It’s Banned Book Week, a time to celebrate books, for education and for general eyerolling. It’s a reminder that some folks out there want to ban specific books from schools, libraries and bookstores. Why those folks should get to decide what the rest of us read, I do not know. I’m guessing it comes from a place of fear and is a result of being narrow-minded and misinformed. I get wanting to watch over what your kids read and see, but this goes beyond that. These folks want to control the marketplace.
You don’t like a book – fine. You don’t want your kids to read it – fine, talk to them. But you don’t get to keep the book from everyone else.
According to the American Library Association, here are the ten most challenged titles:
1.ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, offensive language, drugs, and unsuited to age group
2. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: racism, offensive language, unsuited to age group
5. Twilight (series), by Stephanie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
6. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: sexaully explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
7. My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: sexism, homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group, drugs, suicide, violence
8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
9. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
10. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
Lots of “unsuitable” complaints here. Makes me wonder who these folks are who complain and what they do find suitable. Probably not much.
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