Hopatcong Children Speak Out Against Books Banned from Schools

Hopatcong and other lake area residents populated a Banned Book Week event at the Catherine Dickson Hoffman Library in Blairstown last week.

Hopatcong residents Miki Macchiarola, 13, Veronica Pollock, 12, and Lara Watrous, 12, attended the event, along with many Ridge and Valley Charter School seventh- and eighth-graders, who wrapped books in chains and locked them with combination padlocks.

Macchiarola, Pollock and Watrous created posters and buttons, arranged displays and provided refreshments.

Banned Book Week is "a annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment," according to a statement on the American Library Association's website. "Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States."

Some of the children were wearing buttons reading "Sprink on your Spronk," which is a phrase from the "Guardians Ga'Hoole" book series, meaning "darn (or worse) the forbidden."

Watrous said parents can keep their kids from reading books they find unacceptable and, "you can have your own opinion. If you don't like a book, don't read it." She said books can be designated for an age group, but not banned.

The students discovered some books they enjoy were banned.

"They don't want you to read the good stuff," said Tyler Donovan, 13, of Hope, who wrote an essay against banning books. "Books are to share thoughts and ideas of other people," he said.

"Mostly people stop circulating books they don't agree with," Matthew Browns of Independence Township said.

Some of the books tied up on the tables included the "Harry Potter" series, "Slaughterhouse 5" and "Huckleberry Finn". Others include the "Junie B. Jones" books, which are "about a first-grader being funny," Ali Fonseca of Branchville said.

Besides holding an event at the library, the kids read "And Tango Makes Three" to the kindergarteners.