When I hear “Banned Books Week,” all I can think of is _”Fahrenheit 451″_, which actually has been a challenged piece of literature. Ironic, no?Anyway, Banned Books Week 2008 is the 27th time the American Library Association has celebrated the freedom to express one’s opinion. I actually didn’t know this week existed until I saw a sign hanging in The Raven Bookstore’s window. But I think it’s a really neat concept.I went through some of the lists of banned or challenged books (there’s a bunch of them, ranging from different years to different centuries, by author, etc.) and some of them caught my eye.Some of the most banned/challenged books of the 20th century include a few of my favorite books. (I’m a reader. Like, big time.)For example: _”1984″_ _”Catch-22″_ _”Brave New World”_ And you can’t forget the most thought-of book when it comes to banning: _”Catcher in the Rye”_ (which – don’t judge me – I actually didn’t really like.)AND, the most banned/challenged book of this decade? “Harry Potter”! Something about all the magical-ness or something.Some authors make multiple appearances on all the different lists from the ALA, including John Steinbeck, Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Vonnegut and D.H. Lawrence. They must have gotten some people riled up. Or at least their writing did.Tomorrow at Watson Library, KU will be holding a Banned Book Week Read from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. I’ll be reporting on it, and I’m pretty excited about it.Take a gander at some of the lists the ALA compiled of banned/challenged books: Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books 2000-2007 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2007 Top 10 Challenged Authors 1990-2004 Top Ten List 1991-2007And the No. 1 most challenged book of 2007? [_”And Tango Makes Three”_][22], a story about two male penguins that raise a mixed couple’s egg. The reasons? “Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, and Unsuited to Age Group.”Ouch.Have you read any of the challenged books? Are there any you love and couldn’t live without? What about censorship issues? Doing anything to celebrate Banned Books Week?