Friday, March 29, 2024

Students, faculty hosted reading to recognize Banned Books Week

September 24, 2014
<p>Doctoral student Kristin McIlhagga reads a passage from "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle during a banned books reading Sept. 24, 2014, at the Main Library. Attendees could bring books with them or choose from books on racks wrapped with caution tape. Julia Nagy/The State News</p>

Doctoral student Kristin McIlhagga reads a passage from "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle during a banned books reading Sept. 24, 2014, at the Main Library. Attendees could bring books with them or choose from books on racks wrapped with caution tape. Julia Nagy/The State News

Photo by Julia Nagy | The State News

It was a beautiful day to read out loud, even if it was from a banned book.

As part of Banned Books Week,  students and faculty gathered in front of the patio of the Main Library to read passages of their favorite banned books on Wednesday.

English senior Morgan Kinstner  read a passage from the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie.

“I kind of like all of the banned books, but this is definitely top of the charts,” Kinstner said. “I don’t understand why it is banned because there are so many applicable things to adolescence in it.”

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” is sometimes banned in schools because some consider it sexually explicit and unsuitable for the age group.

According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom website, 5,099 books were challenged from 2000 to 2009. The reasons of those challenges range from offensive language to homosexuality.

Kinstner said that although she believes teachers should teach banned books, she understands why some people decide to ban the readings.

“I personally think it is very important to tell the absolutely true stories of adolescence and growing up in life,” Kinstner said. “I also understand what parents are coming from, so you have to respect their wishes.”

In Michigan, books are constantly being challenged.

In 2013, a parent from the Northville school district challenged the book “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,”  claiming it was pornographic and too explicit for middle school students. The school board rejected the complaint.

Department of English assistant professor Tamara Butler  said it is important to help future teachers understand banned books.

“I think it is important to keep doing these activities and raise awareness about it,” said Butler, who brought her students to the event.

“Captain Underpants” by Dav Pilkey,  “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison,  “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E. L. James  and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky  were some of the books most challenged in 2013.

“You see (the ban) a lot with diverse books,” outreach librarian Holly Flynn said. “(The authors) write about their experiences and those books tend to get banned, specifically in the South.”

Flynn said the majority of the books get banned in school libraries and in school districts.

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