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Welcome to Vancouver Island Regional Library

Home / Freedom to Read Week

Freedom to Read Week

February 23 – March 1, 2025

Banned books, in this day and age?

Believe it. Canadians are fortunate that our freedom to choose what we read is protected but that access is often tested.

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event encouraging Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed to us under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

You may be surprised to learn that challenged books include The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the picture book Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and the graphic novel Blankets by Craig Thompson.

LEARN more about Freedom to Read Week in Canada.  The Canadian Federation of Library Associations also has a list of Challenges to Publications in Canadian Public Libraries from September 2021 to August 2022 .

WATCH the videos in the Banned Books and Films category in Kanopy, a free streaming service for library users.

READ & LISTEN to these eBooks & eAudiobooks in our Overdrive collection, all of which have either been challenged or banned in the past.

LISTEN to our Meet Me in the Stacks podcast episode 35 where Librarians Monica and Stephanie talk about the considerations and values behind Freedom to Read Week.

EXPLORE further by diving into the titles below, all of which have been challenged in Canada.

Kids & Teens Freedom to Read

To kill a mockingbird Cover
To kill a…
The great bear Cover
The great bear
Your favorite Seuss : 13 stories Cover
Your favorite Seuss…
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Cover
Adventures of Huckleberry…
Three wishes : Palestinian and Israeli children speak Cover
Three wishes :…
Bridge to Terabithia Cover
Bridge to Terabithia
Pink, blue, and you! : questions for kids about gender stereotypes Cover
Pink, blue, and…
Party games : a Fear Street novel Cover
Party games :…
Underground to Canada Cover
Underground to Canada
Under threat [paperback] Cover
Under threat [paperback]
When everything feels like the movies [paperback] Cover
When everything feels…
Hold fast Cover
Hold fast
This one summer Cover
This one summer
The golden compass Cover
The golden compass
Go ask Alice Cover
Go ask Alice
The graveyard book Cover
The graveyard book
And Tango makes three Cover
And Tango makes…
Betty : the Helen Betty Osborne story Cover
Betty : the…
The giver Cover
The giver
My first Ramadan Cover
My first Ramadan
More

