Banned Books Week

This week (September 26-October 3) is Banned Books Week an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. If you think book banning is a thing of the past, that people don't do that anymore - check out this link
http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html to see a map of book bans and challenges in the United States (contiguous 48 only) from 2007-2009. And these were the ones that made the news, who knows how many didn't.

If you would like to learn more about Banned Books Week or other censorship and First Amendment rights issues check out these web sites -

The American Library Association's web page on Banned Books Week

The Index on Censorship

The National Coalition Against Censorship

The Online Books Page Presents Banned Books Online

Think you'd have to look hard for a banned book? Nope, not at all, check out the top 10 most frequently challenged book list for 2008

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
   
   
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass)
   
   
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
   
   
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
   
   
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   
   
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   
   
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
   
   
8. Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
   
   
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
   
   
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper

Of course, you may say - these are modern books, classics never get banned! Think again!
Here are the top ten banned and challenged classics.

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses by James Joyce
7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

And remember - this is just the top 10 of one year and the top 10 classics, sadly there are a lot more where these came from. So celebrate Banned Books Week by exercising your First Amendment rights and read a Banned Book!!

Final Posters of departing Seniors!

We've got a bit of time before we need to start talking about the next T.A.G. event

So we wanted to take a minute to share these great READ posters with folks

Our last Senior of 2009 has left us for school, so here is a goodbye to ALL our 2009 Seniors!
We wish you tons of good things!
Take care and Visit when you can!

Party Fun!

Human Knots at the TSP Party

The Party was really great - Everyone seemed to have a good time and there was something for everyone! From Swimming passes to bubble wands to books to book bags and more, everyone went home with a prize. The big prizes were drawn for and the comment card winners were announced as well. For all the details go to the TSP webpage.

Saturday Night!!

The FINAL part of the Teen Summer Program is happening Saturday Night!!
It's the Teen Summer Program Party - all the prize winners will be announced for all the Comment Card prizes, the drawings for all the punch card prizes will happen - including the Grand Prize, there will be a ton of door prizes open to ANY teen who comes to the party, there will be live music by Muskank and TONS OF FOOD!!
T.A.G. hopes that folks who participated as well as any other Ketchikan teen who would like to have a great time will come be a part of this End of Summer event!