Author Chris Crutcher for Banned Books Week
On Saturday, October 4, author Chris Crutcher appeared on the American Library Association (ALA) island in Second Life to talk about issues related to intellectual freedom and censorship. Chris has been identified by ALA as one of the top ten banned authors of 2007. Chris made some important points. He commented that parents have a right to decide what books their children read, but not what books other parents’ children read. As a therapist and former administrator of an alternative school, Chris has observed that holding secrets is damaging to children and that books can provide a stimulus for discussing important issues. He also made the point that kids often make the most compelling advocates for supporting intellectual freedom as they talk persuasively about what certain books mean to them. Chris’s program stimulated much thought and discussion among attendees related to these important issues. See the Flickr photo set.
