Have you read a banned book today?

In addition to Read What You Want Week, I am also celebrating Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week runs from September 29 to October 6, and is near and dear to the heart of many a librarian. I should at this point speak eloquently and passionately to the importance of intellectual freedom, but others have covered this topic better than I can. Instead, I present to you the lighter side of book banning, brought to you from The Onion:

Nation's Teens Disappointed by Banned Books

If you want a more serious take on book banning, I recommend the following
ALA Banned Books Week - a feast of banned books information and ideas.
The Forbidden Library - a long list of banned and challenged books.
And Tango Makes Three - This was the most challenged book of 2006.

Anthology of Palestinian Folk Tales Pulled from School Libraries

In Palestine, the Education Ministry has ordered that a book of Palestinian folk tales be pulled from school libraries, and many Palestinians are unhappy with the book ban.

According to the Associated Press Release, "A senior ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the issue with reporters, said 1,500 copies of the book had been pulled from school libraries and destroyed."

The book, Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales, is a collection of tales from 17 Palestinian tellers, mostly women, that have been carefully transcribed, and not only the tales but the introduction are well worth reading. It's available in the WSU Libraries if you're interested and in the area, or you can go to the entry at WorldCat, and check for copies in your area libraries by typing your zip code in the "Enter Location Information" field.