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BANNED BOOKS WEEK September 29 - October 6, 2007 |
First observed in 1982, Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. It also stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them (www.ala.org).
Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information. The top three reasons books are challenged are because the material is considered to be “sexually explicit,” contain “offensive language,” and/or be “unsuited to age group.” The term "challenged book" refers to a book that has, for whatever reason, been considered by one or more people to be inappropriate, and its removal from library shelves has been requested. A "banned book" on the other hand is a challenged book that has actually been removed from the shelves (www.ala.org).
BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Library of Congress Center for the Book.
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Check out the Banned Books and Censorship Subject Guide
- Read a Banned Book! Several banned or challenged books are available in the Crown Library.
10 Most Challenged Books of 2006
(according to the American Library Association)
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group;
Gossip Girls series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language;
Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language;
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity;
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group
Beloved by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group;
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.
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