Quotes

“I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” ― Anna Quindlen

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Banned Books Week is Almost Here!

September 25th - October 2nd

*confetti* *balloons* *cake* *ice cream* *cocktails*

Because I don't have the patience or the time (i'm pushing it now, people), I won't go into the reasons why, but suffice it to say censorship bites big time and I'm totally excited for BBW.

That said, I know censorship is an extremely complex subject that ought to be discussed. So I want to. Just not right now, but totally later.

My dream is to one day write a book that will be banned. I already have a surefire idea for that, but it's waaay controversial. Scary. I dunno if my skin is quite that thick, but yanno. Some of these writers weren't even trying. The reasons they were banned weren't for atrocious writing, nono. Other things.

It's stupid things, really.

Parents, stop shielding your children so much. And if you feel you must (who am I to judge--I get concerns about age appropriateness), at least allow other parents the freedom to choose what they feel is best for their kids.

Knowledge is good. Powerful. Sometimes I think those who censor feel it's too powerful.

ANYWAY, to celebrate BBW I'm going to suggest that we all buy at least one of the following books:


TOP TEN BANNED BOOKS OF 2009
(YA books are highlighted)

1. “TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs

2. “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality
  • *more children's book than YA, but still.
3. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide

4. “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee
Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

6. “Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

7. “My Sister’s Keeper,” by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence

8. “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things,” by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

9. “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

10. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group


Other books that have been banned, courtesy of The Huffington Post:

1) Merriam Webster and the American Heritage Dictionaries in an elementary school in 2010 for its definition of oral sex. Reason? Not age appropriate.

Sigh.

2) John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath--not just for profanity, but because it painted the country in a bad light.

(don't even get me started on that)

3) Various Toni Morrison books, incl: Beloved and The Bluest Eye. Morrison has a way with writing amazing books, but people are offended by the gratuitous violence therein.

Still, I learned so much from Beloved alone. It's so important to read these books.

4) Freaking Anne Frank's Diary. (!!)

I KNOW.

It was banned in 2010 "from a Virginia school for 'sexually explicit' and 'homosexual' themes."

(homosexual themes? where the crap did they find that? i'd say the same for the 'sexually explicit' thing, but i know it's because she talks about her period and liking Peter. i know, i know. sigh.)

5) Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time because it talks about religion in a way some parents didn't want their children to be exposed to. Whether this is pro- or anti-religion, I don't know. I confess I haven't read the book. Yet.

And the funniest book ever banned (just in one school from what I saw)

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. A book about the censorship of books.

Helloooo irony.

Just the tip of the iceberg, people. Chances are if it's a book, it's been challenged at least.

Harry Potter because of its witchcraft themes.

I mean, good gravy.

Go buy a banned book, yeah?

2 comments:

  1. Y'know what? I want every one of those parents to read a Laurell K. Hamilton book. THEN tell me that those YA books are "explicit."

    *harrumph*

    ReplyDelete
  2. oh god, don't. then they'll want to ban her books too.

    unless they already have.

    i'll admit I didn't spend much time looking for an exhaustive list--but rest assured, i'm sure all one has to do is type in "[title] [author] banned" and all sorts of stuff will pop up.

    it's sad, really. and frightening, too.

    ReplyDelete