Stand for the Banned

This week is the 2020 Banned Books Week. I look forward to this week every year because I get to discuss the ideas of censorship with my students. There are so many great resources out there to talk to them about frequently banned books and how to speak up against censorship.

Banned Books Week began in the 1980s when there began to be an increase in challenged and banned books. People have been speaking up against censorship in many ways since then. I absolutely love having these discussions with my students and talking about the importance of the freedom to read. I also make sure to clarify that they should always discuss with their parents whether or not what they are reading is appropriate for them.

But I have dozens of books in my classroom library that are "banned" books. Many times they are banned for specific and arbitrary reasons. Each student, their parents, and their teacher should be working together to determine what student's are prepared for in terms of maturity and understanding. But we should never limit students--they have a right to read!

In preparing for this week, I even had the chance to read Alan Gratz' Ban This Book. It was such a great quick read and I'll be sure to book talk it to my students this week when we talking about censorship and banning books.

Amy Anne is a fourth-grader who isn't used to speaking up for herself. At school, at home, she is constantly keeping her thoughts to herself just to keep the peace. But she decides she is done being silent when her favorite book is banned from the school library. Amy Anne starts an illegal library in her locker filled with all the books that are banned from her school library. 

However, as the number of banned books and the number of kids wanting to check them out increases, so does the likelihood that she will be caught. I love this book because it is such a fun story of kids having faith in their freedom to read despite the reasons that some adults may want to keep books from them. They learn how to speak up in their community and maybe some of the right (and wrong) ways to make a change in their school. 

Also, I would have loved to have a secret library in my locker as a kid! It would've been so fun! 

I recommend this book for those who want to fight against censorship, love books, and adorable elementary school characters. You can purchase a copy here.

I'd love to hear your experiences in speaking up against censorship and banned books! Comment on the blog or on social media to share.