From the land of Narnia to the Mississippi River, books are a powerful source of controversial ideas. Books can change people’s lives, and maybe that is what some people fear. Books cover topics from the thoughts and dreams of a 6-year-old to what some consider the inspired words of God. The contents have been the cumulative work of thousands of lives – the human experience between two pieces of cardboard. And while it may seem scary how much truth those pieces of paper contain, it is not something to be scared of. This week hundreds of people in libraries across the country will read their part during Banned Books Week. The event, which is sponsored nationally by the American Library Association, celebrates the books that have scared people since the first print was published. Year after year “concerned citizens” and overprotective parents’ groups ask that books like “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” ” I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “Catcher in the Rye” be removed from the shelves of America’s libraries. The rationalization behind their actions has been that the information and ideas these books contain are too vulgar for America’s youth to handle. There is no gloss, no fairyland, no nuclear family behind a white picket fence between these covers, only realism. It’s the stuff no one wants to talk about, hear about or think about, but everyone should. It’s life, real and unabridged, the way real people experience it. And while betrayal, hatred and ignorance are all elements of these stories, so are love, truth and kindness. This is the human experience wrapped up between two pieces of cardboard. Don’t take it off the shelf.Editorial Board: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Amie Van Overmeer and Andres Hauser