Book Banning?

[icebrat001]

A parent not wanting their child to read a book is one thing, but to actually be banned, nonsense!

 

[Rajah]

Wow, I've read a lot of books on that list, and some were even required reading in school.

Julie of the Wolves was one of my absolute favorite books growing up.

I can see why some would be banned (I disagree, but can see why), but others there...? Wow.

 

[TDC Nala]

anti-family content

I can't really imagine what that means.

 

[bicker]

It's a buzz-word for "something I don't like."

 

[clarabelle]

What exactly do they mean by banned?

Every Library has to make a choice of what books to stock. It seems that there should be some discretion and age appropriateness involved.

For example -if a library wanted to ban Harry Potter because it was thought that witchcraft was evil- I think that would be wrong.
If a middle school library chose not to stock Sex by Madonna -that just seems appropriate to me.

The parents cannot follow the kids into the school library and stop them from browsing through the book. At some point someone in power has to use some judgement.

I don't want my 7 y.o. reading many of those banned books -yet .

It seems that some of the ones on the list could have a permission slip to the parent before checking out.

I love books and have read many on the list. But I do think schools should use some discretion in what is appropriate for the age of children they have.

 

[bicker]

When books on the list are banned in some communities while on the curriculum in others, it really underscores that we really have two completely different countries here within these borders.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm an awful parent I guess. I was getting the Captain Underpants and Goosebumps books for my son when he was quite young. My thought was that these were fine for leisure reading with getting him to actually enjoy reading being of paramount importance.

Now he reads just about everything he can get his hands on. I still gladly get him books that some others might frown at but that's my decision, no one else's. Of course I won't buy Madonna's Sex or anything like that but horror novels or silly books are fine with me.

 

[teacherforhi]

I'm an awful parent I guess. I was getting the Captain Underpants and Goosebumps books for my son when he was quite young. My thought was that these were fine for leisure reading with getting him to actually enjoy reading being of paramount importance.

Now he reads just about everything he can get his hands on. I still gladly get him books that some others might frown at but that's my decision, no one else's. Of course I won't buy Madonna's Sex or anything like that but horror novels or silly books are fine with me.

That's the point. It's a decision you made for your son. Schools have the responsibility of making the decision for all the children. After all, as someone else said, parents don't come to the school library with their children and screen their books. It's a fine line we walk.

On the other hand, no one parent or group of parents should be able to walk into a school and demand a book be removed because they don't approve of it. That's why we have the Media Advisory Committee at my school. On the off chance that a parent wants a book removed, the committee has the responsibility of making that decision.

 

[Disney Doll]

My daughter's 8th grade English class just had a field trip to see a play based on Bradbury's "Fahreinheit 451", which they'd read in class. In Bradbury's alternate reality, firement burn books, and the population is encouraged to watch reality televison, and people ar epumped full of antidepressants --remarkable, considering the book was written in 1951.

Wow!! I had forgotten this about that book!! It's been quite some time since I read it.

Kind of amazing similarities to our current times, huh?

 

[monarchsfan16]

In 8th grade we all had to choose a book that had at some point been banned, read it, and write a paper on the book, why it had been banned, and whether or not we agreed with it. Come to think of it, nearly every book we read that year in English appears on that list. Think the teacher had a hidden agenda?
Did you know Alice and Wonderland was banned at one time? I don't remember why; someone else did the report on that. But still pathetic.
I've read a lot of the books on the list. Hated plenty of them (the classics), but got quite a bit out of others. I see banning as the parents trying to get out of playing the bad guy. If the parents convince the library to not stock the book, they don't have to worry about telling their kids no. I'm not a parent; I'm a teenager. But I still think that those parents need to GROW UP. Most books are banned for rediculous reasons. People ban "Are You There God, it's Me Margaret", because it deals with a preteen trying to understand and find her way through puberty and religion. Personally, when I was 13 and 14 (an appropriate age to read the book) I enjoyed it, because it made me feel more normal, at a really confusing age. They banned "A Bridge to Terabithia" because a child dies in it. Heaven forbid a preteen or teenager (the intended age for it) should find out that there is death and tragedy in life I have no problem with parents telling their kids they can't read a book (they should be doing that for crying out loud) but I have a real problem with parents other than my own telling me what I can't read by trying to get libraries not to stock the books. Especially if a book is being banned for a stupid reason, like virtually all of them on that list

 

[mytwotinks]

The subject of banning books has got me thinking...first of all, I'm very surprised that no one on the DIS has come forward in favor of banning some of the books; I have no doubt that some people reading this thread are absolutely in favor of banning certain books based on comments they've posted on other threads. I'd genuinely like to hear an intellectual argument made as to why they think the book should in fact be banned.

