Banned Books Week

"A word to the unwise.

Torch every book.
Char every page.
Burn every word to ash.
Ideas are incombustible.

And therein lies your real fear."

-Ellen Hopkins

Banned Books Week is taking place September 24 - October 1, 2011. For those of you not in the know, Banned Books Week, an American Library Association event, celebrates your right to read. More information on the laws and First Amendment can be found on ALA’s website.

I love Banned Books Week. I feel very strongly that is up to a child’s parent or guardian (not their teachers, librarians, or friends’ parents) to monitor what they read and the make the decision if a particular book is appropriate. In my opinion a second grader is likely not ready to read Judy Blume’s (the queen of the banned book) Forever, but that doesn’t give me the right to tell someone else that their child can’t read it. Following that logic, I feel that no one else has the right to tell me I cannot read something. It seems like this should be a reasonable solution; take care of yourself and your children but don’t force your beliefs on anyone else. However, every year the content of books is questioned and sometimes access to those books is limited or revoked. As someone who was never once denied the right to read (with the exception of teachers who told me to stop reading and do my class assignment-a fairly common occurrence) I strongly feel that everyone should have the option to read what they want, when they want (my only exception is that parents also should be parents and be aware of what their children are reading, but that’s another rant completely).

Every year I go through the list of most challenged books and find that I have usually two or three of them (at least!) and often find myself confused. It seems that the majority of the banners haven’t even skimmed the book in question and make their accusations based on the description on the back of the book. Yes, there may be questionable content in the book, but notice that the character usually learns something by the end it? And if not the character, the reader certainly should have come away a better person by reading of a character’s struggle. Sometimes I read about the reason a book was challenged and have to re-read a book, because I don’t that reason being mentioned in the book. Again, this is why I feel parents should be involved with what their children read. Let’s say your child wants to read Ellen Hopkins’ Crank. Take the time to talk with your child about the content of the book. Make sure they are aware that the book is not glorifying drug use and that they see how Kristina’s life spirals out of control due to her decisions. Answer any questions they may have. Build a better bond with your child because you’ve opened up communication. And, please don’t discourage your child from reading!

So that’s how I stand. Basically, I want everyone to read. Books, magazines, instruction manuals- just read something! And if you don’t like something in a book, you always have the option to stop and read something else.

I Read Banned Books

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

I don’t make it a point to read a book because it is banned, but it turns out that quite a few of the books I’ve read (and enjoyed!) have been challenged or banned. Below is a list of such books that are listed in Banned Books: Chalenging Our Freedom to Read by Robert P. Doyle (2010 by American Library Association).

Abel's Island by William Steig

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Abel's Island by William Steig

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Anastasia Again by Lois Lowry

Anastasia at Your Service by Lois Lowry

Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Deenie by Judy Blume

Doctor Doolittle by Hugh John Lofting

Don't You Dare Read This Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Forever by Judy Blume

Forever in Pants by Anne Brashares

Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Harriet the Spy by Loise Fitzhugh

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Here's to You Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume

It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume

Jay's Journal by Beatrice Sparks

L8R G8TR by Lauren Myracle

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl by Louis Sachar

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

One of those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great by Judy Blume

Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Romitette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper and Adam Lowenbein

Ryan White: My Own Story by Ryan White and Ann Marie Cunningham

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Superfudge by Judy Blume

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Caroline Mackler

The Egypt Game by Zalpha Keatley Snyder

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

The Headless Cupid by Zalpha Keatley Snyder

The Kid Who Only Hit Homers by Matt Christopher

The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary, Real Life by Julia Baskin, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollit-Cohn and Courtney Toombs

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss

Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume

There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom by Louis Sachar

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

TTFN by Lauren Myracle

TTYL by Lauren Myracle

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Where the Heart is by Billie Letts

Where's Waldo by Martin Handford

How many have you read?

Judy Blume & Lauren Myracle help launch Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out!

Lauren Myracle was 2009’s most
challenged author. She has written
many novels including the TTYL
series, Kissing Kate and Shine.

Ellen Hopkins is the brilliant author 

of Crank, Tricks, the newly released 

Perfect amongst other YA novels. In

 2010, Crank was #4 on ALA’s list of 

Top Ten Challenged Books. Due to the

 content of her books, Hopkins was 

uninvited to the Humble ISD

 Libraries’ Teen Lit Festival.