Banned Books Week: Hey, You Can't Read That!

Throughout history the apple has come to signify the idea of forbidden fruit, the taboo . . . It is ironic that it appears on the cover of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Edward is, of course, the ultimate forbidden fruit - a vampire. To love a vampire is to put yourself in mortal danger every day. But today it means more than that, you see there are those who think you shouldn't be able to read Twilight. That the book itself should be forbidden.

Throughout history people have been challenging books and trying to say that one or another is bad for us and we shouldn't be able to read it. There is nothing more powerful than words and thoughts, which is exactly why we need to continue to fight for the freedom to read . . . as we read and open our minds to new thoughts, to new ways of living, to new ways of thinking, we allow ourselves to be open to change. If we never opened ourselves up we would still think the Earth is flat and the center of the universe. We might still condone slavery and women might not have the right to vote. The computer that you are reading this on, it exists because someone had a vision of a future with a technology beyond their wildest dreams and they worked to make it happen. What would a world without the freedom to read look like? Try reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury or 1984 by George Orwell. Thought police and book burners, not cool.

You don't have to like each and every book you read. In fact, there are many in your life that you will be offended by. When you come across a book like that, stop reading it. Or finish it and talk to someone about it. But don't say that no one should be allowed to read it because it personally offended you. That is what the freedom to read is about: You should the books that are right for you and allow others to choose the books that are right for them.

Visit VOYA.com for a list of the top 10 teen books challenged in 2009 and the reasons why. And remember to celebrate your freedom to read by reading.