Let’s Talk About Banned Books

It is banned books week and that got me thinking about Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. This book has never been on the banned book list, but it is a great way to get kids to understand the concept and to start up a conversation about banned books.

J and I eagerly read Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics as soon as it came out. We actually had to buy 2 copies because she took it to school and someone snagged it from her! But the book was great, so I’m okay supporting the cause.

For those unaware of this series by Chris Grabenstein, the first book, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, is about a group of kids who find themselves locked in a brand-new, state of the art library designed by a famous game maker. One of the main characters is a reluctant reader, but there is a little bit of something for everyone in this book. Those who remain locked in the library for the game must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. It is a great book about the library system and books in general.

Book 2 found us returning to the library but with teams from all across America to compete in the first-ever Library Olympics. But something suspicious is going on . . . books are missing from Mr. Lemoncello’s library. Is someone trying to censor what the kids are reading?! Now it’s not just a game—can Mr. Lemoncello find the real defenders of books and champions of libraries? In between figuring out mind-boggling challenges, the kids will have to band together to get to the bottom of this mystery.

So what was the mystery? Banned books. J didn’t fully understand the concept of banned books, but this story really got us talking about it. What exactly are banned books? As per wikipedia, “Banned books are books or other printed works such as essays or plays which are prohibited by law or to which free access is not permitted by other means. The practice of banning books is a form of censorship, from political, legal, religious, moral, or (less often) commercial motives.”

Mr. Lemoncello gave us the perfect opportunity to discuss banned books. Books are banned or challenged for a variety of reasons. Many times it is because they tackle topics that are uncomfortable for us to deal with or because people have differing opinions. But as I’ve mentioned before, we learn so many things about our society and ourselves from books, sometimes it is important to challenge traditional ways of thinking or doing things. I remember when we were reading Mr. Lemoncello’s Olympics we talked about the fact that the Harry Potter series is the most challenged book for the past decade. Given J’s love with all things HP she couldn’t comprehend that, but I tried to explain how the notion of magic and wizardry as taboo for some people and went against their religious values. Judy Blume, who J hasn’t read much of yet, is also one of the most challenged authors because of her frank take on puberty and sexuality.

There are times when I am just sad that books wind up on the challenged list. For example, there is a wonderful picture book called And Tango Makes Three. This book is number 4 on the 100 most banned list. Why? Apparently people think that it is anti-family, promotes homosexuality, has a political viewpoint, has a religious viewpoint, and is generally unsuited for age group. Really? This is the product description on Amazon:

And Tango Makes Three is the bestselling, heartwarming true story of two penguins who create a nontraditional family. At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo get the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.

I get that if a book doesn’t make you comfortable and doesn’t suit your family’s core belief system, then you shouldn’t read it. But to ban a book from a library goes against other people’s rights to make their own decisions about what they want to read. So go out today and read a banned book!