Banned Books Week (+ Geeky Holiday List)

It's the last day of Banned Books Week and for some reason, I always forget about it. Not intentional of course, but it always seemed to happen. Anyway, no matter the time, it's always important to protect the freedom to read. It's so disheartening that books continue to be targeted for censorship. I always wonder, what are they afraid of? What is it they don't want readers to know? They are so afraid of knowledge that they want to keep everyone from reading something they themselves most likely never read. All because of something they don't like that's in a book. And even if they read the books and didn't like them, that doesn't give them the right to try to keep others from reading them.

When books are banned, our freedom to think critically, be challenged and access information is threatened. I guess they are also so afraid of the creativity, imagination, thought, love and joy readers get from simply reading a book. The old saying is true, Knowledge is Power. So, keep reading, learning, using your imagination and growing. Don't let censorship keep you from reading and please continue to read banned books.

So what can we do to help fight censorship? Well, there are three things I can think of:

1. Read and recommend banned books.

2. Support banned books that are being censored. Speak out whether it's online or in person.

3. Advocate for the importance of literature of all kinds. These stories deserve to be read and shared and not treated as something to be removed or hidden away.

Not to be forgotten, below (under the cut) is my Banned Book Geeky List of shows and movies.

Artwork: Banned Books by Jane Mount



Arthur

Based On: The book series Arthur that's written and illustrated by Marc Brown

Season 1 episode 28: 1) I'm a Poet 2) The Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club!

Description:

1) Arthur and his friends enter a poetry contest. 2) The kids takes on a group that wants to pull their favourite books from the library.





She-Ra: Princess of Power

Season 1 episode 26:

Description:

Freedom is threatened as Horde villains Tung and Rattlor begin to burn all the books.





The Facts of Life

Season 3 episode 24: Read No Evil

Description:

The Eastland school becomes embroiled in the issue of book banning when the school board "re-evaluates" several classic books from the library. And an angry editorial gets Natalie bounced from the school paper.





The Simpsons

Season 34 episode 16: Hostile Kirk Place

Description:

Kirk Van Houten goes on a crusade to censor and control the school curriculum in response to a history lesson that paints one of his ancestors in a bad light. And Homer goes along for fun and profit.





Movies

Fahrenheit 451

Based On: The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Description:

In a dystopian future where all books are banned and burned, a fireman rebels and begins to read in secret, discovering an underground rebellion determined to protect literature.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Based On: The book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter book #5) by J.K. Rowling

Description:

With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

The Book Thief

Based On: The book The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Description:

While subjected to the horrors of World War II Germany, young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. In the basement of her home, a Jewish refugee is being protected by her adoptive parents.