World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day or International Day of the Book, annually celebrates the writing, reading, and publishing of anything book related on April 23. Its main focus is on the promotion of literacy and its importance in the lives of youth.  Not only do books use literary elements to tell an entertaining story, but they also expose readers to consider diverse viewpoints and pass along fundamental life lessons. However, the former statement is the exact reason why so many books are banned or censored.

Commonly Banned Books:

• The Harry Potter series for referring to magic and witchcraft
• The Hate U Give for featuring “police brutality, profanity, racism, drug use and violence” (https://bit.ly/31diuDq)
• The Catcher in the Rye for “excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult.” (https://bit.ly/39cCCdb)
• To Kill a Mockingbird for its racial and prejudicial themes
• Of Mice and Men for vulgar language

To observe World Book and Copyright Day, read a book or even write one of your own. Design a bookmark. Share your favorite titles using the hashtags: #worldbookandcopyrightday,  #worldbookday, and #internationaldayofthebook.