Banned Book Week

When I was a freshman in high school our English class was given a list of books. We were each to select a book and do a report (of some type..I can't remember now) after we completed our reading. A classmate and I, along with several others, ended up selecting Catcher in the Rye. After we turned our selections in, and before the reading had begun, our teacher pulled my classmate and I into the hall. She lowered her voice and said that she wanted to make sure Catcher was really what we wanted to read. We looked at each other, confused. Our teacher knew our mothers who were both elementary school teachers across the street. She said she didn't know if the language and subject matter was really up our alley. In other words, she was worried that our parents would be upset that we were reading this book. I remember being incensed that this teacher was trying to tell me what book I could or could not read. I went home and told my parents what happened. They assured me I could read any book on the list provided. My classmate and I assured our teacher that we were ready for anything Salinger could dish out. In retrospect I see that seven years in a television newsroom was far more detrimental to my vocabulary than anything I read in ninth grade.

This week is Banned Book Week. It's a week to be reminded of our freedom to choose the books we want, even if the ideas contained within are unpopular or unorthadox. Please exercise this freedom this week. Celebrate it by picking up a book. ANY book. It doesn't matter what it's about, just read!

I just finished up a Hemingway novel that I would put right up there at the top of my book list. Jamie and ran across it at a quaint little used bookstore in Asheville. It took me a while to get through it. Surprisingly enough, being a mother of three kids has a tendency to wear a girl out and sometimes when reading time rolls around, I find those precious minutes are better spent asleep. Anyway, I finished it last night and am now searching for my next book. I think I'll pick up Harper Lee's classic. I noticed it was on the banned book list. I figure this is the perfect week to re-read it.