
ReplyDeleteSmiles!
Lori
To read whatever YOU want to read, let others read what they want and to respect others opinions and that they respect yours :)
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means to read whatever I want and am entitled to my own opinion on it. It means I can make my own choices on what is acceptable for me to read and what isn't, not from some list.
ReplyDeleteKandee
I would like to be the one to decide what book i should or shouldn't read. Other people don't have the right to make that choice for the reader. Freedom to read means making that decision for yourself.
ReplyDeleteIt means I make my own decision about what I decide to read. No one else can make that choice for me.
ReplyDeleteMy freedom means everything to me. I am a grown adult and i pick what i read. Im glad that we are still a free country.
ReplyDeletechaarmedone1512(at)aol(dot)com
Reading what you want - when you want and no one being able to say that its not allowed. Course ...I guess I shouldn't read while driving.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means that i have the fight to read what I chose to read. Government can't regulate my choice in literature.
ReplyDeletenicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com
Freedom to read to me, means that I can read whatever I want, when I want.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read to me means being able to read what I want. I do think there needs to be some account for how mature the person is - i.e. kids should probably not read the graphic mid-chapters of Moby Dick or graphic horror stories. But I think it's important to have the freedom to choose, otherwise, it should be discussed in your family if your child wants to read something not really age appropriate. But I don't think anyone should take away the rights of another individual.
ReplyDeletefreedom means I can choose what I want to read, basically decide on, and how to live my own life.
ReplyDeleteJudy
magnolias_1[at]msn[dot]com
Hear hear! No one but no one, should tell you what you can and can't read. Read and make the decision for yourself!
ReplyDeleteTo me freedom to read means being able to make your own choice and have your own opinion about what may or may not be appropriate, about what you can or can't read.
ReplyDeleteTo me, freedom to read literally means i have the freaking freedom to read whatever i want to read. I mean, it's up to the person really. As long as he/she knows what is right and what is not right thing to do, then there shouldn't be a problem reading books with so much drugs, violence, sexual content, etc. in it.
ReplyDeleteWhat "freedom to read" means to me is that I can read what ever I'd like and no one should stop me from reading it. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the chance!
Freedom to read means to me that everyone should be allowed to make their own choice as to what they would like to read.
ReplyDeleteFREEDOM TO READ...to me, in a nutshell...it means the freedom, the choice to read what I CHOOSE to read without restrictions placed on me by others. The opportunity to read a book that interests me for whatever reason without censorship stepping in and blocking it from my reach.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read is self-explanatory to me, it's the choice of what I want to read, and when I want to read it. I don't think any government, school system, library, etc. should have the authority to take away certain books from people for silly reasons (like subject matter).
ReplyDeleteJess @ The Midnight Bookworm
Freedom to read means censorship does not exist. I'm free to read whatever another individual has freely written.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to Read to me means, being able to choose what books are appropriate for myself and my children to read. It also means having books available to my children through libraries and schools that show them the wonderful diversity in the world of literature and in our world.
ReplyDelete"And Tango Makes Three was the #1 challenged book of 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010 because the book deals with homosexuality."
ReplyDeleteActually, we do not know that for certain. The ALA was just exposed as faking the annual top ten list. In response to a question I asked, one of the "banned" authors essentially said the ALA faked the list to promote its political interest. This is serious. I have the recording of the author saying this. See for yourself: http://safelibraries.blogspot.com/2011/09/banned-books-week-is-gay-promotion.html
To read banned books is exercising freedom of speech, and expression. To be able to open up your mind and explore others thoughts that may be similar to your own.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to read means I'm responsible for my own reading decisions, and I'm responsible for what my kids read. :)
ReplyDeleteTo me, freedom to read means being able choose my own reading material and form my own opinions.
ReplyDeleteFor me it means not only being able to read whatever I want but also being able to WRITE it! I firmly beleive that all books should be published, and it is up to the reader to decide if it is right for them or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this event! Check out our Banned Books Giveaway!
Freedom to read means that all books are open and welcome and that no one can stand between an adult and what s/he reads.
ReplyDeleteTo me, freedom to read is having the right to choose whatever you want to read. It's important that you read a variety of things that make you think and make you want to read more!
ReplyDeleteFREEDOM TO READ to me, means that I possess the right to read whatever materials I wish, whenever, and however. Without restrictions!
ReplyDeleteTo me, freedom to read means I can go out and buy or borrow, and I can own, any book I want without the fear of persecution or barred access.
ReplyDelete"Freedom to Read" is the ability to read whatever I want without having to adhere to another's judgment and/or opinion.
ReplyDeleteFreedom to Read means that I get to choose what books I want to read and when I want to read them.
ReplyDeletethe imagine tree at aol dot com
Freedom to read is being free to choose my own reading material, not having my choices limited by someone else's ideas of what's acceptable--and not limiting anyone else's choices, either.
ReplyDeletelis dot carey at gmail dot com