Banned Books in Spotlight for Common Read

Banned Books in Spotlight for Common Read

By Emmi van Zoest

This year's Common Read selections include "Baddawi" by Leila Abdelrazaq and "An Indigenous People's History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Photo by Jamie Higgins

The university library kicked off this year's Common Read in front of Kellogg Library on Thursday, Aug. 29, by giving students free books that are a part of this year's selected material.

For the third straight year, Cal State San Marcos is bringing attention to banned books. Common Read annually gives students an opportunity to connect with and grow understanding of other communities.

This year's selected books focus on African American, Latinx, Asian American, American Indian, LGBTQ and other characters, or challenge the status quo. These books are some of the thousands that have been banned across schools and libraries in America. Many of the books banned center around marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQIA persons and people of color.

Banned Books Weektakes place at the end of the month, and CSUSM's library will be hosting several events that coincide with the week.

This year's five Common Readbooks that the committee selected include:

• "Baddawi" by Leila Abdelrazaq
• "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
• "An Indigenous People's History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
• "The Name Jar" by Yangsook Choi
• "V for Vendetta" by Alan Moore

"It's important for students to know that books are being banned here in California, not just in faraway places, and what that means for them," said Allison Carr, CSUSM's academic transitions librarian.

"Reading books written by diverse authors opens up our perspectives to different lived experiences, which build empathy. Books written by authors from historically marginalized groups are disproportionately targeted for censorship to keep people from building that empathy, which keeps us divided."

This year's Banned Books Week will take place Sept. 23-27 at CSUSM, and the library will have another book giveaway on Sept. 24. There will also be a Graphic Book Novel Club meeting where students can attend a discussion about the history of censorship of comic books and graphic novels.

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