Most banned books 2000-2009

[Jane_the_Bane]

The American Library Association has published a list of the top 100 banned/challenged books of the last decade.

Here is a link.

Now, I'm pretty much opposed to censorship in general, but what bothers me about this list is how altogether harmless and inconsequential the books on the list actually are.

I mean, I can understand that there are people out there who may object to "Mein Kampf" or "The Anarchist's Cookbook" being freely accessible at a public library.
I can also understand that "The Idiot's Guide to Psychedelic Drugs" may draw objections from many.
In a way, I can even see why some might object to "The Story of O" or "Fanny Hill".

But seriously, The Colour Purple? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Fahrenheit 451???

That's just crazy!

 

[keith99]

I wish there were more detail. I'd say over half the books there should be removed.... From the childrens section. And of those same books should be on required reading lists by High School.

Huck Finn I can explain. There aer idiots out there who think any depiction of somethign in a book somehow indicates approval and others who somehow think not reading about things make them go away. That book and several others depict some not very nice things. (Some real idiots object to Huck Finn because of one word that starts with 'N').

Please note explaining why some object does not imply I approve of there objections.

 

[Gummug]

"Bridge to Terabithia"...is that the same book on which the movie was based? How could anyone object to a child's fantasy world? If I have the right book pegged, I mean...

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

"Bridge to Terabithia"...is that the same book on which the movie was based? How could anyone object to a child's fantasy world? If I have the right book pegged, I mean...

Aye, that's the one.
I could imagine that there are parents who are crazy enough WRT political correctness that they don't want their children to be confronted with issues like death.
You know, facts of life definitely aren't for children. They must be brought to think that their beloved pets went on vacation, and that grandpa is really just on an extended trip with Jesus.

 

[keith99]

From the Wiki article:

The novel's content has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number eight.[1] The censorship attempts stem from death being a part of the plot;[8][9] Jess' frequent use of the word "lord" outside of prayer;[10] concerns that the book promotes secular humanism, New Age religion, occultism, and Satanism;[10][11] and for use of offensive language.[12]

Strange on some points as it a seems Narnia is explicitly and favorably mentioned. But then perhaps the nutcases are opposed to the more rational and intelectual Christianity of Lewis.

 

[Gummug]

Aye, that's the one.
I could imagine that there are parents who are crazy enough WRT political correctness that they don't want their children to be confronted with issues like death.
You know, facts of life definitely aren't for children. They must be brought to think that their beloved pets went on vacation, and that grandpa is really just on an extended trip with Jesus.

May the Lord have mercy on our country...I think we are going to need it, and soon.

 

[Gummug]

I guess I'm not the final authority because I didn't even actually read the book, but it just seems a bit nit-picky...especially since they banned Huckleberry Finn (yes I know why) which I DID read. It seems weird to me that the authorities or the powers that be would seem to favor New Age religion in school and try to stop Christianity, and then reverse themselves in what is published... go figure.

 

[GarrickBrewer]

Bridge to terebithia? My whole class read that in seventh grade (three years ago)
The giver? We read that in eight grade! it is a novel about the downfalls of a utopian society ( learned in an interesting way by the main charector who gets to see things from a non utopian world, ours, and learns that while there are less bad things, there are less good things too)
My brother Sam is dead? Another class read that one but I borrowed the book. its a book about a young boy cought in the middle of the amrican revolution, who lives in a british supporting area, but resents them because they killed his brother.
ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRY! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! THAT BOOK TEACHES US ABOUT THE RACISM OF THE SOUTH IN THE EARLY NINTEEN HUNDREDS! I GUES THEY DONT WANT US TO LEANR FROM OUR MISTAKES!

Wow, does the level of deprevety know no bounds? they are banning books which have dee messages and amazing sotrylines!

 

[Gummug]

Wow, does the level of deprevety know no bounds?

Evidently not. I was going to put a laugh smilie here but then I thought, "well, I guess it's not really funny, come to think of it"

 

[romans81]

Some of these are pretty head-scratching.

Judy Blume...don't remember her books, but I don't see them as harmful.

The Boy Who Lost His Face...Louis Sachar =p loved his books when I was a kid. Guess maybe cause it has a witch reference?

