Beware the Book
Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association September 25 to October 1 is Banned Books Week – seven days of celebrating our right to read books that have been challenged for reasons ranging from sex and offensive language (too many books to name) to the promotion of cannibalism ( Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein). Despite the popularity and longevity of cautionary tales like Fahrenheit 451 , book banning is still a reality, both nationwide and close to home: only earlier this month, the superintendent of Chesterfield County schools in Virginia reinstated three books that had been pulled from summer reading lists for sexually explicit language and violence. Deciding who can read what is an individual decision – according to Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors , an interpretation of the ALA's Library Bill of Rights , “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents – and only parents – have the right and the responsibility to res