Banned Books Week

We read banned books. You probably do, too, even if you don't know it. It's Banned Books Week (9/29 - 10/6) - what better time to pick up a scandalous book.

Each year librarians receive hundreds of challenges and requests to remove books from their shelves - 546 such challenges were made in 2006. Where the Sidewalk Ends has been accused of promoting cannibalism; Harry Potter books of promoting witchcraft and Satanism; The Lorax of criminalizing the foresting industry.

Paraphrasing an old maxim, Judith Krug, head of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom says: "Absolutely, parents should have the right to decide whether their children should have access to a book, but that right ends where my nose begins."

So go ahead and read a banned book to your child today - you rebel.

(Find out more about banned books here.)

Comments (8)

Little House on the Prairie???? Why? Do tell.

posted by cmcinnyc on October 2nd 2007 at 11:12am
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I did some research and found this:

LHOTP was listed as being challenged because it "promotes racial epithets and is fueling the fire of racism."

Geez.

posted by thoroughlymodernmama on October 2nd 2007 at 12:58pm
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I believe LHOP has been challenged for its depiction of Indians.

posted by CMcB on October 2nd 2007 at 2:20pm
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Oh for cryin out loud. I think some people just b!tch to hear the sound of their own voice.

And what... pray tell is offensive about The Giving Tree?

posted by clickchick on October 2nd 2007 at 2:21pm
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Regarding The Giving Tree - Google has only provided this clue so far:

" Removed from a locked reference collection at the Boulder, Colo. Public Library (1988). The book was originally locked away because the librarian considered it sexist. "

posted by Speakaboo on October 3rd 2007 at 3:51am
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Books being "challenged" is not even close to the same thing as being "banned." Tropic of Cancer was banned; Harry Potter was the subject of complaints. Let's not exaggerate.

posted by Shawn on October 3rd 2007 at 8:51am
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At the fantastic blog Raising Weg, the topic of reading chapter books, including some of the problems with the Little House series is wonderfully covered:

http://raisingweg.typepad.com/raising_weg/2006/04/more_on_chapter.html

In that post, she links to this site: http://www.oyate.org/books-to-avoid/littlehouse.html
whose argument against the portrayal of Indians is pretty compelling. I have a few years before I have to consider what I'll do when it's my daughter's time to enjoy these books. How Scarlett O'Hara of me - "I'll just think of that another day."

In the meantime, I'll continue to revise books as I read them, such as the D*sn*y princess book that changed "For he's a jolly good fellow" into "For she's a beautiful princess." What was wrong with "For she's a jolly good fellow"?! That's how I'm rolling. When my daughter can read, we can also spend more time discussing the books and why they are how they are. For now, I just want to enjoy the time spent with her.

posted by Marla Good on October 3rd 2007 at 10:43am
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Oh! Here was the better discussion at Raising WEG

http://raisingweg.typepad.com/raising_weg/2006/04/chapter_books.html

posted by Marla Good on October 3rd 2007 at 10:47am
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