Lol Captain Underpants That series was pretty big when I was a kid. Was pretty funny too. My little cousins like it. Pretty vulgar though, I guess.

 

[Katesz]

So basically, if it mentions sex, death, race, or uses any toilet humor, it's banned, huh?

 

[Tropical Wilds]

"The Giver" had pretty graphic descriptions (at the time) for sexual awakening/awareness of a teenage boy. "The Color Purple" is always banned for the graphic violence and homosexuality. "I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings" for the graphic description of rape and molestation, etc etc.

Honestly, it still surprises me that "Harry Potter" makes the list anymore. The three above, while I passionately disagree with their being banned, have far more valid reasons than "Harry Potter" which is, until the end, a really benign series. And even then, at its worst and most graphic, it doesn't touch the violence in other books.

I'm surprised some books weren't on there... "Animal Farm," "Twilight," maybe "World War Z," "Diary of Anne Frank,"... Even though they're graphic novels, I bet "Walking Dead" will skyrocket up the list.

 

[xDenax]

The Face on the Milk Carton? Why on earth would that be on the list? I don't understand Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry either? Though, it has been years since I've read either of them. I've read only 8 books from the list. I've been needing to read more fiction. I was thinking about His Dark Materials. Maybe I'll take a few more off this list.

The Giver is one of my most favorite books.

 

[keith99]

Bridge to terebithia? My whole class read that in seventh grade (three years ago)
The giver? We read that in eight grade! it is a novel about the downfalls of a utopian society ( learned in an interesting way by the main charector who gets to see things from a non utopian world, ours, and learns that while there are less bad things, there are less good things too)
My brother Sam is dead? Another class read that one but I borrowed the book. its a book about a young boy cought in the middle of the amrican revolution, who lives in a british supporting area, but resents them because they killed his brother.
ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRY! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! THAT BOOK TEACHES US ABOUT THE RACISM OF THE SOUTH IN THE EARLY NINTEEN HUNDREDS! I GUES THEY DONT WANT US TO LEANR FROM OUR MISTAKES!

Wow, does the level of deprevety know no bounds? they are banning books which have dee messages and amazing sotrylines!

From what I have seen objections to books often involve a simple and important miatake on the part of those objecting. They see any mention of something as approval or endorsement. Not always of course, but often enough. I know Uncle Tom's Cabin has been objected to in this manner.

 

[keith99]

The American Library Association has published a list of the top 100 banned/challenged books of the last decade.

Here is a link.

Now, I'm pretty much opposed to censorship in general, but what bothers me about this list is how altogether harmless and inconsequential the books on the list actually are.

I mean, I can understand that there are people out there who may object to "Mein Kampf" or "The Anarchist's Cookbook" being freely accessible at a public library.
I can also understand that "The Idiot's Guide to Psychedelic Drugs" may draw objections from many.
In a way, I can even see why some might object to "The Story of O" or "Fanny Hill".

But seriously, The Colour Purple? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Fahrenheit 451???

That's just crazy!

Jane, you are smarter than that. Yuo know perfectly well why Fahrenheit 451 is near the top of the list for those who would ban or burn books.

 

[keith99]

The Face on the Milk Carton? Why on earth would that be on the list? I don't understand Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry either? Though, it has been years since I've read either of them. I've read only 8 books from the list. I've been needing to read more fiction. I was thinking about His Dark Materials. Maybe I'll take a few more off this list.

The Giver is one of my most favorite books.

Here are some from the list I would suggest considering. All these have stood the test of time.

5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
19. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
21. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
36. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
69. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
90. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle

I would not suggest reading them back to back. All save A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle do have disturbing elements. I think Wrinkle make the list becasue of the idiotic reaction to anything called a witch.

My personal reccomentation is Brave New World. It oftern gets pushed behind other works, but I feel for an adult it is a far richer book, and in a subtle way far more disturbing.

That is if you are willing to trust the judgement of a savage.

 

[SyntheticPaper]

Ehh, these lists are kinda silly really. Books don't really get banned. They might get kicked out of a school library but you can just walk down to the book store or the public library and get pretty much any of them.

