In honor of Banned Books Week, I decided to scour my shelves and see how many banned/challenged books I actually own. Turns out it was enough to bury myself.
(That’s me covered in books…ahem, in nothing but books!!!)
This doesn’t even include the banned books I’ve read that I don’t own, or ones that I’ve lent out, or ones that are part of my parent’s collection of books, or ones that are on my Nook. And there’s probably some on my shelves that have been banned but didn’t come up on any lists I referenced or haven’t made it to any list. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom actually believes that as many as four out of five challenged books goes unreported.
I can’t imagine what my life would be like without having read these banned books. They have sparked my imagination, informed me, and entertained me. Lois Lowry’s The Giver (which surprisingly I don’t seem to own) in particular made a huge impression on me when I first read it. I’ll never forget how shocked I was when I realized the weirdness Jonas was seeing on the apple is the color red.
What banned books have had an impact on you?
Judy Blume's Forever! My oh my, did that book get passed around all the girls at school…
Great pick, Rochelle! Judy Blume is fantastic.
Oh, wow, she is awesome! Her books had a real impact on me and my friends when we were younger.
Another great banned book is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It helped me develop my worldview, and it's one of the reasons why I refuse to use a debit card instead of cash! You'll get why if you read the book.
Ah yes, I have read The Handmaid's Tale. That one really gets in your head!