There is a time to celebrate our nation’s freedom, and a time to practice freedom of religion, but now it is the time to celebrate our freedom of speech and the right to read.

It is Banned Books Week, an annual campaign run by the American Library Association and Amnesty International to promote awareness of books which have been banned and to celebrate the right to the freedom of speech.

Most students, when going through the list of the Top Ten Banned Books of 2017 on the American Library Association website, find that many of the books were on the curriculum of their high school’s English department. Some of the books are even in their middle school’s curriculum.

For example, George by Alex Gino is read by students in the sixth grade at the Scituate Public Schools. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are read by freshmen level English classes in the same district. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is read by sophomore-level English classes and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was one of the book choices for the 2017 school-wide summer reading assignment.

Former Scituate High School English Department Chair, and current Lester J. Gates Middle School Assistant Principal, Ryan Beattie, has implemented many of these books into the curriculum. Beattie explained that these books open the eyes of the readers into worlds much different from their own.

Beattie goes on to say, “I’ve always thought that a tough or controversial piece of literature can change the hearts and minds of readers when it is processed with the support of a strong teacher and a community of learners.”

He continues to make a statement about how the messages in these books “help remind us that we are all connected as humans.”

Beattie sees books as an amazing place to dive into experiences and destinations that can help shape a child as a student and into a better person.

Realizing now that these books cause such a controversy, I appreciate my English department for exposing and educating us on all types of books without censoring. It is important to be aware of what others go through and experience, especially being in a town where ethnic diversity is not prominent.

Saint Anselm College’s Geisel Library and the Academic Resource Center will host a few events throughout the week in support of the Banned Books Week campaign.  Starting Sept 25, in the Jean Student Center there will be the opportunity to read aloud from one’s favorite banned book.

As for the specific banned book of the week, Persepolis is a graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

Students can pick up a copy at the library’s Circulation Desk and then participate in the discussion in the Geisel Reading Room on Wednesday, Sept 26 at 12:30 p.m.

If you are more the political and historical person, head to the Academic Resource Center (ARC) to participate in a discussion about the freedom of speech and censorship around the world. That will be happening on Thursday at 3 p.m.

To finish the week there will be a late night debate at the ARC, hosted by the SAC Debate Society. Students will debate solutions to the statement: “Banning of books should be abolished.”

William Bearce, a Senior History major, has been a member of the Debate team since his freshman year.  

“It will be an interesting and topical debate, given the current political climate and that books are still being banned in the United States, even though it is 2018,” said Bearce.