Voice of Youth Advocates - Intellectual Freedom Issue

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) magazine recently released the Intellectual Freedom Issue.  If you don't subscribe to the magazine, I suggest you take the time to at least read the online version of this issue (by clicking on the link above.)  There are articles on a whole range of interesting topics.  Here's an example:

• Groundbreakers: Books that Made a Difference (Pam Spencer Holley)
• Nine YA Authors Speak About Intellectual Freedom (Joel Shoemaker)
• I'm With the Banned (Lauren Myracle)
• Using Controversial Literature with Young Adults (Daniel Kellerman)

Each author takes a look at a different area of interest regarding freedom of information, freedom to read, and the role of libraries and librarians when it comes to children and reading choices.  There are also articles on topics that I don't think need to be controversial, but seem to be, such as GLBT resources in libraries and classrooms as well as other, more classic book selections.

VOYA is a great magazine and this issue takes up a lot of topics that are very relevant in contemporary society when looking at books, freedom, censorship, and other related areas of interest.  The articles by, and which contain interviews with, authors known for their censored books and other literary endeavours are particularly interesting, at least to me.  Chris Crutcher, sometimes seen as being controversial for controversy's sake has a great piece on the "Challenge of Protecting Free Speech."  Whether or not you agree with his fictional writing, this article is worth a look.

The Intellectual Freedom issue has a good variety of perspectives from authors, educators, academics, and publishers that all deserve to be read and discussed.  If you haven't read any of these pieces, you can find them on the digital edition of the magazine through this link or go to voya.com and click on the Digital VOYA section.

And no, they're not paying me to advertise.  I just really like this issue of the magazine.

That is all.