Sault library challenges patrons to read ‘banned’ books
The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library is challenging readers to step out of their comfort zone.
As part of ‘Freedom to Read Week,’ which runs Feb. 19-25, the library is asking patrons to consider taking out a book that has been either banned or challenged for various reasons.
Library officials said its ‘Banned Book Reading Challenge’ is a means to reflect on its commitment to what it calls intellectual freedom.
“It’s just a way to kind of expand their horizons and to look at some of these books and consider, were they worth banning, are they offensive and anything along that,” said Kevin Meraglia, an archive technician with the library and organizer of the challenge.
Meraglia has compiled a list of books that have been banned or challenged for a variety of reasons, including language, political or religious views and LGBTQ2S+ content.
Library CEO Matthew MacDonald said the library’s collection development policy is regularly reviewed by its board to make sure content is up to date.
“That kind of dictates what kind of materials that we bring into the library,” said MacDonald.
“The thing about the collections is we try to get various points of views on topics.”
MacDonald said the library also has a complaints process for people who might take issue with material offered at its branches -- but the result of a challenge is not a given.
“Just because an objection is brought up, doesn’t mean that we will be making any changes to the collection,” he said.
“But it’s something that we will definitely review.”
Hard copies of the list of banned books, which can be found below, will be available for pickup at the James L. McIntyre Centennial Library and the North Branch on Feb. 1.
Participants will have until Feb. 28 to read as many books on the list as they can. Readers will receive a ballot for each book, which will be entered into a prize draw.
BANNED BOOK LIST
“Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison
“The Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
“Animal Farm” by George Orwell
“Native Son” by Richard Wright (Audio only)
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” by Ken Kesey
“Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut
“A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess
“Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie
“A Separate Peace” by John Knowles
“Maus” by Art Spiegleman
“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury
“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
“Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov (ebook/Spanish)
“Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain
“All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds
“The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian” by Alexie Sherman
“Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Perez
“Harry Potter Series” by J.K Rowling
“We All Fall Down” by Robert Cormier
“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
“Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
“Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan
“Looking For Alaska” by John Green
“Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon
“Habibi” by Craig Thompson
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
“A Stolen Life” by Jaycee Dugard
“Drama” by Raina Telgemeier
“The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls
“Crank” by Ellen Hopkins (ebook only)
“My Sister's Keeper” by Jodi Picoult
“The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier
“The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman
“Forever” by Judy Blume
“Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture” by Michael A. Bellesiles
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
“Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson
“Summer of My German Soldier” by Bette Green
“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown
“This One Summer” by Mariko Tamaki
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Federal minimum wage, taxes on alcohol: Here's what's changing in Canada April 1
The federal minimum wage is increasing from $15.55 per hour to $16.65, and taxes are going up on gas and alcohol nationwide starting April 1.
Unable to leave Syria, mothers of Canadian children forfeit repatriation to keep their families together
In a choice forced upon them by the Canadian government, four mothers have made the agonizing decision to forfeit an opportunity to repatriate their children from open air prisons in northeast Syria.
Interim RCMP commissioner would support Criminal Code changes for stricter gun laws
Interim RCMP commissioner Michael Duheme says he would support the Criminal Code changes recommended in the Mass Casualty Commission report to implement stricter gun laws.
Akwesasne: Bodies of two more migrants found, bring total dead to eight
Police say the bodies of eight migrants have been retrieved from the waters off the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, straddling the Canada - U.S. border. The people whose bodies were recovered Thursday and Friday consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday.
Donald Trump facing at least one felony charge in New York case: AP sources
Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offence, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday.
Canadian cottage market expected to see price drop this year: Royal LePage
A recent report from Royal LePage is predicting a drop in prices for Canadian cabins and cottages this year as demand softens from economic uncertainty and low housing stock.
Trudeau defends appointment of cabinet minister's sister-in-law as interim ethics commissioner
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the appointment of senior Liberal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc's sister-in-law as Canada's interim ethics commissioner.
