Ron Charles writes: “Banned Books Week is a curious thing to observe in the United States. After all, books are rarely banned in this nation devoted to freedom of expression. But certain titles are effectively disappeared when they’re removed from public libraries and school shelves at the urging of offended individuals and frightened administrators. Every September, I look over the new list and sigh, ‘How could anyone object to these great looking books?’ This year, instead of just sighing, I read all the books. The experience introduced me to some great new titles and, by implication, the anxieties of too many censorial Americans.”