It’s Banned Books Week, and Here Are the Top 8 in the U.S.

Listen up bookworms, there’s an alliance out there that you may be interested in, especially as Banned Books Week is coming to an end. Never heard of Banned Books Week? Here’s the deal.

I came across a list of banned books, of which I have read several, and I learned about this interesting coalition that's all about the freedom to read. Its website explains that “The Band Books Week Coalition seeks to engage various communities and inspire participation in Banned Books Week through education, advocacy, and the creation of programming about the problem of book censorship.”

I don’t believe any book should be banned from getting into the hands of eager readers. Knowledge is power and books are powerful. They are forms of expression and offer a glimpse into another world, another way of thinking, concepts, and ideas that we may have never considered on our own.

If you don’t agree with what the book is saying, that is perfectly fine. If you do agree, that’s fine too. In my opinion, the point of a book that is considered to be “controversial” is to encourage conversation. Opposing views do not have to be a bad thing, but rather a way to learn from the people around us. It could even open your eyes to a different way of thinking.

When I read Fahrenheit 451, it opened my eyes to the potential future of the world.

The power of books is incredible, but there are many people that wish some books weren’t so readily available. Here are some of the most banned books by public libraries and schools in the US, according to the American Library Association.