Happy Banned Books Week!

[proud2BlibKansan]

Here's a map of book bans and challenges: http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html





Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. Click here to see a map of book bans and challenges in the US from 2007 to 2009. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups--or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.

According to the American Library Association, out of 513 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2008.

The 10 most challenged titles were: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/info.html

[msongs]

1. ban genocide, rape, torture, murder, incest, slavery, bondage -u know the Book I mean :-) nt

[Orrex]

2. Peyton Place?

:evilgrin:

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. LOL!

Yes I know that book :)

[charlie]

4. I had no idea a Maurice Sendak book was ever challenged

I had to look it up. In the Night Kitchen, a boy's dream adventure in a phantasmagorical kitchen, was the 25th most challenged book during 1990-2000, because... the boy is naked for part of the story.

That's all it is. A 3 year old in the buff has made it a perennially challenged book since 1970, and put it in the top 10 in 2004.

Sometimes, we're the weirdest country on the planet.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Little House on the Prairie is on the lists pretty often as well

Because she refers to the Native Americans as 'savages'. Because that's what Pa called them. And most other people in the late 1800s. Of course, that's a bit deep for rigid ignorant book banners.

[charlie]

14. Geesh

I didn't know that, either. Huck Finn, yes, for pretty much the same reasons, but I couldn't imagine Little House offending anyone.

[MountainLaurel]

5. Think I'll go flip though a banned book

Just because I know that somewhere a fundie freak will be pissed off by it.

[walldude]

6. With the news that Philadelphia is closing all it's public libraries

this is even more important than ever. Thanks for the reminder. K&R'ed.

http://www.lisnews.org/philadelphia_closing_all_its_libraries

[Libertas1776]

12. Actually, the State reversed its

decision and the libraries are staying open.
http://libwww.freelibrary.org/donate/thankyou.cfm

[Neurotica]

7. I informed my book club about Banned Books Week b/c we read a challenged

book. No one had heard of Banned Books Week and seemingly all were shocked at the idea of banning books (thank goodness). They were just as appalled at the idea that the book we were discussing is frequently challenged.

Then came the group cry: "Let's read banned books!"

I'm not sure if any members know that our school system received nationwide attention two years ago when a book was removed from our elementary libraries. Could be interesting discussion material for a future meeting...!

[asdjrocky]

8. I'll have to visit Winston again.

[Neurotica]

9. What about the VA teacher who got in trouble for posting a banned books list

on the door to his classroom? A parent complained and that was all it took to turn a teacher's life upside down.

This happened in Rockingham County in 2000. The teacher - Jeff Newton - ended up suing the school system but the case was dismissed when he resigned.

Here's some more info from the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC):

http://www.ncac.org/education/20000101~VA-Harrisonburg~Teacher_Threatened_with_Dismissal_for_Promoting_Banned_Books.cfm

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Wow. I had not read that story

These book banning people are ignorant buttheads.

[saltpoint]

13. "Keep the books, burn the censors" has always been one of my

favoriate bumper stickers ever.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Hadn't seen that one

Love it!