I've been having a very pleasant time wandering around the web, looking at the websites of various organizations dedicated to preserving our freedom to read. The American Booksellers for Free Expression has a nice readable news log. The American Library Association already has a page up for this year's Banned Books Week which starts on Sept. 26. The Freedom to Read Foundation is actually separate from the American Library Association although so closely allied that the Foundation has a page on ALA's website.


Of course, all this just made me itch to read a banned book! There's a good list of Books Challenged or Banned in 2007-2008 I got a little sad while looking through the list because so many are children's book. My youngest child is 12; will I soon lose touch with the best new challenged books? I've read many of the 'older' books on the list, mostly on my own but some with my son or daughter. We all read the Harry Potter books, of course. The first time my son was allowed to stay up until midnight was for the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He still has the free poster Borders gave away with the book on his wall.

But I need a new challenged book to read! Maybe Running With Scissors. Each of the books in the Challenged or Banned list (linked above) has a little description of the challenge to the book and the outcome, if known. The paragraph for Running with Scissors says that, "the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had
been broken." I am quite amused that the Livingston County prosecutor had to read this book and gratified that he found it to be "not in violation of the criminal laws". Yea!

OK, I've got my next read but there are plenty left for you :)