Digital Display: Freedom to Read Week

Thursday, Feb 16, 2023

February 19-25 is Freedom to Read Week in Canada! Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom and take a stand against censorship and book banning. While the MacEwan Library does not carry many ebooks that have been banned or challenged, we have plenty of banned books’ film adaptations, which you will find on this list. We have also decided to include a number of resources about banned books, which will teach you more about the history of book censorship.

To Read:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

 

To Watch:

Clockwork Orange

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Of Mice and Men

The Color Purple

The Giver

The Hate U Give

The Kite Runner

 

Banned Book Resources

Books:

120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories and World Literature by Nicholas J. Karolides, Margaret Bald, and Dawn B. Sova

Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries by Herbert N. Foerstel

Beyond Banned Books: Defending Intellectual Freedom Throughout Your Library by Kristin Pekoll and the American Library Association

Teaching Banned Books: 12 Guides for Young Readers by Pat Scales

 

Articles:

Amplify Banned Books Week: Advice to Raise Awareness of Censorship, Defend LGBTQIA+ Library Books by Pat Scales

Banned Book Recommendations for Your Child's Summer Reading List by Amy Joyce

Beyond Banned Books: Censorship Campaigns Impact School Visits for LGBTQIA+ Authors, Writers of Color by Kara Yorio

Censorship and Silence: How Book Bans and Removals Threaten Diverse Stories and Voices by April Dawkins

Florida’s Book Ban Takes Censorship to the Next Level by Marsha Lederman

More Censorship. Florida No. 1 in Prison Book-Bans. Even Books about ‘Star Trek’ and Flowers by Scott Maxwell

Teens Fight for the Right to Read with 'Banned-Book Clubs' and Lawsuits by Hannah Natanson

The Banned Book List: A Monument of Injustice Against Freedom of Speech by Sue Jeong Ka

Unbanning Books by Lisa Peet

 

External Resources: 

Bannings and Burnings in History

The Frequently Banned Books Everyone Should Read

The History of Book Bans – And Their Changing Targets – In the U.S.

Top 10 Most Challenged Book Lists 

Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019