Celebrate Banned Books Week by reading a book made of paper

This week, we celebrate the freedom to read, a freedom that will surely be infringed upon with the continued rise of the Tea Party and other right-wing causes. (Sarah Palin, as you may recall, tried to ban books in an Alaskan library.) Back in April, I ran a highly-discussed post called Top 10 Books Prudes Don't Want Us To Read, which was kind of my way of saying every week should be Banned Books week -- that is, until books are no longer banned.

The American Library Association named "Rhymes With Witches" one of its best books for teens 2005, but maybe that title caught the attention of the crusading prudes, who have subsequently tried to suppress her "Internet [or IM] Girls" series.

Yahoo! News notes that conservatives are even trying to attack Banned Books Week itself, lest anyone think they're going to let anyone else control the debate:

In 2002, the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family said the ALA had "irresponsibly perpetrated the 'banned' books lie for too long" and was trying to disguise the creep of explicit literature into children's lives. Another group, Family Friendly Libraries, says the ALA's "annual publicity campaign" seeks to undermine communities' right to request that objectionable material be reshelved or removed.

By the way, the first photo here comes from last year's Naked Ladies Reading Banned Books event in New York. A similar event with a Halloween theme is coming up soon in Chicago.

Here's a list of the books most frequently banned and some other notable info, plus a chronology of the banned books movement. Now, head out to your local independent store -- do not order online -- and purchase something that cannot be read on an eReader.

In closing, I will quote the last line of my favorite banned book: "Mayonnaise."