And second, how about books that should be required reading for everyone? Having finished it recently (and having re-read it for the first time since high school), I'd like to nominate 1984 by George Orwell for the top of that particular list. It's a very eye-opening book, especially in the times we currently live in.

I just had an incident with my 8 yo dd's library that has bothered me. She brought home a Sept. 11th Time Life book with very graphic pictures of people jumping to their death from the towers. There were several pictures and captions in the book that I don't think are appropriate for her age. I personally think that a children's book covering the event would be more appropriate. So I guess that I do think that "adult" content books should be "banned" from elementary school libraries. Yikes! I never thought of myself as a book banner!!

I don't think that books like Harry Potter need to be banned though. I personally don't allow my girls to read books/watch movies/play games that deal with witchcraft. But my 2nd grader knows that and she knows that it is her responsibility to pick books that mom will allow. I don't have any right to keep the other kids from reading whatever fiction their parents think is o.k.

 

[katerkat]

Okay, in The Catcher in The Rye, there was technically no sexual content. Sure there was one referance to it but not enough to signify being banned! And okay, like two pages contained a "bad" word, but it appears to me (as I have said before) the ones wanting to ban this book are only looking at the smallest things! There is such great meaning in this book and banning it will only prevent some people of reading such an extraordinary piece of literature!

I know!! I kept waiting for him to attempt to rape the girl or SOMETHING - something to get the book banned - but nothing ever happened. I totally missed the point of the book and didn't really enjoy it because I kept expecting something ban-worthy to happen, and it never did.

 

[Loves Disney]

I know!! I kept waiting for him to attempt to rape the girl or SOMETHING - something to get the book banned - but nothing ever happened. I totally missed the point of the book and didn't really enjoy it because I kept expecting something ban-worthy to happen, and it never did.

This is what scares me! They put a book like this on the "ban" list and people end up reading it JUST to see where it gets "bad". I am in NO WAY putting you down here, I blame whoever is banning books for this!! The signifigance in this book is incredible and I am sorry you missed the point. It really requires looking deeper into the symbolism and methaphors. Reading between the lines is very very important when it comes to this book. Like in Thoreau's book, Walden; Or Life In The Woods, it is about reading for understanding.

Alice and Wonderland was banned at one time? I don't remember why

Maybe because it was (is) rumored that this book was written with drug references. It was always said that Louis Carroll was writing about a dream he had while on drugs and that there are hidden references to drug use in it.

 

[katerkat]

This is what scares me! They put a book like this on the "ban" list and people end up reading it JUST to see where it gets "bad". I am in NO WAY putting you down here, I blame whoever is banning books for this!! The signifigance in this book is incredible and I am sorry you missed the point. It really requires looking deeper into the symbolism and methaphors. Reading between the lines is very very important when it comes to this book.

Oh, I definitely agree! I do feel cheated because I *know* I didn't get anything significant out of it. I know I need to go back to it and re-read it for itself, not as a banned book. (It was the first one on my "banned-books-I-should-read list. Bad first choice, I guess!)

 

[goofy's friends]

How to eat Fried worms? Whats wrong with this book? My dauther read it and said it was hillarious--I read it as a kid, but don't remember it well--it was gross, but what am I missing?

 

[Crankyshank]

I'm proud to say I've read every single book in the top 100 banned books list. I devoted my summer 3yrs ago to reading (and in some cases re-reading) the books on the list.
The thing that always amused me is that at least a third of the list of 100 was assigned to me in Catholic school.

For those that are interested, here's the list of last year's most popular banned/challenged books:
The “10 Most Challenged Books of 2005” reflect a range of themes. The books are:

“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.


For those who want to know more about the whos whats and whys in book banning I suggest you check out the ALA's site
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.htm