​ Banned Books Week is September 18-24, and its purpose is to celebrate our freedom to read. This week is to show that books shouldn’t be censored and reading brings us together, while censorship divides us. Here are some of the events sponsored by the Wichita Public Library that I think will be fun to participate in:

Medallion Hunt

Every day at 9 a.m. from September 19-23, the Wichita library will post clues on their social media sites to find a medallion in the Wichita city limits. This happens every day. If you find the medallion, you can bring it to any library location to redeem a prize. To find the clues, check out the Library's social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Teen Art Challenge

Teens can recreate the cover of a banned book to be made into a bookmark at the Wichita public libraries. Designs should be 3" x 8" and turned in by 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 24. You can use colored pencils, paint, markers, crayons, graphic design software – anything that helps spark artistic creativity.

Movie Nights

The Library will also have movies on several nights at different locations. To see banned books adapted into movies. To see the list of movies, check out this page: https://wichitalibrary.org/bannedbooks. I'm very excited for this but I suggest you read the books first (which can be found at the library).

Banned Books Week is important to all readers because reading isn't meant to separate us, it's meant to bring us together. I think it's very important for all readers to celebrate it or read at least one banned or challenged book in their life. I love that the Library is bringing awareness to this because no book deserves to be banned for expressing an opinion that you may be against. I still love to read books with opposing opinions to mine, they show me a different outlook on things. Have a happy Banned Books Week!​