Banned Books Should Be Banned Essay

In 1982 three books written by three very different women; Maya Angelou, Anne Frank, and Doris Day were placed in cages at the American Booksellers Association's annual convention (Zalusky np). The display called attention to the practice of book banning. In his book Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read, Robert Doyle wrote:
Up until that day when they witnessed the display of books behind bars, the members of the professional association - the authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and journalists attending the convention - were all unaware that so many books and such familiar titles were removed from bookstore and library shelves because an individual or group thought the printed matter unfit for others to read. To the spectators the implication was clear - it was readers who were being caged, not just books. (qtd. in Zalusky np)
Banned Books Week was first celebrated in September of that same year. Over thirty years later, Banned Books Week is still held annually by American Library Association (ALA). Today, some of the most banned and challenged books are some of those that were challenged in the 1980's such as Harper

For a parent to say they don’t want their child to be reading something is one thing, but for a parent to say that no one should have access to that book at all is unacceptable. For example Cynthia Hand's novel The Last Time We Say Goodbye is the story of a teenage girl who is coping with her brother's suicide. If a teenager who is contemplating suicide was denied access to this novel then they would never realize that their family and friends would never be the same after their suicide. Similarly, if a teenager who was related to or close friends with someone who committed suicide was denied access to this book it would mean that they would never be able to read about someone who was going through the same thing that they