Freedom to Read Week

More happy than not Cover
More happy than…
Silvera, Adam, 1990-
The golden compass Cover
The golden compass
Pullman, Philip, 1946- author.
Who is Frances Rain? Cover
Who is Frances…
Buffie, Margaret.
Sex is a funny word Cover
Sex is a…
Silverberg, Cory, author.
Go ask Alice Cover
Go ask Alice
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe Cover
Aristotle and Dante…
Saenz, Benjamin Alire, author.
Kings, queens, and in-betweens Cover
Kings, queens, and…
Boteju, Tanya, author.
The handmaid's tale Cover
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret, 1939- author.
This day in June Cover
This day in…
Pitman, Gayle E., author.
Radio silence Cover
Radio silence
Oseman, Alice, author.
The hammer of Thor Cover
The hammer of…
Riordan, Rick, author.
Huntress Cover
Huntress
Lo, Malinda.
Fred gets dressed Cover
Fred gets dressed
Brown, Peter, 1979- author, illustrator.
Flamer Cover
Flamer
Curato, Mike, author, illustrator.
Donovan's big day Cover
Donovan's big day
Newman, Lesléa, author.
Underground to Canada Cover
Underground to Canada
Smucker, Barbara, 1915-2003, author.
This book is gay Cover
This book is…
Dawson, Juno, author.
Brave face : a memoir Cover
Brave face :…
Hutchinson, Shaun David, author.
Fire song Cover
Fire song
Jones, Adam Garnet, author.
Spinning Cover
Spinning
Walden, Tillie, 1996- author, illustrator.
Beetle & the Hollowbones Cover
Beetle & the…
Layne, Aliza, author.
The deep & dark blue Cover
The deep &…
Smith, Niki, author.
Rethinking normal : a memoir in transition Cover
Rethinking normal :…
Hill, Katie Rain, author.
The black flamingo Cover
The black flamingo
Atta, Dean, author.
Three wishes : Palestinian and Israeli children speak Cover
Three wishes :…
Ellis, Deborah, 1960-
Growing up trans : in our own words Cover
Growing up trans…
When everything feels like the movies [paperback] Cover
When everything feels…
Reid, Raziel, 1990- author.
Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world Cover
Ivy Aberdeen's letter…
Blake, Ashley Herring, author.
Melissa Cover
Melissa
Gino, Alex, author.
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me Cover
Laura Dean keeps…
Tamaki, Mariko, author.
And Tango makes three Cover
And Tango makes…
Richardson, Justin, 1963-
Worm loves Worm Cover
Worm loves Worm
Austrian, J. J., author.
What Riley wore Cover
What Riley wore
Arnold, Elana K., author.
Pet Cover
Pet
Emezi, Akwaeke, author.
A jest of God Cover
A jest of…
Laurence, Margaret, author.
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me Cover
Laura Dean keeps…
Tamaki, Mariko, author.
Morris Micklewhite and the tangerine dress [ebook] Cover
Morris Micklewhite and…
Baldacchino, Christine, author.
From the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea Cover
From the stars…
Thom, Kai Cheng, author.
Growing up trans : In Our Own Words Cover
Growing up trans…
Herriot, Lindsay, author.
Jacob's room to choose Cover
Jacob's room to…
Hoffman, Sarah, author.
Pet Cover
Pet
Emezi, Akwaeke, author.
Felix Yz Cover
Felix Yz
Bunker, Lisa, author.
Morris Micklewhite and the tangerine dress Cover
Morris Micklewhite and…
Baldacchino, Christine, 1977- author.
A family is a family is a family Cover
A family is…
O'Leary, Sara, author.
And Tango makes three Cover
And Tango makes…
Richardson, Justin, 1963- author.
When the moon was ours Cover
When the moon…
McLemore, Anna-Marie, author.
Like a love story Cover
Like a love…
Nazemian, Abdi, author.
Felix ever after Cover
Felix ever after
Callender, Kacen, author.
Monday is one day Cover
Monday is one…
Levine, Arthur A., 1962-
My Maddy Cover
My Maddy
Pitman, Gayle E., author.
Henry Holton takes the ice Cover
Henry Holton takes…
Bradley, Sandra.
You can't read this : forbidden books, lost writing, mistranslations & codes Cover
You can't read…
Ross, Val.
The wars Cover
The wars
Findley, Timothy, 1930-2002, author.
When Aidan became a brother Cover
When Aidan became…
Lukoff, Kyle, author.
Introducing Teddy : a gentle story about gender and friendship Cover
Introducing Teddy :…
Walton, Jess, author.
The other boy Cover
The other boy
Hennessey, M. G., author.
Hold fast Cover
Hold fast
Major, Kevin, 1949- author.
My rainbow Cover
My rainbow
Neal, Trinity, author.
Star-crossed Cover
Star-crossed
Dee, Barbara, author.
Hurricane child Cover
Hurricane child
Callender, Kacen, author.
Stella brings the family Cover
Stella brings the…
Schiffer, Miriam B., author.
Little & Lion Cover
Little & Lion
Colbert, Brandy, author.
My life as a diamond Cover
My life as…
Manzer, Jenny, author.
Birthday : a novel Cover
Birthday : a…
Russo, Meredith, author.
The hammer of Thor [cd nonmusic] Cover
The hammer of…
Riordan, Rick, author.
The best at it Cover
The best at…
Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author.
I am Jazz Cover
I am Jazz
Herthel, Jessica, author.
I'm a girl! Cover
I'm a girl!
Ismail, Yasmeen, author, illustrator.
Pride : the celebration and the struggle Cover
Pride : the…
Stevenson, Robin, 1968- author.
Une idée pour Papi Cover
Une idée pour…
Smith, Heather, 1968- auteur.
Fire song Cover
Fire song
Too bright to see Cover
Too bright to…
Lukoff, Kyle, author.
Dress codes for small towns Cover
Dress codes for…
Stevens, Courtney C., author.
A plan for Pops Cover
A plan for…
Smith, Heather, 1968- author.
47,000 beads Cover
47,000 beads
Adeyoha, Koja, author.
Some assembly required : the not-so-secret life of a transgender teen Cover
Some assembly required…
Andrews, Arin, author.
Little & Lion Cover
Little & Lion
Colbert, Brandy, author.
Our subway baby : the true story of how one baby found his home Cover
Our subway baby…
Mercurio, Peter, author.
Gay & lesbian history for kids : the century-long struggle for LGBT rights, with 21 activities Cover
Gay & lesbian…
Pohlen, Jerome.
Melissa Cover
Melissa
Gino, Alex, author.
The hammer of Thor [downloadable audio file] Cover
The hammer of…
Riordan, Rick, author.
None of the above Cover
None of the…
Gregorio, I. W.
The ABC's of LGBT+ Cover
The ABC's of…
Mardell, Ashley, author.
My rainbow Cover
My rainbow
Neal, DeShanna
The best at it Cover
The best at…
Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author.
The best at it Cover
The best at…
Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author narrator.
Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world Cover
Ivy Aberdeen's letter…
Blake, Ashley Herring, author.
Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world Cover
Ivy Aberdeen's letter…
Blake, Ashley Herring, author.
Felix Yz Cover
Felix Yz
Bunker, Lisa, author.
Felix Yz Cover
Felix Yz
Bunker, Lisa, author.
The other boy [ebook] Cover
The other boy…
Hennessey, M. G., author.
And Tango makes three [downloadable audio file] Cover
And Tango makes…
Richardson, Justin, 1963- author.
Amazing Grace [downloadable audio file] Cover
Amazing Grace [downloadable…
Hoffman, Mary, 1945- author.
More
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%the_title% %author% %audience% %categories%
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