Banned Books Week
Since 1982 more than a thousand books have been challenged in the United States, according to the American Library Association. Every year libraries, bookstores and schools recognize Banned Book Week in an attempt to counter such censorship, and celebrate the written word-in all it’s glory and sometimes at it’s worse.
In 2009 the Top Ten Banned Books were:
- ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, offensive language, drugs,
and unsuited to age group
- And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality (the cover shows 2 adult penguins and a baby penguin?)
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually
explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: racism, offensive language, unsuited to age group
- Twilight (series), by Stephanie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
- Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
- My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: sexism, homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group, drugs, suicide, violence
- The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
- The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
- The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
If you want to find activities in your area call your local library or check the events page of the BannedBooksWeek website.
As writers and others who cherish the written word and the freedom to express ourselves in any fashion, it is our job to fight the forces that would censor and ban books. I believe that it is an individual parent’s place to look at what his or her children are reading and help them make sense of the story’s content. Your child-your issue, and nobody else’s business. Fear and hate are not reasons to destroy. We’ve seen recent examples of what that kind of fear can go when allowed to run rampant. I, for one, am doing my part to share this information and promote our freedom to read, purchase, and write to our hearts content.
Here in the UK, we don’t really have/celebrate Banned Books Week and until this year I have not been aware of its existence!
It’s great to see so many promoting this cause. As a lover of American literature (and all books!), I’ll certainly be doing my bit from now on too.
Do you have factions that would ban books from the schools and libraries?
I’m a fan of British works- mysteries by Rendell, Barbara Vine, Peter Robinson, Elizabeth George and I love Booker Award winners.
Not particularly, no – it isn’t common for parents here to challenge books, the decision to remove books from schools lies very much in the hands of the teachers. So it is either heavily under-publicized, or it is simply uncommon.
My personal opinion is that books are removed from shelves in schools without our knowledge, and without any official process, therefore there lists and statistics so not exist.
… I do recall Harry Potter being banned in one school many years ago, and stories about pigs banned in another, both on seemingly religious grounds.
Anything written has the power to offend someone, there’s no way around it. I hope to offend a few people, it means that enough people are reading it to be offended!
Good for you! There’s no doubt that I will be offending someone!
Helpful blog, bookmarked the website with hopes to read more!
Thank you, I look forward to seeing you around.