Banned Books
**Banned Books Week** is an annual event that celebrates the *freedom to read* and brings attention to books that have been **challenged or banned** in schools, libraries, or bookstores.
Here’s a quick overview:
📚 **Purpose:**
* To highlight **current and historical attempts** to censor books.
* To encourage readers to explore **diverse ideas and perspectives**, even those that some groups find controversial.
* To remind people that **access to information** is a fundamental right.
🏷️ **Typical themes:** Each year has a theme — for example, “Let Freedom Read” or “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”
📖 **Commonly challenged books:** Titles like *To Kill a Mockingbird*, *The Hate U Give*, *The Bluest Eye*, and *Gender Queer* often appear on banned book lists due to themes about race, sexuality, or politics.