With Canada Day on July 1st and the United States’ Independence Day on the 4th, it’s a good time to celebrate our histories and achievements. One of the greatest, in my opinion, is our freedom to read.
Freedom to read means having the right to choose what we read. Fascist governments control what information and reading materials people can access, through censorship and book banning. Our democratic governments in Canada and the U.S. allow the people free access to information and reading materials.
Book banning is a hot topic right now, for good reason. We should be concerned when groups or individuals want to choose what other people can read. Parents can guide their own children in reading, but not force their opinions on other people’s kids. Young people should be exposed to a wide variety of books and authors, to understand the diverse world they live in and to see themselves reflected in their reading. Readers have the right to make up their own minds about what they read and believe. The freedom to read builds stronger democracies.
Want to help stop book bans in your area, or in general? Check out the Unite Against Book Bans website at
Help preserve the freedom to read! #UniteAgainstBookBans