Banned Books Week is here. I love the awareness this debate brings and always find the reasoning behind wanting to ban a book quite intriguing. I think most people would be surprised by the books that have been on the list. The ALA (American Library Association) reported that, "One of the most challenged books on record is the Harry Potter series, which topped the aggregated 2000-2009 ranking of the decade." Harry Potter? The lightning bolt scarred, butterbeer drinking, broken glasses wearing wizard, who became every nerd"s hero, was hexed over and over again. I'm not lying people. Google it. Hermione Granger, a mere half wizard/half muggle who loves books and libraries, quickly became my favorite in the series. She didn't believe in breaking rules but she got the banned book boot. In 1999, the book was challenged 472 times. It rose to 646 in 2000. 17 years later, the books are still being challenged, making it the #1 challenged book of all time in the US. I'd like to raise a glass of butterbeer (does not contain alcohol) to all of my HP friends who bravely read and loved J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. #freedomofspeech

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