Don't Read That!

Back when I was in high school I wrote an article for our school paper on Banned Book Week. It's the week that celebrates all of the books that are either banned or, more commonly challenged each year. I love the idea of this week, celebrating the freedom to read. Not only does Banned Books Week celebrate the freedom to read, but also the awareness of censoring books and why that can be detrimental to society. It's an opportunity to shine light on ideas that may digress from so-called norms of society and embrace the chance to learn about things that might be less mainstream or unpopular.

Now, don't get me wrong. I definitely agree that some subjects and books are not appropriate for various age ranges. I worked in the classroom and just because the child can read the words, doesn't mean they understand the themes or that they should be allowed to read a book that isn't age appropriate. With that being said, having the chance (when age ready) to read books of your choosing is important. We are a diverse and ever changing society and books can help give a window to a life that is not like ours. They provide learning opportunities to grow as people. You don't have to agree with what you choose to read, but hey, give it a chance, you just might gain a new perspective. If nothing else, that new outlook can at least help you to stand in someone else's shoes.

Are you aware of what books are on the challenged or banned list? The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sun Also Rises, Gone with the Wind, and The Call of the Wild are just a few examples of classics that are frequently challenged. How many of those have you read? How many were you forced to read during your years in school? Were there ones that you didn't get to read because they were banned?

I can remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird in the 8th grade. It was controversial. People didn't want us reading it because of the language that was used. It's a book that's been challenged multiple times over the years. Typically, for the same reasons - it's use of a racial epithet. One school district wanted it banned because it conflicted with community values. The thing is, that word that people want to ban the book over, it was used in the time period in which the story takes place. It's a shameful part of our past, but it is a part of our history. Are we not taught that if we ignore history, we are doomed to repeat it? So why are we trying to brush a novel, that shows examples of that history under the rug? Let's not practice the revisionist history of America by ignoring a great piece of literature, instead, let's embrace it and learn from the mistakes that the story is trying to teach.

Classics aren't the only books that people would like to zap off of our local library and bookstore shelves. Children's books are prime targets. The childhood book about what a series of brightly colored animals see, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, found itself on a challenged list due to the unfortunate fact that author Bill Martin shared his name with a professor who wrote a book on Marxism. #Whoops Because Bill Martin is such a unique name...

How about the Shel Silverstein classic, The Giving Tree? This was one of my childhood favorites. The story about a tree that loved her friend (the boy) unconditionally. What it taught me was to show kindness to others, to be giving of yourself. So why is it challenged? There are a few different reasons, one challenge said the book criminalized the foresting industry. Hmmm? Somehow I missed that one. I'm pretty sure the tree offers the boy her branches and trunk, but perhaps I missed the evil tree cutter wielding his axe. Another view on the book is that the tree is too self-sacrificing, that she causes herself pain to do whatever she can for the boy. I suppose I can see that, but if that's all you get from the book,  I think you are reading it on much too literal a level. Finally, some critics of the book say it's sexist. Again, I guess I can see that viewpoint, the female, forever sacrificing herself for the all powerful male. I think this shows reading too much into a subtext, the book could just as easily call the boy, "the child" and not assign a gender to the tree. It's still the same story - a kid and his/her best friend. A friend that at the end is still there, and someone you can come home to, something we should all strive for in our lives.

Is your favorite childhood book on the list? Why not go back and revisit it? I challenge you this weekend, as Banned Books Week comes to an end, to reread or read for the first time, a book that has been banned. Open those eyes, embrace the opportunity to celebrate the freedom of reading. I'm going to go back and reread a book that I first read my sophomore year of high school, A Separate Peace. What will you read?

Until next time, Suburban Sarah signing off!