Celebrate the Freedom to Read
I've always been an avid reader, and it always shocks me when any book'especially those that I read as a child'are proposed to be banned. How can people speak of defending our democratic freedoms when they want to take away our freedom to read?
Tomorrow begins Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, an annual celebration of all books that have ever been banned or challenged. The American Library Association, along with the Chicago Tribune and the McCormick Freedom Museum, reminds us all not to take our books for granted.
Now celebrating its 27th year, Banned Books Week commemorates our intellectual freedom to choose for ourselves what we write and what we read, even if that content is unpopular or unconventional. Famous authors Judy Blume (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Then Again, Maybe I Won't) and Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) will be at the BBW Read-Out on Saturday, from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., at Pioneer Plaza. Other writers will read from their own and others' popular banned books.
For more information, visit www.ala.org or call 800-545-2433.
Photo credit: MySpace
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September 27th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I want to thank you for letting me know about this event. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a couple of my favorite authors, Sara Paretsky and Judy Blume were signing their books and giving them away for free. I was in heaven!! If you did not take advantage of stopping by, you missed out on a great opportunity to get an autographed book. Along with hearing them read from one of their works!