Wednesday, September 28, 2011

BANNED BOOKS WEEK, September 24 - October 1

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week. The annual event was started in 1982 by the Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and librarian, Judith Krug.

Banned Books Week was established by Krug to celebrate the freedom to read and write what one chooses. Since 1982, more than 11,000 books have been challenged in schools, libraries and bookstores. According to the American Library Association, there were 343 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2010.

10 MOST CHALLENGED BOOK TITLES OF 2010
And Tango Makes Three - by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group




The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sex education, sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group
Brave New World - by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
Crank - by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
The Hunger Games (Series) - by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group
Lush - by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
What My Mother Doesn't Know - by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America - by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint
Revolutionary Voices - edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit
Twilight (Series) - by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, unsuited to age group







How many of these titles have you read? How many do you own? Are these titles in your local library? If not, why not?

Click HERE for more information about Banned Books Week.
Sources:1. and 2.

8 comments:

Frances said...

Thanks for posting this. I really wish people who challenge these books would realize that not everyone agrees with their viewpoint. A much better option would be to just not read the book themselves and talk over why they don't want their teen to read it with the teen. It would be the perfect opportunity for parents to give their values and to LISTEN to their teens responses and thoughts on it.

Charla85 said...

I have read several of these books and I loved them. I especially like Sherman Alexie, he is a wonderful author. I think it is total crap that people would ban these books, if you're going to ban books than you should ban some of this crap on television! Why not ban SpongeBob or that show Jersey Shore? People that ban these books are people that let what little power they have go to their heads. I'd say more but let's just say it would include a whole lot of this....@!#%. Anyways, I'm sure you see where I am going with that. Wonderful post!

Carrie said...

I've never read any of them. The only one I'd be remotely interested in is "Nickel and Dimed." That being said, I'm not in agreement with banning books. While the books you posted don't appeal to me, it doesn't mean I have a right to stop other people from reading them. If I have my own personal library, then I have the right to ban what I want. If it's public, well, anything goes! It's not up to libraries to police children, it's up to the PARENTS to be involved in their children's lives. Be aware of what your child is reading. If you don't agree with things, explain why!

DMS said...

Great post! I have read many banned books- but from your list just The Hunger Games series and Twilight. I love both! I am actually reading the last book in the Hunger Games series now. I think everyone should be able to decide for themselves if a book is right for them!

~Jess
http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

Cecilia Robert said...

Hi! my name is Cecilia, and I'm new here. I enjoy going through and reading your blog.
I read Hunger games and Twilight, and own all copies (of Twilight) And I savoured every word in those pages. I'll echo Fairday Morrow's words 'everyone should be able to decide for themselves.'

(: Isa :) said...

Learned a lot from this post! I did not know that The Hunger Games series was in banishment or Twilight. I've read both series as well as Brave New World. I think that as long as a book doesn't hide its content from the reader, the reader can make an informed decision on whether or not to read it. :)

J.R.Poulter/J.R.McRae said...

I read and loved "CRANK" - a brilliant, very sensitive dealing of a difficult topic. Ellen Hopkins did a magnificent job with this. The book does not pull any punches neither does it try and water down or hide what it is dealing with - a very honest book.

Denise McDonough said...

Thank you TRULY for posting this!
Hunger games is my favorite of this list but I have to admit I have read most. Hunger games though is truly a master mind of writing so twisted and crazy and all under it all Peeta who just wants to real love Katniss. It is a sad love story where the ending is a mediocre life lived a same day everything kind of life. Nothing fancy no vamp to make you live forever right out of high school. And tango makes 3 I mean come on this day in age? really? i mean I know this is my opinion but really? You are that prude? Life is changing people get on the bus or get out!
Anyway
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