Month: February 2023

Freedom to Read Week

Do you believe that you should be able to choose what you read? Or should other people be able to decide for you what you can read? Freedom to Read Week celebrates our fundamental freedoms as citizens of democracies and our fundamental rights as human beings. Freedom to Read Week also asks to to beware of the forces at work which erode and seek to destroy your rights and freedoms.

Do you take your Freedom to Read for granted? These are books that are available in our libraries which have been challenged, and in far too many cases, removed from shelves, and banned. Many of the books pictured here are on the list of the top 20 most banned books in the U.S. for the 2021-2022 school year.

This isn’t just happening in authoritarian states such as North Korea, Iran, China or Russia. This is happening in the so-called free world. This is happening in the United States. So far it hasn’t been as bad in Canada, but challenges are growing here and there are too many who want American censorship to come to Canada.

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Freedom to Read Week

Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools

Challenged Works List

Speaking Truth to Power: Valentine’s Day

Source: loveforquotes.com

Although much about the historical Saint Valentine is sketchy and obscure, it is traditionally believed that in the 3rd Century, Valentine, a Christian priest, was arrested by forces of the Roman Emperor. He was martyred for his faith and his defiance of Empire. Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.

Relic of St. Valentine
source: wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT

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Black History in British Columbia

Learn more about the history of Black Canadians in our province. “For close to 30 years BC Black History Awareness Society has hosted a Black History Month program to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of historical and contemporary people of African descent.” BC Black History Awareness Society.

Source: BCHSAS

Visit the virtual museum exhibit: British Columbia’s Black Pioneers.

Black History Month: Ours to Tell

From Canadian Heritage:

“The 2023 theme for Black History Month is: “Ours to tell”. This theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices and triumphs.”

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World Read Aloud Day

When parents read aloud to their children, they are making a profound contribution to the growth of their kids as readers, listeners and learners. Reading aloud to kids helps to introduce children to the wonders and magic of the world of stories. So many amazing things can happen when parents read to their kids. Parents reading to their kids is one of the most powerful factors in children becoming readers.

Source: School Library Journal
source: School Library Journal

Yet it doesn’t need to stop once kids learn to read to themselves. Indeed, it should never stop.  Adults, teens, people of all ages love being read to and reap the benefits when they get the chance to listen. High school teachers who give reading aloud a try almost always find that the kids love it and that it can be a powerful educational opportunity.

World Read Aloud Day is a chance to recognize the power of the joy of reading aloud.  Spread the word!

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