I got curious.

[kuangning]

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling (3 books thereof, anyway)
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (a perennial favourite)
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (one of the best books ever.)
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein (remind me to tell y'all about Todd someday.)
Blubber by Judy Blume
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell (I actually think I still have a copy around in the storage space...)
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (when I was twelve, I wrote my cousin's college entrance papers on this book..)
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume (what's with banning the Judy Blume, anyway?)
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell


'course, me being me, I now want to go find all the rest of the books on the list and read them.

Update: thanks to mopalia for pointing out that these books are actually just challenged, not banned. Seems we've been smart enough thus far not to give in. ;)

Comments

[galith.livejournal.com]

Anyone know WHY Harry Potter was banned?

[kuangning]

what, witchcraft wasn't enough?

[galith.livejournal.com]

No, I have read or heard of many books that had witchcraft that were not banned. Maybe not as popular, but still.

[nighthawk.livejournal.com]

Funny enough, in my opinion banning books only increases their popularity.

Re:

[kuangning]

Yes. you'd think they'd figure that out.

[gurath.livejournal.com]

Un-fricking-believable. Down with censorship! I am Christian, but what's wrong with Harry Potter, for example? In fact, I think there's much more wrong with banning books than with allowing a person to read something anti-Christian or contrary to someone's values.

My father, who was a teenager in Nazi occupied Holland, says "When they start burning books, then you have to watch them." They're not burning (yet), but please, all you folks down in the US, don't let it start. Don' let the bastards get away with it.

As for the titles, hmmmmm... "The Handmaid's Tale" great social science fiction... probably on the ban list of the folks it warns us about!

work credit to <lj user="mrfnord">

[kuangning]

[serendipity.livejournal.com]

Thanks for helping to spread the word! I love when we have library displays for "Banned Book Week." Librarians against censorship!

Re:

[kuangning]

I'm still trying to decide -why- most of them are on this list. They're books I read as school assignments, no less.

Re:

[serendipity.livejournal.com]

It's just crazy what people find objectionable. Could be: profanity, violence, sexual situations, racial/ethnic stereotyping, political radicalism, any semblance of homosexuality, premarital relationships, abortion, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum.

[ly2me.livejournal.com]

Heh.. My favourite is the category 'promotes religious viewpoint'...

*sighs* Samuel Clemmens is probably turning over in his grave.

Re:

[kuangning]

That or he's just given up on us entirely by now. :P

[redthread.livejournal.com]

Banned books make good reads :D.

[kuangning]

I couldn't agree more. :)

Challenged, not banned.

[mopalia.livejournal.com]

Note that these book were challenged, not banned. This means that someone tried to have them removed from the library collection. Banned means that they succeeded. Since there is such a large preponderance of children's books - especially middle school age appropriate - and since most challenges come from parents, this list probably reflects people's unwillingness to let their kids grow up, think for themselves, or be exposed to any ideas except the parents. Hah! We know how successful that is! Banned books, which were really removed from libraries, include things like Lady Chatterly's Lover (not really too interesting, IMNSHO.) and Henry Miller's Lexus/Sexus/Nexus series, etc, banned mostly for sexuality. It's amazing how many of these challenged books we encouraged kids to read when I taught middle school! We clearly had a very risque curriculum - or at least a demonic one ;) .

Re: Challenged, not banned.

[kuangning]

Mm. Thanks for the clarification - I missed it. Updating post accordingly. :)

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I think perhaps you, of everyone on my Friends list, must read The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Please. It's usually in the "young adult" section but it's not really for children.

By the way, I seldom comment, but I do read you. So, hello :)

Re:

[kuangning]

Thank you -- I will look for it. And I'm in the same position with your journal -- I read, but seldom know what to say. Hello. :)

[earlylight.livejournal.com]

I've read at least half of those books, and like, you, many were school assignments. *shaking head*

'course, me being me, I now want to go find all the rest of the books on the list and read them.


LOL that's so me!

Re:

[kuangning]

*grins.*