Banned Books Display Celebrates Freedom to Read
Yellow crime scene tape cordons off the body of a victim in the lobby of Geary High School. Book jacket covers and signs warn onlookers that they are viewing victims of censorship and book banning. This creative display was put together by several eighth grade students, English teacher Michele Charles, and librarian Marianne Price in recognition of Banned Book Week. Banned Book Week is a national celebration of the right to read, and highlights well known books that have been challenged or banned at different times in history.
The book jacket covers include well known works such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath, The Red Badge of Courage, The Scarlet Letter, East of Eden, Frankenstein, Doctor Zhivago, and fairy tales such as Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty. Also included are contemporary books for children and young adults such as the Harry Potter series, Goosebumps books, Captain Underpants, Hop on Pop, Where the Wild Things Are, the Twilight and Hunger Games series, and the poetry book Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Eighth graders Deavion Ewing, Reina Espinoza, Brandy Buchanan, Destiney Wilson, and Ciera Williams worked on the display.
Library aides Kristian Castleberry and Gage Owings made signs and put crime scene tape on a book cart with books that have at one time been banned or challenged in schools and libraries. Click on the right lower corner of image to see their display.