‘First-chapter’ preview for Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week, being observed in 2023 from Oct. 1 to 7, is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. To commemorate Banned Books Week, here is a reading from Answers in the Pages, by David Levithan.

When Donovan left his copy of The Adventurers on the kitchen counter, he didn’t think his mom would read it — much less have a problem with it. It’s just an adventure novel about two characters trying to stop an evil genius…right?

But soon the entire town is freaking out about whether the book’s main characters are gay, Donovan’s mom is trying to get the book removed from the school curriculum, and Donovan is caught in the middle.

Donovan doesn’t really know if the two boys fall in love at the end or not — but he does know this: even if they do, it shouldn’t matter. The book should not be banned from school.

The book challenge depicted in Levithan’s book is especially timely and relevant. In September, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom released preliminary data for challenges to books in 2023: Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2023, the OIF reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services. It documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles, and to 3,923 total titles.

“The number of unique titles challenged has increased by 20% from the same reporting period in 2022, a year that shattered censorship records. Most of the challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Learn more about Banned Books Week:
https://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/presskits/bbw

Preliminary data for challenges to books in 2023:
https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/ala-releases-preliminary-2023-book-ban-data/