Banned Book Week

Banned Book Week. How strange that we celebrate this, but I think it's such an important issue. I totally understand that a parent might want to keep a certain book away from their own child, but to try to take it away from everyone? Seriously? What happened to freedom of speech? Don't these banners understand that books are more interesting when they are banned?

Wait! I get it, the people who ban are really trying to get their kids to read by making it seem more enticing, right? No? Oh well, silly them.

Here are some of my favorite banned books because they are linked to fond life memories.

• Judy Blume's books--who can forget discovering what it's all about through Are You There God, It's Me Margaret and Then Again Maybe I Won't
• Go Ask Alice--I remember passing this one around in sixth grade and encouraging each other to read the dog-eared pages. Decades later this is still a favorite amongst students at the high school where I work.
• The Harry Potter series--every darn one of these (and the movies) is dear to me. When I got to see Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station in London, I was SO excited!
• Of Mice and Men and To Kill A Mockingbird--both of these were books that I actually enjoyed reading in school even though they were required.