I was looking over this list of the 100 most frequently challenged books, and… I don’t get it. There are maybe five or ten of them that I’ve never heard of or never read, and a few that are fairly recent, like Harry Potter so I obviously didn’t read them when I was very young, but the vast majority of those books I had on my bookshelf as a young pup. For example, anything by Mark Twain or John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Julie of the Wolves were all among my favorite childhood books. I remember reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in, what, fifth grade?
Can someone tell me why these books are challenged? I know the complaints against Huck Finn, but Of Mice and Men? And why Julie of the Wolves? I just read that again last week for about the nine millionth time. Of the titles that include the word “sex” or are clearly about homosexuality, I can see why someone would want them kept off the shelves*, but some of the titles make zero sense to me. Clearly, there’s something I’m missing.
~mixie
*NOT an agreement, just a statement that the reasoning is obvious in this case. Just like it’s obvious why some get hysterical over Harry Potter.
You’re looking for rational explanations for overreactions and hysteria? Simple fact is some people just can’t wait to be offended by something so when they find it (or hear a half assed version of what the book supposedly says) they get their group (whatever it happens to be church, a conservative group, or a touchy feely liberal group. Did I miss any?) To throw fits and try to get the book banned.
Heck Stephen King books were banned from my High school library for awhile. I think the big complaint was he used the ‘n’ word in The Shinning or something. One of my teachers even called him up and there’s a tapped interview with him you can check out in the library that she made.
Well, the book-banners would like to get rid of any book that doesn’t hew to their narrow little world view. Some of the objections come from the extreme right, some come from the extreme left. If the book uses the “N” word, for instance, it is bound to be challenged by the Left. If the book involves sex in any way, it will be challenged by the right. Harry Potter gets it from both sides, as the Right sees it as glorifying witchcraft, and the Left sees it as denigrating witchcraft.
Well, right, Darkhold, I’m not looking for “rational” here, just explanations. What’s objectionable about Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Julie of the Wolves, etc? I’m not asking for rationalizations, just curious as to why anyone would object to these books.
Okay, so some people don’t want their kids reading about homosexuality, some people object to the Judy Blume books because they’re about the uncomfortable parts of adolescence and talk about sex and such, etc. There’s something I’m missing–what’s objectionable about the above books? Or How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, or Jump Ship to Freedom, or Bridge to Terabithia?
*silenus–fully agreed. If I had the money, I’d go right now and order two copies of every one of these books for my local library.
It has been years since I have read Julie of the Wolves but wasn’t there a rape?
I have read most of the books on the list other then the few sex ones. A few of the banned books (specifically The Color Purple and The Outsiders) were required reading when I was in school.
Anyone know why people would ban How to Eat Fried Worms or the Shel Silverstein books?
Silverstein gets slapped for “encouraging the defiance of authority” or some such drivel. That, and it encourages kids to use their imaginations, which is a capital crime to all book burners.
In Conceivable–you’re right, Julie runs away from an arranged marriage at 13 when the boy gets teased for not having sex with her, and attempts to rape her.
Thanks for the link, Darkhold, some of those listings absolutely floor me.
Here are some of my favorites:
My Friend Flicka. Mary O’Hara. Harper; Lippincott. Removed from fifth and sixth grade optional reading lists in Clay County, Fla. schools (1990) because the book uses the word “bitch” to refer to a female dog, as well as the word “damn.” (bolding mine)
Where the Sidewalk Ends. Shel Silverstein. Harper. Challenged at the West Allis-West Milwaukee, Wis. school libraries (1986) because the book “suggests drug use, the occult, suicide, death, violence, disrespect for truth, disrespect for legitimate authority, rebellion against parents.”
A Wrinkle In Time. Madeleine L’Engle. Dell. <snipped>Challenged in the Anniston Ala. schools (1990). The complainant objected to the book’s listing the name of Jesus Christ together with the names of great artists, philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders when referring to those who defend earth against evil.
Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings. D.T. Suzuki. Doubleday. Challenged at the Plymouth-Canton school system in Canton, Mich. (1987) because “this book details the teachings of the religion of Buddhism in such a way that the reader could very likely embrace its teachings and choose this as his religion.” The last thing we need are a bunch of peaceful Buddhists running around. The horror.
It also lists objects to the Little House books, for the love o’god, as well as several books by Roald Dahl
A Light in the Attic. Shel Silverstein. Harper. Challenged at the Cunningham Elementary School in Beloit, Wis. (1985) because the book “enourages children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” Removed from Minot, N.Dak. Public School libraries when the superintendent found “suggestive illustrations.” Challenged at the Big Bend Elementary School library in Mukwonago, Wis. (1986) because some of Silverstein’s poems “glorified Satan, suicide and cannibalism, and also encouraged children to be disobedient.”
Here we’ve gotta do coursework on Of Mice And Men. you may have just given my sister a brilliant idea to base her coursework on, and she says thank you.
Death and the portrayal thereof is another popular reason for protests against books. It might traumatize the kids, you see. That’s why Bridge to Terabithia is on the list. Scary issues are also bad.
“Where’s Waldo?” Are these people high?
I find it telling that so many of the books on this list were books that forced me to confront so many of my own fears and insecurities when I was young, particularly “Are You There, God?..” by Judy Blume. I remember fully two thirds of these books with a fond nostalgia.
(I didn’t read the Beauty series by Anne Rice til I was 30-but I certainly learned a lot from it)
:dubious: okaaay…you might want to get that stick removed from your ass (this from a culture with plenty of mythological talking animals…)
Let me get this straight, a book that encourages honesty, humility, restraint, and hopefulness espouses a poor philosophy of life?
Yet more proof that there are no lengths people won’t go to to make asses of themselves.
Pornographic? I don’t think I’ve even seen nudity in an Escher print…
Barf.
Of all the reasons to find Raisin in the Sun objectionable, my brain hurts trying to figure out this one.
Now I’m itching to find a longer list of banned works and the rationale behind the censorship, because Forbidden Library just boogles the mind.
I’ve often heard people say kids shouldn’t read Of Mice and Men because it would disturb them. Duh nimrod, it’s supposed to be disturbing. If kids can’t get over it richer for the experience then I’d say they had pretty deep emotional issues well before reading Steinbeck.
Then there are the claims of racism for To Kill a Mockingbird and Huck Finn. I don’t think we’re reading the same book here, although to be fair I’m sure I’d be more put out by the “n” word if I were black.
I don’t know what all this non sense around Silverstein and Dahl is. Do people assume children have zero ability to think for themseves? I’ve owned Shel Silversteins books since the age of 6 and I never did anything like breaking the dishes on purpose * because I understood it was supposed to be funny!* Jokes people. Jokes that appeal to kids. Is this so complicated?
:Goes off to beat people with her hardback of Don Quixote:
The one thing about the forbidden library list is that it lists books that people asked to be removed from off the required reading list right next to books to books that people tried to (and successfully) banned.
There is, to me, a difference between saying “Kids should not have to read these books” and “Kids should not be allowed to read these books.”
