Banned Books Week

Well last week I had the pleasure of going grouse hunting in the forests of Northern Minnesota with my brother which was an ideal way to catch up on each other's lives without the distraction of family, children, work, and even Internet/radio/TV since our cabin did not have any such modern features. Due to this lack of Internet access I have not blogged about anything for one week.

Our hunting trip fell on the exact same week of "Banned Books Week" ("BBW" -- http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm) which I blog about annually so today's posting will focus on this important event. This year's BBW was held from September 29 to October 6 under the patronage of the American Library Association (ALA). For those of you keeping track at home the "most challenged book for 2006" according to the ALA in terms of people trying to ban a certain book from library shelves, classrooms, etc was --

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning "And Tango Makes Three," about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex penguin couple, tops the list of most challenged books in 2006 by parents and administrators, due to the issues of homosexuality.

So what better way to celebrate the most basic of individual rights -- reading a book of our choosing -- than to end a day of hunting by sitting around in the cabin reading books? We did have the opportunity to drive to the nearest large city whose library was hosting a reading of banned books but we opted to relax at the cabin with our books.

Enjoy life via simple pleasures,

Todd