Gwyneth Paltrow scores court win that means more than her $1 countersuit
Gwyneth Paltrow 's motivation to go to trial to fight a lawsuit accusing her of sending a fellow skier “absolutely flying” at a posh Utah ski resort in 2016 was about vindication. She got it when a jury found her not at fault in the collision, granting her exactly the $1 she sought in her countersuit
A 106-year-old from the Philippines is Vogue's oldest ever cover model
Vogue Philippines has revealed Apo Whang-Od as the cover star of its April issue, a move that makes the 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines the oldest person ever to appear on the front of Vogue.
Barrie
-
Fatal farm incident in Alliston under investigation
A 24-year-old man has died after a workplace incident on a farm in Alliston.
-
Barrie city council considers $40M Sadlon Arena renovations
Tourism Barrie brought a report from a consulting firm to council, recommending upgrades to the arena, including additional seats, modern concessions, and an open grand entrance on the building's north side. The proposed renovations would cost approximately $40 million but could bring significant economic benefits to the city.
-
Judge grants bail to man convicted of impaired driving causing death on Hwy 12 in 2020
Sigfrid Stahn walked out of the Barrie courthouse Friday a remorseful man one day after a jury found him guilty of impaired driving, causing a collision on Highway 12 in July 2020 that killed a 77-year-old Midland man.
Toronto
-
Uninsured patients denied scheduled C-sections unless they pay $6,000, midwife says
In one day, Ontario midwife Manavi Handa saw three patients who will have to pay thousands of dollars to be able to schedule a C-section beginning on Sunday.
-
Ontario driver charged for driving too slow on Highway 401
An Ontario driver has been charged for driving too slow on Highway 401.
-
Suspect chased people with sharp object yelling racial slurs at Kennedy Station, police say
Toronto police are looking for a suspect who allegedly yelled racial slurs while chasing people with a sharp object at Kennedy subway station on Friday morning.
Ottawa
-
Akwesasne: Bodies of two more migrants found, bring total dead to eight
Police say the bodies of eight migrants have been retrieved from the waters off the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, straddling the Canada - U.S. border. The people whose bodies were recovered Thursday and Friday consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday.
-
These are the top 10 intersections for red light camera tickets in Ottawa
King Edward Avenue is the red light district for Ottawa drivers, with three cameras on the busy road issuing thousands of tickets for running red lights last year.
-
Ontario minimum wage to increase to $16.55 per hour on Oct. 1
Ontario's minimum wage is set to rise to $16.55 an hour on Oct. 1.
Kitchener
-
Family of Beau Baker 'deeply concerned' after inquest jury rules his death a suicide
The inquest jury found that Beau Baker, 20, died by suicide with the cause of death being a gunshot wound in the torso.
-
Packing up Portraits of Honour: Cambridge memorial on the move
A Cambridge memorial that pays tribute to Canada’s fallen soldiers is on the move.
-
London
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Police on scene of reported shooting in central London, Ont., one person sent to hospital
London police responded to Dundas Street, just west of William Street around 6:30 p.m. Friday evening for a reported shooting. According to police, one person is in custody.
-
U.S. citizen charged with death threats targeting Justin Trudeau makes court appearance from London, Ont.
A U.S. citizen charged with threatening death or bodily harm to Justin Trudeau made a virtual court appearance from a London jail Friday. Jeremy Joseph, 40 — who is living in Sarnia, Ont. — was arrested on Feb. 4, 2023 after Sarnia police were notified of emails containing threats.
-
Man injured while fleeing police on Highway 401, SIU investigating
The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating after a man was seriously injured while attempting to flee from OPP on Highway 401 Thursday afternoon.
Windsor
-
‘I will not support’: Windsor councillors eye ways to bring budget increase below 5%
Windsor city council will debate the 2023 budget on Monday, and ratepayers are looking at a much higher than normal property tax increase, but not if some councillors get their way.
