Imagine a world without Harry Potter books. Or some of Judy Blume's best stuff. Or The Golden Compass. Or R.L. Stine's deliciously scary Goosebumps series.

All of those authors and books are included on a list of the 100 Most Challenged/Banned Books from 2000-2007.

Banned Books Week this year runs from September 27 to October 4, and many bookstores and libraries are hosting events in honor of keeping all books -- no matter how controversial -- on the shelves. The event's official website can point you to Banned Books Week events in your area.

From the web site:

Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups--or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.

According to the American Library Association, more than 400 books were challenged in 2007. The 10 most challenged titles were:

1. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
2. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
3. Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
4. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
7. TTYL by Lauren Myracle
8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
9. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

It's funny, though not, to see modern teen choices like TTYL mixed in with required reading choices like Huckleberry Finn and The Chocolate War, but I guess it just goes to show that no book is safe from, well, the kind of people who want to ban books. It's amazing, too, to see some of the classics that have been challenged year after year after year and wonder why anyone would want to deny someone else reading pleasure simply on the basis of a book's subject matter or language. What to read and not to read -- it's a decision a parent may make for their household, fine, but not for readers at large.

To celebrate the week, the American Library Association -- not to mention publishers, booksellers, and me -- encourage you to pick up a banned book -- and enjoy!

Do you have a story about book banning at your public library or your child's school? Share it in the comments.