The Banned Books Reading Challenge 2010

From http://litbites.blogspot.com.

I will admit it. There are some things that I'd really love to ban (ie my 4yo busting on me in the bathroom!). But banning books!? No, thank you. So to show my disdain for censorship, I'm joining this challenge.

From the host blog, Steph Su Reads 

Goals of This Challenge:

• To bring attention to books that have been challenged or banned
• To support authors whose freedom of expression have been questioned or challenged by buying and reading their books
• To increase awareness of censorship

The best way to fight censorship is to do what these challengers rarely do, and that is to READ the books that have been challenged and educate ourselves on their content and impact on our society!


Guidelines:

• The challenge will run from September 1, 2010 to October 15, 2010.
  
• The challenge is open to any reader with an online blogging platform who'd like to participate.
• I personally will devote my attention towards mostly YA literature challenged within the last decade, but you are welcome to any books of your choosing, from challenged picture books (there are a lot of them) to frequently banned classics.
• I will make it my goal to read at least 7 challenged or banned books (one for each day of Banned Books Week), but you are welcome to read less or more. 

So I've looked at some of the lists that Steph Su links to in her sign-up post and here is my plan.

Read these to/with Reaghan

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola (he is from right here in Meriden, CT)
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (it was a favorite of mine growing up)

Read these myself

• The Outsiders by SE Hinton (this will be my 7th or 8th reread)
• The Terrorist by Caroline B Cooney (another CT author and an author I've read before, but not this book)
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood