Did you know that some of the most controversial books in history are now considered classics?
Works by Homer, William Shakespeare, and Daniel Defoe are just a few of history’s long list of authors whose words have offended emperors, kings, religious leaders, and parents.
Books that have been challenged or even banned at one time range from children’s classics like Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, to Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
One of our core values here at Airdrie Public Library (APL) is intellectual freedom. We celebrate this through our annual participation in the national Freedom to Read Week, which is held this year from Feb. 20 to 26.
Organized by the Book and Periodical Council, an umbrella organization for the Canadian writing and publishing industry, “Freedom to Read Week … encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which has guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” (Excerpt from Book and Periodical Council website.)
Starting Sunday, Feb. 20, look for a display of previously challenged books on our pony wall and for other APL events, such as Guess the Shredded Banned Book in a Jar.
The reasons for banning or challenging a book are sometimes worthy of serious discussion and at other times bizarre in its logic.
For instance, Phil Silverstein’s children’s book A Light in the Attic was challenged for encouraging children to break dishes, so they wouldn’t have to dry them.
Others, such as Madeleine’s A Wrinkle in Time – one of the most frequently banned or challenged books – has drawn complaints ranging from that it’s too complicated for children, to disapproval for a strong female protagonist, to the novel’s mix of science and religion.
Whatever your take on these books, we encourage Airdrie readers to join APL in reaffirming the importance of intellectual freedom in Canada this week.
For more information on APL’s collections, programs, or services, visit airdriepubliclibrary.ca or call 403-948-0600
