WHAT'S NEW AT THE BRACEBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY

by Ruth Holtz

Feb 20, 2008

Honouring Freedom to Read Week

Freedom to Read Week, from Feb. 24 to March 1, is celebrated annually to encourage Canadians to appreciate and protect their intellectual rights as accorded by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Even in Canada, where freedoms are enshrined in our constitution and often taken for granted by the citizens, the freedom to read is sometimes challenged.

A good example is the recent controversy surrounding Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials Trilogy, in particular the first book, The Golden Compass. A full decade after its publication, this book suddenly became headline news. Although it was awarded the Carnegie Medal, England’s highest honour for children’s literature, in 1996, and the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults Award and was widely read and enjoyed by children everywhere as an exciting fantasy adventure, it was the release of the movie in 2007 that apparently brought this book to the attention of those who felt threatened by its story.

Catholic school boards in Ontario and Alberta received complaints from parents about the atheistic beliefs of the author and the supposed anti-Catholic theme in the book, prompting those boards to undertake a review of the book and its suitability for inclusion in school libraries and classrooms. Halton Catholic District School Board has since returned the books to the YA shelves.

Ken Setterington, the Children’s and Youth Advocate for the Toronto Public Library said, “At a time when there is a huge issue of literacy, it is sad that a magnificent book that challenges readers to think should find itself pulled from shelves.”

In his book, The Magical Worlds of Philip Pullman, David Colbert claims that the entire trilogy “can be read as a storehouse of Pullman’s own questions” and is inspired by John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. He goes on to explain the influences of William Blake, Lord Byron, Shakespeare and Socrates upon Pullman’s rich novels. Surely a book with such a rich endowment of classic literary influences should be studied, discussed and debated, rather than banned.

The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass are all available at the Bracebridge Public Library in print and audio formats. We encourage everyone to read, enjoy and decide for themselves the literary merit and the role of these books in our society today.