Book Banning?

[Meezers]

I live in a county near Metro Atlanta. When we moved here 35 years ago...many books had been taken off the school library shelves. Books on Hannukah, on psychic phenomena, even the Newberry Winner "Witch of Blackbird Pond" (great book!). My family was shocked!

Just saw a news story....now the public schools want to ban the "Harry Potter" books. I thought we had gotten past this type of blind censorship. I may have to move...

I am just sick at the thought of banning any type of book.....I know there were books my DM would not let me read til I was older....silly me...I thought that is what parents were for...not school boards and governments.

 

[highland3]

I can't believe that! I know there was all sorts of talk about banning the HP books in the beginning... mainly by people who had never read them. Then, it seemed the insanity stopped.

I agree with you completely.

 

[gina2000]

Knowledge is power. Banning books only inhibits knowledge.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Just saw a news story....now the public schools want to ban the "Harry Potter" books. I thought we had gotten past this type of blind censorship. I may have to move...

Is this just for your area?

 

[MorganLeFey]

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.

“Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books …”
— U.S. Supreme Court in Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982)


This really bothers me.

 

[Sparx]

Bradbury's "Fahreinheit 451"

“Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books …”
— U.S. Supreme Court in Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982)

Thank you for posting this.

I could write volumes about banning books. But I'll leave it at this.

It is ignorant.
It is a power struggle.
It is not their job.

As stated above, they can not do this.

They might as well start a big fire in the town square and toss all the offending material in it.

 

[dragonfly75]

Knowledge is power. Banning books only inhibits knowledge.

exactly

 

[Planogirl]

Banning books is one of the worst things governments can do IMO. I would buy twice as many of the banned books if it ever happened here.

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

And doesn't banning books only promote the books that they want banned? I know that when I was in high school, our teacher initially had Grapes of Wrath on our reading list, but the administrators made her pull it. I read it out of curiosity....

If my kids' school banned a book, again, I would have to go get it and read it.

 

[Loves Disney]

I was reading the list of banned books and quite frankly, it makes me sick! lol. Literature is literature.

Tell me why the "Where's Waldo" books are banned? I have been wondering this for months now. lol.

Here is the list of the top 100 banned books for 1999-2000.

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Some of these books are EXCELLENT pieces of literature!! I suppose I will never understand... Also, my favorite book of all time is on this list lol. The Catcher in The Rye. I am starting to think whoever is banning these books is only looking at the surface. The deeper meaning in some of these books is far from something that should be banned.

Banning Books

This website linked above talks about why and who bans books.

 

[MorganLeFey]

I've read quite a few of the books on that list. It sickens me to hear that someone would ban them.

 

[Loves Disney]

I've read quite a few of the books on that list. It sickens me to hear that someone would ban them.

Exactly! I would never consider banning some of those books...

 

[MzDiz]

My daughter just finished reading Go Ask Alice (on the list of the top 100). I can't believe that is banned anywhere. I think it should be *required* reading for teens! Amazing, simply amazing.

 

[alliecats]

Tell me why the "Where's Waldo" books are banned? I have been wondering this for months now. lol.

According to this site, it's because one of the pics has a topless woman. Censorship--Waldo

 

[froglady]

I was book fair chairman at DD/DS's elementary school for two years, and was on the committee for over 10. I PERSONALLY ordered at least half of the books on that list, and probably have read/own most of them.

I can understand "banning" books from an elementary school library that are not age appropriate, and am not sure the "Joy of Sex" type books should be required summer reading even in high school (and could see where some parents wouldn't want them on a school bookshelf) but otherwise I am against banning any book.

Many of the books listed were on required reading lists for my children. I purchased all of the "What's Happening To My Body?" type books for my children, as sometimes it's easier for a child to just look it up rather than starting a whole conversation with mom whenever a question arises. (Not that we didn't have discussions, but sometimes we parents do go on and on, or so my children tell me. )

 

[Sparx]

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier


bolding mine.

I've read the bolded books.
I am a fan of most of them.

I can't believe that some of these have been banned.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret? Are you freaking kidding me?!

 

[katerkat]

I started reading all the books on the top 100 banned list last summer. I kept expecting "The Catcher in the Rye" to get interesting, to make banning it justifiable. It never did - I guess it was the couple of curse words that did it in? And high schoolers NEVER hear curse words, so we should definitely keep them sheltered from that.

 

[LoraJ]

Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret? Are you freaking kidding me?!

Not to mention other Judy Blume books:
Blubber, Tiger Eyes, Deenie?
fine I'll give them Forever, but still. When I was a teen we would have to show proof that we were 14 to be able to check it out of the public library.

 

[Loves Disney]

I started reading all the books on the top 100 banned list last summer. I kept expecting "The Catcher in the Rye" to get interesting, to make banning it justifiable. It never did - I guess it was the couple of curse words that did it in? And high schoolers NEVER hear curse words, so we should definitely keep them sheltered from that.

I have read The Catcher in the Rye four times and counting lol. It is incredibly good and I have heard and read worse than what was in that book. Seriously, there are worse books than this one that are not banned. So okay, there were a couple pages mentioning a "bad" word, but I agree with you katerkat, no high schooler has EVER heard that word... LOL.