Banned Books Week: What Do You Think of Book Banning?

[Jennifer Brown]

Tomorrow starts ALA's Banned Books Week, which aims to celebrate the freedom to read by encouraging people to pick up and read banned and/or frequently challenged books:

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/b ... /index.cfm

So, moms, what do you think about book banning? Have you ever challenged a book or lobbied to have a book removed from a school? Would you agree with your school canceling an author visit because some parents found content in that author's book to be inappropriate (before you answer, you might watch this video where a newscaster who's never read the book wholeheartedly agrees with a Norman, OK school district's decision to do just this to author Ellen Hopkins):

http://www.news9.com/Global/category.as ... tymrssurl=

Last Friday I received an email from a junior high teacher who lamented that she would be unable to share my book with her students because parents in their district will not allow books that contain the "f-bomb" (HATE LIST drops the f-bomb exactly 5 times. I checked.). Does it make a difference that the overall theme and tone of the book is hopeful and positive? And do those parents really think their kids are only going to learn about the f-bomb by reading it in a book? Do they really think their kids don't drop the f-bomb themselves?

Thoughts, anyone?

[meandthejs]

I'm not sure they are banned, but our principal says no book reports on Harry Potter and Twilight books.... maybe they just figure everyone has seen the movies!
The kids also have reading logs, so I am encouraging them to read some banned books to list on that...

Missouri Western celebrates Banned Books,
Here is the link to their planned reading.

http://efljblog.blogspot.com/

[Jennifer Brown]

Hey, that's awesome! Thanks for posting that link!

[meandthejs]

You are welcome! They've been doing this several years. I just got the email yesterday and faithfully marked the calendar, which means something will come up and I will miss it again this year!

[seabiscuit]

I'm against book banning of any kind. I'm sorry your book was banned from a junior high! On the other hand, COOOOOL, you've joined a group of really awesome authors whose books have been banned! Sweet.

I had an interesting experience at our parent association meeting last week. The kids learn to read in french, and for some age groups the french books we have access to are pretty sparse. There is one series of comic books in the fourth grade about "Pepe." The books were written long ago and some of the depictions and language are shockingly racist. The mom of the fourth grader brought the books to the meeting and asked if this was the kind of material we wanted in classrooms (our school is pretty diverse, about 40% african american, 40% white and 20% other ancestry). There was kind of a consensus that the books should be removed and I was really torn. We ended up with a compromise that the books would be removed from the shelves, but used in the classroom as a discussion topic and learning experience. I'm glad this was the decision because I think if books like these are just removed it paves the path to banning other books and pretty soon, bye bye Mark Twain.

[teenymom]

Thanks for reminding me! Every year I make sure to read some of the books on the banned book list during Banned Book Week. And when DS and DD are old enough, they will be reading them too. Hopefully they won't whine too much!

So, clearly, NO, I don't support the banning of books and I would never lobby to have a book removed from the shelves.

It's cool to know a rebel author with a banned book, though!

[Jennifer Brown]

For moms who plan to read a banned book in celebration of banned books week, here's a partial list of some great, yet frequently challenged, books to choose from (might I also suggest Ellen Hopkins' GLASS, since Ellen is an awesome author who takes on risky and tough... and important!... subjects, and I have to totally support and commend her gutsiness!):

From 2008:
1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
8. Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

From 2007:
1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexism, and unsuited to Age Group
2. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive Language, sexually explicity, violence
3. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit
4. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
Reason: religious viewpoint
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Reason: racism
6. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit
7. TTYL, by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reason: sexually explicit
9. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: sex education and sexually explicit
10. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

From 2006:
1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, and unsuited to age group
2. Gossip Girls (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group
3. Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: offensive language and sexually explicit
4. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: anti-family, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
5. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicity, and unsuited to age group
6. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: insensitivity, occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, and violence
7. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Reasons: homosexuality and offensive language
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
9. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
10. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicity, and violence

[mygr8crew]

I absolutely disagree with book banning! I was on a website the other night that had the top 10 banned/challenged books from previous years (I can't remember which year it was,maybe 2005) and I was kind of surprised to see "Captain Underpants" was one of them. Well, I am definetely guilty of letting my boys read that one! But it isn't the only book series they read, so doesn't it even itself out?

Then I saw "Of Mice and Men"...John Steinbeck. Classic. I know I read that in high school. We have to keep these classics alive...they are a reminder of what used to be and how much has changed.

After I finish the book I am reading I am going to the library to check out some of these I haven't read.

[mamalackey]

Nope, don't think banning books is a good idea. Your list of objectionable material may be different from mine.

College Daughter will use your book, JB, when she's teaching middle schoolers! She loves it!

[maggieS]

Last Friday I received an email from a junior high teacher who lamented that she would be unable to share my book with her students because parents in their district will not allow books that contain the "f-bomb" (HATE LIST drops the f-bomb exactly 5 times. I checked.). Does it make a difference that the overall theme and tone of the book is hopeful and positive?

Jennifer, I love you and am so excited for you and even a little jealous!!!

(I know I'm going to get flack for this) But did dropping the f-bomb five times really add anything to your story (and I"m asking this sincerely)? Sometimes I think movies and books feel like they have to use that kind of language to appeal to teens or to make it relevant to teens, but there really are teenagers out there yet who love to read, are deep thinkers and are o.k. with cussing being left out. Really. And again, I"m not saying that with snark; it's just something that has always frustrated and confused me (especially with movies--it's so irritating when you're watching a good movie and all of sudden a bunch of needless profanity gets dropped in, seemingly just for the rating)

As far as banning the books, it depends what you mean by banning. Do I think they should be burned? No. But after reading the reasons listed, as a family we avoid movies that have a lot of that content; probably avoid the books too. Not a decision based on fear of my child learning "bad" words or hearing about sex; more of a disagreement with how the topics are presented. And to quote a wise woman, "My kids, my rules!"