It’s Freedom to Read Week in Canada! The official website www.freedomtoread.ca has a ton of resources for how to celebrate. Fascinating to read the list of challenged books and magazines. Pick one up in support of our freedom to choose our own boundaries.
I can’t say I have a specific experience with book banning, but I can recall the buzz surrounding one of Judy Blume’s books. I think it was Forever. And if memory serves (hey, grade six was a loooong time ago) Deenie was also considered pretty shady. Can’t recall who exactly raised the fuss, whether it was just casual disapproval or more formalized as in a complaint from a parent. I do know that I read both. Particularly Deenie. I loved it. We girls passed it around at school, lending it to each other to read. I still remember Deenie’s hatred of her scoliosis brace. At a time when body image was becoming something I was starting to be aware of, and not in a good way, it was an important book to me.
Were you ever forbidden to read a book you really wanted to read?
May we always have access to books that are important to us, whatever our definition of important may be.
2 comments:
Yes, Judy Blume - are you there god it's me margaret!
My mom let me read whatever I wanted, and I did, I devoured everything whether it was appropriate or not. But I went to a catholic school and a few times my mother was called in when they questioned the books I was reading... she ALWAYS defended my choices that way. Funny enough, the librarian also 'snuck' me books she thought should be allowed, her philosophy was that if a kid wants to read - read they should. It made me feel special, a little bit bad and very privileged!
You had one terrific mom and a wonderful librarian!! What a great story. Thanks for sharing.
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