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Let Freedom Read Day

Young girl reading underneath the table (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

This year, Banned Books Week is Sept. 22-28, culminating with “Let Freedom Read Day.” It is sad and frustrating that we still need to carve out a week to highlight the censorship of diverse books. A banned book just represents the fear of those trying to suppress ideas. We live in a time when some people find a book more dangerous than a gun.

Reading is a fundamental skill, critical to future learning. It is a fundamental building block for growth and personal development. Being able to choose a book that shows different lifestyles and cultures helps us grow and understand complex issues. All children need to continue to see themselves represented on school bookshelves, public libraries, and bookstores to foster a sense of belonging.

When my children had reading assignments, it never occurred to me that the book in question would turn them gay or make them drag queens. If either child had been gay, perhaps reading about someone else’s story would have eased any burden. I hoped their reading of diverse books would make them learn about other people’s struggles, be tolerant, and see things from someone else’s perspective.

Reading is a choice. We can place books on the shelf, but a child still decides to pick them up. Young children don’t see the same things as we do. Story times aren’t dangerous. A child has a limited attention span. Finding evil in a child’s book takes an adult’s perspective.

Teachers can assign reading, but students have to open the book, read the words, and understand it. For older students, by banning a book that makes us uncomfortable, we stop dialog and healthy debate. I’m not suggesting everyone agrees, but at least conversations will have taken place, not just a shutdown of ideas.

According to the American Library Association, book censorship increased 65% between 2022 and 2023, with 4,240 unique titles targeted. The top five challenged books deal with LGBTQIA content.

My kids were often drawn to read a book because it was banned. They wanted to judge the reasons for themselves. I’m so glad my children were given a range of books to choose from. Some book topics they enjoyed, other books they questioned, and many others didn’t resonate with them. Throughout #BannedBooksWeek and #LetFreedomReadDay, let’s celebrate diverse literature. What banned or challenged book will you be reading?

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