There is a story in my family of an in-law (or outlaw) who stole so many new pairs of shoes from K-Mart that he was banned for life from entering any K-Mart store. I have heard of another reputedly banned from shopping at a certain thrift store chain due to changing of price tags on the merchandise.
But today I want to share with you about a different kind of “banning”. A few months ago I had the privilege of interviewing Maynardville Public Library Chantay Collins for Uniquely Union, a compilation of videos highlighting the people that make Union County the great place it is to live and work. The video series is the brainchild of historicunioncounty.com founder Aaron Russell.
While I was interviewing Chantay, our conversation took a turn to the subject of “banned books”. My idea of what should be a “banned” or “censored” book seems to differ from the mainstream. I guess I could say I am a one-man “band”, marching to the beat of my own drummer.
I stopped in at the Maynardville Public Library a few weeks ago to see for myself what is considered a “censored” book. I was really expecting the list to be those titles filled with unadulterated sex and violence. I was shocked that books do not have to be that extreme to be “banned” or “censored”.
I was told that the Bible is a banned book. A Google search (Source: https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-bible-top-10-challeng…, Retrieved August 10, 2021) revealed that the Bible was number six of the top 10 most banned or challenged books of 2015 because of “religious viewpoint”. That, to me, was the most amazing revelation from my latest visit to the local public library.
My curiosity heightened, I did another internet search to discover what is included on the “banned”, “challenged”, or “censored” list of books for 2021. I will share with you some of my most surprising findings (Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/banned-books-2021, Retrieved August 10, 2021).
One of the books on the list was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I read this book in high school. It was considered by my high school teacher to be a classic of American literature, and after reading it I agreed with that conclusion. To the best of my memory, it is basically the story of how a white attorney fought prejudice in a small southern United States town while defending a black man against murder charges. The site reports the book is commonly “banned, restricted, or challenged” due to its "Racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a 'white savior' character, and its perception of the Black experience."
Another book on the list was John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. This is one of my all-time favorite classic American novels. It is on the list for reasons very similar to those given for Lee’s work. The plot of this book basically involves two drifters. George takes care of Lenny, a very strong man with limited intelligence who tends to get into danger due to overt use of his extraordinary strength. It is a great story, artfully told. It is such a great story that the plot has been modified and used in other stories and television shows, notably on the Bonanza episode “Destiny’s Child” (Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0529543/, Retrieved August 10, 2021).
Many readers will be amazed to know that also on the 2021 list of commonly banned books is J. K. Rowling’s entire Harry Potter Series due to ". . . referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use "nefarious means" to attain goals." I have never read even one Harry Potter book, so I can’t comment on my personal experiences with and opinion of the series; however, based upon my experiences with other books on the banned list, I would probably not prevent my children from reading them. After all, I used to love to read ghost and mystery stories to the fifth and sixth grade classes I taught.
You can find much information on internet about “banned” books that will be of interest. It seems in the current world that practically everything offends someone, and everyone can find fault with something. I am happy to report that while the Maynardville Public Library works with parents to guide children and young people to read what is age appropriate, it does not fail to circulate “banned” books but has faith in the borrowers to read and draw their own conclusions.
I encourage you, Faithful Reader, to check out your local public library. There is not time and space here to share all the wonderful opportunities available through the Maynardville Public Library for both children and adults. Today’s libraries are so much more than just places to check out books—many of the resources now available shocked even an aging educator like me. You won’t necessarily emerge with a larger bank account, but the wealth of information you will find will be priceless.
Until next time, I leave you with a thought from my email world:

Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland
because he doesn't wear pants; typical Finnish.