Freedom to Read Week
Thu. Feb. 22, 2024
A reading list of challenged books in Manitoba.
Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to reflect on and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Freedom to Read Week, established in 1984 to raise public awareness of censorship issues impacting Canadian writing.
While Canada has strong traditions of free expression and free inquiry, it also has a history of censorship with individuals trying to remove books deemed as offensive or inappropriate from libraries and schools.
In Manitoba, the Manitoba Library Association defends intellectual freedom and condemns all attempts at censorship. In a statement issued in 2022 [PDF], the Manitoba Library Association reiterated its commitment "to ensure the ability for library boards and library workers to perform their duties in effective and safe ways, and ensure that Manitobans can freely engage with library collections in line with their individual needs and interests."
To celebrate Freedom to Read week, we encourage you to read one of the following nine books that have been challenged here in Manitoba. All of these books are available at the UWinnipeg Library:
- Claybourne, Anna. Sex and Relationships. Franklin Watts, 2016.
- Dawson, Juno, et al. This Book Is Gay. Sourcebooks Fire, 2021.
- Gino, Alex. Melissa. Scholastic, 2022.
- Harris, Robie H, and Michael Emberley. It’s Perfectly Normal : Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health. Fifth ed., Candlewick Press, 2021.
- Johnson, George M. All Boys Aren’t Blue : A Memoir-Manifesto. First ed., Farrar Straus Giroux, 2020.
- Kobabe, Maia, et al. Gender Queer : A Memoir. Oni Press, 2020.
- Moen, Erika, and Matthew Nolan. Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human. First ed., RH Graphic, 2021.
- Silverberg, Cory, and Fiona Smyth. Sex Is a Funny Word : A Book About Bodies, Feelings, and You. Seven Stories Press, 2015.
- Thorn, Theresa, and Noah Grigni. It Feels Good to Be Yourself : A Book About Gender Identity. First ed., Henry Holt and Company, 2019.
You can also visit the websites of Freedom to Read Week and Manitoba Library Association to find useful resources about intellectual freedom.