Banned Book Week

[Natasha (candygirl)]

We discussed banned books a little in this thread, but now it's officially Banned Book Week!

[special_k]

I read Catcher In The Rye years ago, but couldn't quite relate to Holden. Today that might be different. At the time, I was consumed with my life as the Donna Reed of the twentysomething "young alternative" set. Anyone care to list their favourite banned books? Nothingman???

[Natasha (candygirl)]

From the American Library Association, the 100 most challenged books 1990-2000:

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Dieby Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

[special_k]

Some of these I have, others I've read:


I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Sex by Madonna
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya

Nothingman?




(Thanks for the list, Candygirl!)

[emmie]

wow, that list is very surprising. or maybe I'm way too open minded that I can't see how those other people think. I probably read 75% of that list from elementary to high school, and most of those were required reading. it's sad really that people actually want to keep students from reading. it makes me wonder what they find appropriate.

[Jody Barsch*]

Well, you have to remember that those are the most frequently challenged, not necessarily banned. I'd have to say my two favorites from the list are Huck Finn and Handmaid's Tale.

[starbug]

I've only ever heard of one banned book in recent history in the UK, but that might well be because I'm a bit ignorant. The banned book (no longer banned) was Spycatcher, which the government tried to stop being published because it contained secrets that might threaten national security.

Anyway, the one's I've read are:

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Blubber by Judy Blume
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Most of those were when I was a kid... which I guess has much to do with them being on a 'challenged' list; I imagine many parents would want to stop their children reading books that deal with fairly hefty points. Maybe part of that stems from parental arrogance, in the sense that they feel they are best placed to teach their children about life, the universe and everything.

[Nothingman]

When I look at the list there aren't many that I have read, and almost all of them that I have were required reading. I didn't read for fun much untill highschool and college and even more so now that homework is no longer an issue. What I've read, partially or in it's entirety.

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Sex by Madonna
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Blubber by Judy Blume
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

I was surprised of the number of Judy Blume books on the list, I always thought she was an excellent child author, not that this takes anything away from that. I don't recall any books being challenged by parents when I was in school, perhaps it was kept quiet too.

[wicked]

I'm always amazed that books get banned at all . I just don't "get " it.

[Nostradamus]

The Sleeping Beauty trilogy is the only one I can understand banning, at least in schools. Mind you, if BDSM ever becomes required reading, I may have to reconsider my (formal) educational hiatus.

[Lizka]

Banning Judy Blum and Shel Silverstein?

Like Wicked, I just don't get banning books. Especially not these books, which are fabulous. I have read the following ones:

Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

It's ridiculous that some of my favourite childhood books are being banned. What's next? The Egypt Game?