Freedom to read

To Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Harry Potter series all classic childhood favorites, right?

Theyre also among some of the most historically challenged and banned books in the United Statesproof that one persons idea of a masterpiece might be offensive and vulgar to another reader.

National Banned Books Week, which runs through Saturday, celebrates the freedom to read books such as these. Throughout the week, libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events.

Check out The Bookworm of Edwards banned books display or head to the Vail Public Library to catch the movie version of various banned books, including titles such as Matilda and The Color Purple.

Whats in a ban?

Books are considered banned when a library, organization or school somewhere has removed a book from its shelves based on objections someone has raised. A book is considered challenged if a person or group has raised objections to it, but the book was ultimately not removed.

The reasons behind bans and challenges vary, but often center around offensive language, adult themes or racism. To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the Vail Public Library movie showings, falls under most of those categories.

Thats actually one book I really like, said Liz Willhoff, of the Vail Public Library. I read it multiple times in school for different classes. I think its very well written and is a book Ive always loved, but its frequently challenged, I think as recently as 2011.

Most libraries are supportive of the freedom to read, so theyre unlikely to remove a book based on content. However, teachers sometimes have to tread more carefully with the books they assign to their students.

Saundra Borel, who teaches reading intervention and AP English at Battle Mountain High School, said Eagle County teachers are allowed to choose titles they think are appropriate for their specific population and age groups.

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Freedom to read

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