Banned Books Week-it is personal

I've had experience with a challenged book. You may have heard the story...but for those who haven't...

My high school pulled Salem's Lot by Stephen King from the high school library's book shelves. Our understanding was that one parent objected to the book and it was pulled.

Oddly enough, I had done a Honors English book report on Salem's Lot when I was in 10th grade.

The students protested. A local bookstore gave away free copies of Salem's Lot to any Goochland High School student who wanted it.

But the book remained off the library shelves.

I will never understand why I could do an Honors English report on a book that was so objectionable it was pulled such a short time later. I don't believe the library was better for the challenge and ban. No, I felt the space on the shelf where that book used to be was much lesser for the loss of it.

A book I had read as a younger student was pulled because one parent decided their child couldn't read it and if they couldn't, no one could.

That's why it matters so much to me.

Mechele