I try to mix up my classes a little bit by dropping the occasional current event/national day/national month ect lesson. Banned Book Week is interesting to me because I fully support freedom of speech and information, but maturity and logic are creeping in as far as how the idea of banning books is being handled.
Looking around for updated information, we find that most of the focus of BBW has been on LGBTQXYZWTF literature in recent years. Devil always being in the details, most of those cases are less about completely removing everyone's access to these books, but more about age appropriate access, especially in schools, but often in public libraries as well. Same with violence, philosophies, cuss words, cultural depictions, and the like. I don't have issues with the stuff being available, but there needs to be responsibility applied to keeping kids out of stuff they really don't understand that can effect their development in various negative ways. As usual, though, our society isn't good at finding that middle ground, and most organizations are just pushing to keep everything open to everyone.
Another interesting development is modern capitalism and technology. Banning a book, at least in the US, is virtually impossible. If a book is removed from the school library, it is likely available at the public library. If the public library removes it, there are likely (depending on where you are) books stores that carry it. If there are no book stores, the interwebs will deliver the book to your door, sometimes the same day. If for some reason, internet stores don't have a book, it is likely somewhere to be read/downloaded, legitimately or otherwise. Information is available. The proggies have done a better job creating a populous that is not interested in reading period, eliminating their need to ban anything.
Just a little rant as I watch my glasseyed students work on coloring sheets while ignoring the information being presented.
