Banned Books We Love!
To celebrate Banned Books Week, I asked a few of my colleagues to pick a banned or challenged book and write about its importance to them. Some books they selected have been inspirational, educational and sometimes even made us squirm. Nevertheless each has 
played a meaningful role in our lives.
Thomas read Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho on the recommendation of a friend. While the graphic violence in the book made him intensely squeamish, he found that the book painted a powerful and compelling portrait of our current society's materialism and meaningless commodification of sex and violence.
Cathy reports that reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee gave her 15 year old son a perspective on racism that he might not have gotten in his primarily white suburban school.
S. a library assistant, read Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh as an impressionable 8-year-old and developed a lifelong love for detective novels. While the lack of anything to detect in her boring childhood was an ongoing source of angst, she believes her ability to solve day-to-day problems in unusual and imaginative ways comes from devouring mysteries throughout her life. Also available as an audiobook.
E. reports that reading Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut changed her perspective on storytelling. She was impressed by the way Vonnegut played with traditional conventions of fiction and loved the story, too. Also available in large print and audiobook formats.
Paul read Allen Ginsberg's seminal book-length beatnik poem, Howl and was in spired to write appallingly earnest poetry for a full year while in university in the early 80s.
Despina notes that she loves Thomas' Snowsuit by Robert Munch because of the humour. She has often used it in library programs and has never had a paren't complain that the book is a bad influence on children.
Helena read the YA coming-of-age story The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and immediately wanted to make a mixtape. Also available as an audiobook.
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