Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read, the importance of first amendment rights and the power of literature! Throughout the week of Sept. 21-27, the Central Arkansas Library System encourages literature lovers to celebrate with special events and, of course, reading classic books that have been banned or challenged.

The Arkansas Literary Festival and Arkansas Sounds will present a free event at 7 p.m. this Thursday (Sept. 25). The evening, appropriate for teens and adults, will feature a concert by Scoop Slone and the Infinite and a movie screening at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

Attendees will watch "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (PG-13), based on the bestselling book by Stephen Chbosky. The winner of the Banned Books Perks Letter Writing Contest--open to high school students in Pulaski and Perry Counties--will also be announced.

According to the American Library Association, there were at least 462 books in 2012 that were either removed or challenged in schools and libraries in the United States. Every year, the ALA compiles a list of the top 10 most frequently challenged books. In 2013, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" made the top 10 list, alongside other popular books like "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and the "Captain Underpants" series by Dav Pilkey. See the entire top 10 most challenged books in 2013 here.

You can also see banned and challenged classics, as well as the 100 most frequently challenged books by decade. Visit ALA.org for more info.