By Banned books on display

To raise awareness regarding the censorship of books today, the Los Altos Library will display banned books and informative materials during Banned Books Week, Sept. 21-28. “Let Freedom Read: Read a Banned Book” is this year’s theme.

“The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck’s classic novel about the Depression, had a rocky introduction in American libraries back in 1939. It was burned, barred or banned from various libraries around the country, including Kern County. Even today, as the National Steinbeck Center celebrates the centennial of Steinbeck’s birth, his books continue to be challenged. According to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, “Of Mice and Men” was the second most challenged book of 2001, after the Harry Potter series.

For more information, call the Los Altos Library at 948-7683 ext. 3519.