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The Coeur d’Alene Public Library will celebrate its patrons’ right to read with exhibits and programs during Banned Books Week that will include a presentation by Spokane author Chris Crutcher.

The library continues to accept entries in its Design-A-Cover Contest for children and teens. Entry forms are available in the Seagraves Children’s Library, 702 E. Front Ave. Entries to date, depicting the covers of books that have been challenged in the past, are now on display in the Parkside Gallery on the lower level of the library.

Entries in the contest will be entered a drawing for Banned Books Week prizes.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., the library will conduct a Banned Books Readout with library volunteers and community leaders reading from challenged books. A discussion of readers’ rights will follow.

Crutcher, whose books have been challenged in various settings, will meet with teens in the Community Room at 4 p.m. A pizza snack will be provided. At 5:30 p.m. Crutcher will present a program for all ages sponsored by the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.

Crutcher, 64, is the author of 13 books – 10 novels, two short story collections and an autobiography.  Prior to his work as an author, he taught school in Washington and California and acted as director of an Oakland alternative school for nearly a decade.  That academic history coupled with 25 years as a child and family therapist specializing in abuse and neglect has infused his literary work with realism and emotional heft. 

His signature blend of tragedy and comedy has made him a favorite with teen and adult readers.  He is also one of the most frequently banned authors in North America – a fact he considers an accomplishment, rather than a drawback.

A popular “Voices from the Middle”columnist for several years, Crutcher has been awarded the National Council of Teachers of English’s National Intellectual Freedom Award, the ALAN Award, the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, the Catholic Library Association’s St. Katharine Drexel Award and “Writer”magazine’s Writers Who Make a Difference Award. 

Selected works by Crutcher include “Running Loose,” 1983; “Stotan!,” 1986; “The Crazy Horse Electric Game,” 1987; “Chinese Handcuffs,” 1989; “Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories,” 1991; “The Deep End,” 1991; “Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes,” 1993; “Ironman,” 1995; “Whale Talk,” 2001; “King of the Mild Frontier,” 2003; “The Sledding Hill,” 2005, and “Deadline,” 2007.

Patrons who need accommodation to participate in library programs or services are asked to contact the staff prior to the activity by calling 208-769-2315. For regular updates follow the library on Facebook and Twitter.