Banned Books Week

George Orwell was right about controlled media. He was just thirty-eight years too early.

I find it ironic that his 1984 is currently the most banned book in the U.S. Think about what that says. How close we are to fascism while pretending we're not. Yet, it was the most read book in 1984.

So many banned books are on my shelves: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter series, The Handmaid's Tale, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sandman, Batman: The Killing Joke, Watchmen, The Graveyard Book, Twilight, etc.

There were the classics I read in school: Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, Brave New World, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Julie of the Wolves, etc.

There are books I read out of curiosity: Fifty Shades of Grey, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, etc.

There are books I haven't read yet, but I want to: Beloved, Saga, The Color Purple. His Dark Materials, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Bridge to Terabithia, Maus, etc.

What does this say about me? I'm not afraid of ideas. I'm not afraid of sharing ideas with my son.

For example, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was on a recommended reading list for Genius Kid's grade when I was homeschooling him. We alternated weeks with him selecting one book from the recommended reading list and the next week selecting something for fun. When he choose Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, I needed to read it in order to create a post-reading quiz for him.

These books are important to talk over with your children, about what values you want to instill in them and why. Hiding them from your children doesn't engender the trust you need to build with them in order for them to take your values seriously.

How Many Banned Books Have You Read?

Yes, it's Banned Books Week, and I promote it as a parent.

That's right. As a parent, not as a writer.

So many of the books that misguided parents and teachers try to prevent kids from reading are actually wonderful teaching tools. Why? Because they can help both kids and adults broach painful, difficult subjects.

First off, adults foolishly believe that if kids don't have access to these books, then they won't perform the actions depicted within. Unfortunately, our children are already facing these situations whether we like it or not. (Even those who are homeschooled. Don't kid yourselves. I'm a homeschool mom, too.) By talking with our children (not talking TO them), we can give them the skills to protect themselves.

Second, adults don't like depictions of people they don't approve of, and they think if they don't acknowledge these people, their children will never encounter them. I hate to tell these folks, but such encounters are hard to avoid in the modern world. All that happens is they infect their kids with their fear. Then they're shocked when it's their own son or daughter in trouble for bullying another kid because he or she is different.

Looking over this year's list, the only books I've personally read are Persepolis and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I highly recommend them for kids twelve and older.