The Freedom to Read

We're right in the middle of Banned Books Week (September 25 - October 2, 2010) which the American Library Association (ALA) refers to as Celebrating the Freedom to Read.  And what a freedom it is!  The books that have been banned, or have tried to be banned, run the gamut.  Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, the Harry Potter series, the Captain Underpants children's books, and the list goes on. 

I cannot imagine not having the chance, the freedom, to have read many of the books on this list.  I think it is so important that we support the idea that it is for us to decide on our own which books we will or will not add to our repertoire.  We decide for ourselves which characters, authors, ideas and storylines enter into our lives.

A quote from the ALA website: "Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them."

I think that pretty much sums it up.  So get out there and READ!!  Banned or not, find a book, read it and enjoy--not only the book but the right you have to choose it.