-
‘We were in the trenches together’: Healthcare staff reflect on bittersweet final day of COVID-19 assessment centre
By day’s end Friday, the COVID-19 assessment clinic at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) will close, more than three years after opening at the height of the pandemic.
-
Windsor sees largest drop in Canadian household income growth ranking
Windsor experienced the largest drop in its ranking for median household income growth, following a new report from Fraser Institute ― but local employment leaders say the city has all the tools to bounce back in future rankings.
Montreal
-
Akwesasne: Bodies of two more migrants found, bring total dead to eight
Police say the bodies of eight migrants have been retrieved from the waters off the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, straddling the Canada - U.S. border. The people whose bodies were recovered Thursday and Friday consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday.
-
Father of Old Montreal fire victim launches $22M lawsuit
A father of one of the seven victims of the deadly Old Montreal fire is suing Airbnb and the owner of the building that burned down for $22 million.
-
The Toronto to Montreal high-speed train just got another step closer
Toronto city council says it supports the creation of a high-speed train that would connect the city with Montreal.
Atlantic
-
'Impervious to change': doubt, disappointment after initial RCMP response to inquiry recommendations
After the RCMP commissioner admitted he didn't read the Mass Casualty Commission’s final recommendations, family members of those killed in the April 2020 tragedy say they have doubts the force will change.
-
N.S. doctor denies alleged negligence in case of woman who died after long ER wait
A doctor named in a lawsuit after a Nova Scotia woman died in hospital following a long wait to see a physician has denied allegations from the family that he failed in his duties.
-
'Nova Scotians' sense of safety was rocked': RCMP failures dominate inquiry's final report into 2020 mass shooting
A long list of failures by Nova Scotia RCMP leadership and policing systems dominate the final report into Nova Scotia's April 2020 mass shooting.
Winnipeg
-
'Waking up to a really bad dream': Manitoba communities mourn four teenagers killed in crash
Multiple Manitoba communities are in mourning following the deaths of four teenagers in a car crash involving a semi-truck on Wednesday.
-
Zellers to open in Winnipeg next week
The wait is finally over for Winnipeggers who have been wanting to see Zellers make a return to the city.
-
'I don't feel right paying that money': Winnipeg man fighting phone bill exceeding $3,000
A Winnipeg parent is fighting to have his child's phone bill lowered after it was 10 times higher than normal.
Calgary
-
Calgary HQ part of federal conditions allowing Rogers to buy Shaw
Canadians’ options for phone, internet and TV services are changing with the federal government clearing the final hurdle for Rogers to take over Shaw, but it comes with conditions including some that specifically impact Calgary.
-
Motorcyclist killed in Macleod Trail crash
Emergency crews say a motorcyclist has died in a crash on Macleod Trail and it's suspected that speed was a factor in the incident.
-
Dangerous suspect has 50 warrants for his arrest, Calgary police say
Calgary police are warning the public, and looking for their help, about a man wanted on 50 warrants, including firearm and assault charges.
Edmonton
-
Harm reduction group alleges excessive force by Edmonton police officers
A local harm reduction group says force used by Edmonton police officers during a recent arrest on Whyte Avenue on Sunday was "appalling."
-
1 in custody after death of man downtown: EPS
A man is dead after an altercation in Edmonton’s downtown core.
-
Smith vs. Notley: Here are the leaders' promises to the municipalities ahead of the May election
Municipal leaders from across the province heard a lot of promises during the Alberta Municipalities Association Leaders’ Caucus on Friday.
Vancouver
-
No more paying for prescription birth control: B.C. to make Canadian history April 1
Paying for prescription birth control will be a thing of the past in British Columbia starting Saturday, marking a Canadian first.
-
Boat recovered, operator missing in Fraser Valley, RCMP say
Mounties in the Fraser Valley are asking the public for help locating a missing man last seen in a boat on the Harrison River Thursday evening.
-
Man charged after string of arsons in downtown Vancouver over one night: police
A man is facing multiple charges in connection with a series of fires that police say were deliberately set in Vancouver's downtown core earlier this week.