Banned Books Week

Celebrating the Freedom to Read

September 25 - October 2, 2010

"It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers." --                                                   Judy Blume

     According to the American Library Association:

          Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose and the freedom to express one's opinion, even

          if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular.  Often challenges are motivated by a desire

          to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top

          three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom: the material

          was considered to be "sexually explicit, " the material contained "offensive language," and/or the materials

          was "unsuited to any age group.

 Challenged Books have included books that contain contemporary issues as well as classic works of literature.

  The “10 Most Challenged Books of 2009” contain contemporary issues as well as classic works of literature.

  1.  TTYL; TTFN; L8R; G8R(series) by Lauren Myracle

        Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs

  2.  And Tango Makes Three  by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
        Reasons:  Homosexuality

  3.  The Perks of Being A Wallflower  by Stephen Chbosky

        Reasons:  Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

  4.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

        Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

  5.  Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
        Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

  6.  Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
        Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

  7.  My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
        Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, 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

"About Banned and Challenged Books." American Library Association. American Library Association, 2010. Web. 17 June 2010.
 

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