This week, Mercer Law Library celebrated Banned Books Week. Book bans threaten freedom of information yet they are still commonplace throughout the United States. The Mercer Law Library joined libraries throughout the nation in supporting the freedom to read. More information can be found on our Banned Books Week LibGuide page.
As part of the celebrations, we invited students to share the titles of their favorite banned books. We weren't disappointed!
Maritza Gonzalez (3L)
Favorite Banned Book: The Catcher in the Rye
"The story is of a disillusioned young man clearly struggling with mental health issues after being expelled from school. The book takes place over the course of two days."
Catherine Churchill (2L)
Favorite Banned Book: Maus
"Maus is a graphic novel that follows a son as he interviews his father and gains a greater understanding. The father is a Holocaust survivor, and the son is the author of Maus. The novel reads like a documentary for the very book you are reading but all the characters are talking animals. The cartoon figures make the incredibly heavy topics of persecution, the Holocaust, and understanding your parents easier to swallow and at times even funny. Further, the banning of this book is ironic when the entire purpose, often bluntly stated over the course of the series, is to make sure the Holocaust is not censored from the collective memory which would allow such atrocities to happen again."
Luckshume Ketheeswaran (2L)
Favorite Banned Book: To Kill A Mockingbird
"I’ve read this book like 15 times. I really enjoyed the book because of how well Harper E. Lee tells the story through Scout and how Scout interacts with the inhabitants of Maycomb."
Ana Muñoz (2L)
Favorite Banned Book: Fahrenheit 451
"I really enjoyed how it demonstrated the capacity of books and their power. How easily people in power can be afraid of a book because it gives people knowledge. It’s also ironic that a book about book banning is banned."
Hopefully, these short reviews inspire you to pick up a banned book of your own. Thank you to all the students who made this year's Banned Books Week at Mercer Law a success!
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