MHS celebrated the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week from September 30- October 6th with a new gallery, posters, and announcements.

“This year we’re having a gallery walk through,” Lee Mitchell, head librarian, said. “So we have displays of books and why they’re banned, and teachers can walk their students through and then have a discussion with them about why a book might have been challenged.”

Mitchell said students were often surprised when they see the types of book that are challenged, such as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak or Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

“I think it’s effective in the sense that people at least are thinking about it,” Mitchell said, “and they’re always amazed at some of the books that have been banned.”

Along with the library staff, MHS teachers also got involved in this year’s Banned Books Week.

Brittany Moore, language arts teacher, put together articles on censorship in order to educate her students and other teachers about Banned Books Week. She also set up a display outside her room where students and staff can sign their name to pledge to read a banned book this year.

“A lot of students are unaware of the fact that people still try to challenge books and still try to ban books.” Moore said. “They think everyone in America has the complete freedom to read whatever they want to read”

While book challenging is less of a problem around cities, MHS has still had teachers told that they could not teach certain books to their class.

Moore said it’s good for students to realize that it is a privilege to read the books they enjoy without fear of censorship.

“In my class we had a whole banned books day,” Moore said. “I even made cookies that said things like ‘I love reading’ and ‘banned books are cool’.”