Banned Books Week, September 18-24, is an annual event to celebrate the freedom of expression and increase access to materials and information.
In 2021, there were 1,597 items that were challenged and 44 percent of those occurred in school libraries, while 37 percent of challenges occurred in public libraries.
While there are a range of reasons why an item may be challenged, Spokane Public Library respects everyone’s opinions and strives to provide people with a diverse range of perspectives so they can express their freedom to read. This is a time for libraries, schools, booksellers, teachers, students, parents, and book-lovers alike to come together and acknowledge how challenges to books and ideas can affect our society. Learn more about challenged books at these events: Author Talk with Chris Crutcher (September 19 @ 4pm) and How Our Stories Unite Us (September 24 @ 3:30pm).
The ten most frequently challenged books are released during this week with the intention to encourage people to read, learn from, and respect challenged ideas. The 2021 list was:
