banned books week

"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance."
—Lyndon Baines Johnson

Banned Books Week (Sept.24-Oct. 1, 2005) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

Huck Finn, Harry Potter, Captain Underpants, and Siddharta have all been banned. So have other books I love, like "Where the Sidewalk Ends," "In the Night Kitchen," "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," and "The Chocolate War." There's also a list of the 100 most frequently challenged books this year.