Lets see what do I think of some of them:

The Alice books - Yeah, those got pretty pervy as they went on.

The Chocolate War - Never read it, but "Fade" by the same author was pretty nasty.

Of Mice and Men - I had to read that in highschool, I liked it. Very sad book.

The Scary Stories books - I have those right now, I adore them to death. Especially the illustrations.

TTYL, etc - Haven't read them but if they are ones I am thinking of they sound pretty nasty as well as incredibly stupid.

Forever - not read it, but i have heard that it's quite nasty as well.

Go Ask Alice - pshhh. that should be on the list just for the fact that everyone think's it's true when it most definitely is not. hate that book.

To Kill a Mockingbird - I love that book, I always wanted to dress up like ham.

In the Night Kitchen - Oh man I remember the first time I saw that book ... whoa. It's done all innocently of course but still, full frontal male nudity in an E level book.

The Stupids - Awww, I remember reading those for storytime.

Junie B. Jones - I love those books, really quite funny. I wonder how they managed to get on here.

A Day No Pigs Would Die - Read that in highschool too. It was okay.

Tiger Eyes - Oh that book was stupid.

The Handmaids Tale - I love the cover of that book with the nun and the brick wall. Didn't care for the book though.

A Wrinkle in Time - Oh man, in sunday school once when I was in like 5th grade the teacher asked everyone what their favorite book was I said it was this one. He looked all shocked and said something like "Well, I am going to have to mention that to your mother!" to which I replied "Umm, she was the one that said I should read it". I don't think he ended up saying anything to her about my choice of reading material .

Goosebumps - Awww, bringing back old memories, I loved those books.

Are you there God? It's me, Margaret - This just always makes me think of a parody I saw once "Are you there God? It's me, Marduk" referring to the black metal band. I don't know anything about this book other than EVERY girl in school checked it out when I was a middle school library aide. I swear I shelved that book at least once every two weeks if not more often.

... the rest I either don't know or they are very famous books that have had their reasons for "banning" discussed ad nauseum already.

 

[kittysbecute]

Ehh, these lists are kinda silly really. Books don't really get banned. They might get kicked out of a school library but you can just walk down to the book store or the public library and get pretty much any of them.

I agree.

In my opinion library workers make the lists so that people will be encouraged to read the challenged books. Or at least that's why some of them print the lists out to distribute to people.

I don't understand the big deal made out of it. We have freedom in America to read these books, they aren't banned. I guess it could be seen as a celebration of the fact that just because someone challenges a book it wont be banned.

In American history though, if the populace protests enough about a particular book and succeeds in destroying all/most copies then that is similar to banning I suppose. I don't really know much about actual book banning in America since I haven't researched it. Does anyone know how many books were officially banned by the government in America?

 

[kittysbecute]

The American Library Association has published a list of the top 100 banned/challenged books of the last decade.
Here is a link.

I've read at least 15 items off of that list, and some were some of my favorite books. Basically if a book is popular it has a good chance of getting challenged.

 

[SyntheticPaper]

I agree.

In my opinion library workers make the lists so that people will be encouraged to read the challenged books. Or at least that's why some of them print the lists out to distribute to people.

I don't understand the big deal made out of it. We have freedom in America to read these books, they aren't banned. I guess it could be seen as a celebration of the fact that just because someone challenges a book it wont be banned.

In American history though, if the populace protests enough about a particular book and succeeds in destroying all/most copies then that is similar to banning I suppose. I don't really know much about actual book banning in America since I haven't researched it. Does anyone know how many books were officially banned by the government in America?

Yep, I worked in a library for several years and once a year we had “Banned Book Week” where we put the list out on a table with all the books around it. The same thing happened every year, the same people would stand there looking at them, invariably people would pick up the bible and make a shocked face and say something along the lines of “What a bad, BAD book!” And that was about it. It all seemed very contrived, but oh well.

Hmm, books that have been banned in the US. Well, Tropic of Cancer, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Fanny Hill, Candide and maybe Slaughterhouse Five (not sure about that one). Also I know there have been books banned in certain areas, like Uncle Toms Cabin was banned in some southern states back during civil war times.

But I don't believe anything like that is banned by the US government anymore.