Some of the books we love most have also been some of the most challenged.
It’s Banned Books Week, a time to celebrate stories that have sparked conversations, challenged perspectives, and given readers the freedom to explore new ideas.
Books are challenged for all kinds of reasons. Some of the most beloved books in literature have faced challenges, including The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Bluest Eye, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. More recent titles like Gender Queer, The Hate U Give, and All Boys Aren’t Blue have also faced challenges and bans. But every reader deserves the opportunity to discover stories that help them learn, question, connect, and see the world from a different perspective.
Books can make us laugh, cry, question what we know, and see the world through someone else’s eyes. That’s part of what makes reading so powerful.
This Banned Books Week, visit Yonkers Public Library and celebrate your freedom to read.
What challenged or banned book has stayed with you?
Editor’s Note: To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby are two of my all time favorites.