Since 1985, Banned Books Week has been held the last week of September. That means that this week is time for you to celebrate your right to read any book you wish.
Last year's most challenged book, according to the American Library Association was
"It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health" by Robie H. Harris.
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received 405 challenges last year, with most complaints coming from public libraries, schools and school libraries. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or inappropriateness.
It is difficult to imagine that such books as "To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and even The Great Gatsby" were almost pushed off bookshelves. These literary classics were challenged hundreds of times.
Books are still being banned every day, including 10 of the great classics:
1) Ulysses by James Joyce. Published in 1918, this book was banned on sexual grounds. In 1922, 500 copies of the book were burned by the United States Department of the Post Office.
2) Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Published in 1884, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" has been banned on social grounds. Concord Public Library called the book "trash suitable only for the slums," when it first banned the novel in 1885.
3) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. Published in 1857, "Madame Bovary" was banned on sexual grounds. In the trial, Imperial Advocate Ernest Pinard said, "No gauze for him, no veils--he gives us nature in all her nudity and crudity."
4) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Published in 1850, "The Scarlet Letter" was censored on social grounds. The book has been challenged under claims that it is "pornographic and obscene."
5) Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was controversial. When President Lincoln saw Stowe, he purportedly said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war." The novel has been banned for language concerns.
6) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" has been frequently banned on social grounds. The book has been called "offensive" and "vulgar" because of the language and characterization.
7) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Published in 1932, "Brave New World" has been banned with complaints about the language used, as well morality issues. "Brave New World" is a satirical novel, with a stringent division of the classes, drugs, and free love.
8) Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Published in 1928, "Lady Chatterley's Lover" has been banned for its sexually explicit nature. Lawrence wrote three versions of the the novel.
9) Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. Published in 1722, "Moll Flanders" was one of the earliest novels. The book dramatically depicts the life and misadventures of a young girl, who becomes a prostitute. The book has been challenged on sexual grounds.
10) Candide by Voltaire. Published in 1759, "Candide" was banned by the Catholic Church. Bishop Etienne Antoine wrote: "We prohibit, under canonical law, the printing or sale of these books..."
Google Book Search has joined libraries and bookstores across the country to celebrate Banned Books Week by helping people learn about and explore banned books. You can start by browsing 42 classics at Explore Banned Books with Google.
You can also Listen to a podcast interview with ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Judith Krug. Curriculum Review editor Frank Sennett and Krug discuss our freedom to read, book challenges in schools, and the first-ever Banned Books Weekobservance.
Then Vote for your favorite challenged book - from "Captain Underpants" to "Of Mice and Men." The books all have faced expulsion from U.S. schools and libraries in the last 25 years. Votes will be tallied and announced Oct. 2, 2006.
Get involved. Find out how!
For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit www.ala.org/bbooks.
If you've never read a classic, why not start a banned book today? Here are a few banned books, a list of banned classics, banned plays, and more resources related to banned literature.
The "10 Most Challenged Books of 2005"
"It's Perfectly Normal" for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion and being unsuited to age group;
"Forever" by Judy Blume for sexual content and offensive language;
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger for sexual content, offensive language and being unsuited to age group;
"The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier for sexual content and offensive language;
"Whale Talk" by Chris Crutcher for racism and offensive language;
"Detour for Emmy" by Marilyn Reynolds for sexual content;
"What My Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones for sexual content and being unsuited to age group;
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey for anti-family content, being unsuited to age group and violence;
"Crazy Lady!" by Jane Leslie Conly for offensive language; and
"It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families" by Robie H. Harris for sex education and sexual content.
Off the list this year, but on for several years past, are the Alice series of books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain.
During Banned Books Week there are a number of things you can do to promote the freedom to read. You can download these free audio public service announcements and help spread the word about Banned Books Week! You could also organize a Socratic Seminar in schools to discuss such things as the First Amendment and current civic issues to help increase critical thinking and communications skills of students. Here are some resources that are designed for this purpose: Abilock, Debbie (2004). "21st Century Literacies: Tools for Reading the World" contains "You are Shocked" and "Libraries and the First Amendment" under "Political Literacy and News Media Literacy;" Beard, Carla (25 July 2005). "Debate in the Classroom and the National High School Debate Topic" Web English Teacher; Ladewig, Brian. Socratic Seminars.
For the first time this years, the ALA Online Store is selling the 2006 Banned Books Week materials. (The BBW Kit!) Phone information is 1-866-SHOP-ALA. You can also check out the following links:
Banned Books Bracelets
Banned Books Week Web Badges
Vote for your Favorite Banned Book!
ALSC Intellectual Freedom Brochure (wiki)
Explore Banned Books with Google
deletecensorship.org
Download a free chapter of each of the following at Audible.com: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Chocolate War and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Check out the most challenged books so far this century (and the briefer version, Most Challenged Books of 21st Century, 2000-2005.). The ALA reports there were more than 3,000 attempts to remove books from schools and public libraries between 2000 and 2005.
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Comments: 7
Like the debate about film, TV and porn, the main claim we hear is that it is "bad" for young minds to be exposed to some material.
Who decides what material and justification for pre-empting parental responsibility is a big concern of mine.
My teen is capable of reading ANYTHING. If he chose something racy, violent or racist, I'd want to know. I don't know that I'd stop him, but I'd like the opportunity to use it as a discussion point between us.
My 7 year old probably doesn't need to read or be exposed to some of this stuff. I wouldn't want the libraries to dictate what and why, but, again, would want to know about it.
Eric: I believe parents should be well aware of what their children are reading, so they can do as you said: talk to them about it.
Wm H.: Good for you!
Carol: Already done!