Hawthorne High School’s Library Media Center and the Creative Writing Club, in commemoration of Banned Books Week, hosted “Stand Up & Read Aloud” on September 25, 2013. Students marked the occasion by reading from books that have been banned by various groups in America.
During this gathering, students were asked to choose a banned book to read aloud, in order to make the statement that they are not afraid to read what they themselves deem appropriate. After the reading, there was a party to celebrate the voices that spoke up for “Stand Up & Read Aloud” and reclaimed banned books.
The students present all enjoyed the readings, and some were surprised by the books that have been deemed inappropriate for reading, including well-known classics such as Animal Farm, The Catcher in the Rye, A Farewell to Arms, Catch-22, Lord of the Rings, and Gone with the Wind. Not only have classics been banned, but many of the latest favorites have also been banned, like the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, the Hunger Games series, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Thirteen Reasons Why.
HHS senior and Creative Writing Club member Nicole Crilly was questioned about her thoughts on restricting access to literature in America. She responded saying, “I like to be my own judge of things. I’ll find out for myself whether I like it or not.”
During National Banned Books Week, which ran from September 23 – 27, the Library Media Center displayed a sign that read, “This week, you cannot read these books!” Showcased in a library display were the books that have been banned by schools, libraries, and organizations, all of them outfitted with the red NO symbol and secured behind yellow ‘caution’ tape. The Library Media Specialist and Creative Writing Club advisor, Theresa DiGeronimo, organized this display to emphasize the value of intellectual freedom. When asked about her decision to highlight Banned Books Week in the library, she declared, “It’s important for students to understand that the right to read and the right to seek information is not something that can be taken for granted. This yearly event reminds us that freedom of information is the foundation of democracy. I think that’s an important lesson.”
In fact, Hawthorne High School’s required reading list consists of many challenged and banned books. For instance, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, Of Mice and Men, The Lord of the Flies, The Awakening, and Stuck in Neutral are all books that have been challenged or banned over the years because their content was found to be offensive to a particular person or group.