Sunday, December 9, 2012

Freedom to Read

This video by Bookmans beautifully affirms the importance of the freedom to read.

When someone  or some government wants to ban books what they are actually saying is that you or the guy down the street or the kid around the corner or an entire country can't think well enough and need to depend on this anonymous (or perhaps known) person/government to make decisions.

They are saying that we can't think. We can't know what we want. That to read the book is too dangerous for the likes of us.

Banners takes away freedom.
That simple.

I am pleased to have read (in some cases reread) s well as taught most of the banned books illustrated in the video. How about you?

Here's a list of banned classics - books by ALA.
List of banned children's books by Amazon.
2012 list of banned children/YA books by ALA

Go ahead and read a banned book today. Exercise some freedom.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting to assume what is dangerous about what is dangerous about books on those lists. It's like banning digital media outlets in school.

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  2. What about banning or limiting genres? As in 30% literary text by secondary grades? I am so glad my children are out of school. No one limited their genres. One loved science fiction, another short story. Both have done and continue to do well without having read 70% informational texts in the secondary years.

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