Banned Books Week

 It's banned books week again.

It breaks my heart to see the growing list of books being banned across this country. I grew up in books. Really.  I read LOTR's so many time I feel quite accurate saying I grew up in Middle Earth. I solved mysteries with Trixie Belden (she gets a shout out in the Maid in LA series). I traveled the universe with Heinlein's Lazarus Long. This wasn't one of his juvenile fiction books. And there's a very good chance some of the themes were too adult for me when I first read them, but I loved Lazarus.  

Books saved me in so many ways. They raised me. They made me think and question the world around me...and question my place in it. I walked in other shoes. I saw the world through other POV's. It's infuriating seeing books I loved on that list. 

What I'd really like is to never have to have another week that warns about the dangers of banning books. But the amount of books being banned has picked up over the last year, so I don't think that's coming any time soon. Until then, I'll keep talking about books...especially the banned ones.

If you don't like a book...don't read it. If you don't think it's appropriate for your kids, don't let them read it. But don't take away my right to read it, or try to limit what my kids can read. I tell the Minions...if they ban it, read it. Figure out what that book is saying that people don't want you to know. For instance, I read about a teacher being fired for reading her class My Shadow is Purple. I bought it, loved the story, read it to the Minions then had a talk about inclusion and acceptance. They got the message of the story and couldn't understand why any adult wouldn't want them to read it.

I don't get it either.

Want to find out more? Check out BannedBooksWeek.org. Banned Books in the US. Heck, just Google banned books. Look up "libraries and banned books." Buy banned books. Read banned books. Really. If someone tells you not to read it...read it.

Holly