The Catcher in the Rye. The Bible. Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lolita and 1984.

The titles are familiar, the controversy well documented, and in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, their pages will be read anew.

Sex, politics, religion and society in general: The Coeur d'Alene Public Library is paying homage to literature's more controversial page-tuners - beginning this week by reading passages, among other planned events, from previously banned books.

"If it's worth banning," said David Townsend, library communications coordinator, "it's worth reading."

The celebration also runs in conjunction with North Idaho Reads, a month-long program to get more people reading the same book - "Fahrenheit 451" in this case - and talking about it. Together, the programs will take a look at movies too, because controversial topics on film have generated opposition as well.

"It still happens," Townsend said. "Not so much bans, but you do see challenges on various books."

School boards, including the Coeur d'Alene school district's, often wrestle with what books are appropriate. Nampa School Board decided to remove the book "Like Water for Chocolate" from a ninth grade curriculum after some parents complained about passages including descriptions of sexual encounters, according to a report Tuesday by the Associated Press.

But as far as limiting what material should or shouldn't be available to a society as a whole infringes on freedom of speech, Townsend said, so celebrating that right is what Banned Book Week is all about Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.

And what about some of the lesser known pot-stirring tales?

Most everyone knows Holden Caufield, but did you know "The Lorax," a film based on the book by Dr. Seuss, has been challenged in some communities because of its environmental theme?

It will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Shirley Parker Reading Room of the Seagraves Children's Library on the lower level, and again at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5.

The literary celebration kicks off in earnest at 7 p.m. Thursday with a scholarly discussion of Fahrenheit 451 with Dr. David Adler, a professor of political science at Idaho State University.

Thursday, Oct. 4, a number of city and library officials will read passages from formerly banned book during the Banned Books Read Out, beginning at 7 p.m.

Info: www.cdalibrary.org or northidahoreads.org.