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Welcome to Vancouver Island Regional Library

Home

February 22 – February 28, 2026

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

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

Freedom to Read Week

The handmaid's tale Cover
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret, 1939- author.
And Tango makes three Cover
And Tango makes…
Richardson, Justin, 1963-
Flamer Cover
Flamer
Curato, Mike, author, illustrator.
A plan for Pops Cover
A plan for…
Smith, Heather, 1968- author.
Fred gets dressed Cover
Fred gets dressed
Brown, Peter, 1979- author, illustrator.
Pride : the celebration and the struggle Cover
Pride : the…
Stevenson, Robin, 1968- author.
The hammer of Thor Cover
The hammer of…
Riordan, Rick, author.
Henry Holton takes the ice Cover
Henry Holton takes…
Bradley, Sandra.
This book is gay Cover
This book is…
Dawson, Juno, author.
What Riley wore Cover
What Riley wore
Arnold, Elana K., author.
From the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea Cover
From the stars…
Thom, Kai Cheng, author.
My rainbow Cover
My rainbow
Neal, Trinity, author.
My Maddy Cover
My Maddy
Pitman, Gayle E., author.
A jest of God Cover
A jest of…
Laurence, Margaret, 1926-1987, author.
Beetle & the Hollowbones Cover
Beetle & the…
Layne, Aliza, author.
Some assembly required : the not-so-secret life of a transgender teen Cover
Some assembly required…
Andrews, Arin, author.
The ABC's of LGBT+ Cover
The ABC's of…
Mardell, Ashley, author.
Rethinking normal : a memoir in transition Cover
Rethinking normal :…
Hill, Katie Rain, author.
Donovan's big day Cover
Donovan's big day
Newman, Lesléa, author.
Brave face : a memoir Cover
Brave face :…
Hutchinson, Shaun David, author.
Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world Cover
Ivy Aberdeen's letter…
Blake, Ashley Herring, author.
Worm loves Worm Cover
Worm loves Worm
Austrian, J. J., author.
Jacob's room to choose Cover
Jacob's room to…
Hoffman, Sarah, author.
Introducing Teddy : a gentle story about gender and friendship Cover
Introducing Teddy :…
Walton, Jess, author.
Too bright to see Cover
Too bright to…
Lukoff, Kyle, author.
Spinning Cover
Spinning
Walden, Tillie, 1996- author, illustrator.
I am Jazz Cover
I am Jazz
Herthel, Jessica, author.
The wars Cover
The wars
Findley, Timothy, author.
Pet Cover
Pet
Emezi, Akwaeke, author.
Une idée pour Papi Cover
Une idée pour…
Smith, Heather, 1968- auteur.
Star-crossed Cover
Star-crossed
Dee, Barbara, author.
Felix Yz Cover
Felix Yz
Bunker, Lisa, author.
Stella brings the family Cover
Stella brings the…
Schiffer, Miriam B., author.
The deep & dark blue Cover
The deep &…
Smith, Niki, author.
The other boy Cover
The other boy
Hennessey, M. G., author.
Melissa Cover
Melissa
Gino, Alex, author.
Monday is one day Cover
Monday is one…
Levine, Arthur A., 1962-
When Aidan became a brother Cover
When Aidan became…
Lukoff, Kyle, author.
A family is a family is a family Cover
A family is…
O'Leary, Sara, author.
Morris Micklewhite and the tangerine dress Cover
Morris Micklewhite and…
Baldacchino, Christine, 1977- author.
And Tango makes three Cover
And Tango makes…
Richardson, Justin, 1963- author.
The best at it Cover
The best at…
Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author.
Hurricane child Cover
Hurricane child
Callender, Kacen, author.
Amazing Grace [downloadable audio file] Cover
Amazing Grace [downloadable…
Hoffman, Mary, 1945- author.
And Tango makes three [downloadable audio file] Cover
And Tango makes…
Richardson, Justin, 1963- author.
This day in June Cover
This day in…
Pitman, Gayle E., author.
Melissa Cover
Melissa
Gino, Alex, author.
The other boy [ebook] Cover
The other boy…
Hennessey, M. G., author.
The hammer of Thor [downloadable audio file] Cover
The hammer of…
Riordan, Rick, author.
Felix Yz Cover
Felix Yz
Bunker, Lisa, author.
Felix Yz Cover
Felix Yz
Bunker, Lisa, author.
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.
The best at it Cover
The best at…
Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author.
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me Cover
Laura Dean keeps…
Tamaki, Mariko, author.
The best at it Cover
The best at…
Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author narrator.
My rainbow Cover
My rainbow
Neal, DeShanna
Growing up trans : In Our Own Words Cover
Growing up trans…
Herriot, Lindsay, author.
Morris Micklewhite and the tangerine dress [ebook] Cover
Morris Micklewhite and…
Baldacchino, Christine, author.
The hammer of Thor [cd nonmusic] Cover
The hammer of…
Riordan, Rick, author.
Birthday : a novel Cover
Birthday : a…
Russo, Meredith, author.
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me Cover
Laura Dean keeps…
Tamaki, Mariko, author.
Felix ever after Cover
Felix ever after
Callender, Kacen, author.
Gay & lesbian history for kids : the century-long struggle for LGBT rights, with 21 activities Cover
Gay & lesbian…
Pohlen, Jerome.
Our subway baby : the true story of how one baby found his home Cover
Our subway baby…
Mercurio, Peter, author.
I'm a girl! Cover
I'm a girl!
Ismail, Yasmeen, author, illustrator.
47,000 beads Cover
47,000 beads
Adeyoha, Koja, author.
Growing up trans : in our own words Cover
Growing up trans…
My life as a diamond Cover
My life as…
Manzer, Jenny, author.
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.
Radio silence Cover
Radio silence
Oseman, Alice, author.
Huntress Cover
Huntress
Lo, Malinda.
Underground to Canada Cover
Underground to Canada
Smucker, Barbara, 1915-2003, author.
Fire song Cover
Fire song
Jones, Adam Garnet, author.
The black flamingo Cover
The black flamingo
Atta, Dean, author.
Three wishes : Palestinian and Israeli children speak Cover
Three wishes :…
Ellis, Deborah, 1960-
When everything feels like the movies [paperback] Cover
When everything feels…
Reid, Raziel, 1990- author.
Pet Cover
Pet
Emezi, Akwaeke, 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.
You can't read this : forbidden books, lost writing, mistranslations & codes Cover
You can't read…
Ross, Val.
Hold fast Cover
Hold fast
Major, Kevin, 1949- author.
Little & Lion Cover
Little & Lion
Colbert, Brandy, author.
Fire song Cover
Fire song
Dress codes for small towns Cover
Dress codes for…
Stevens, Courtney C., author.
Little & Lion Cover
Little & Lion
Colbert, Brandy, author.
None of the above Cover
None of the…
Gregorio, I. W.
More
%title% Cover
%the_title% %author% %audience% %categories%
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