Why do we need a week highlighting the issue of banned books? Because every day all over the US, there are attempts to ban or suppress the sales and circulation of books.
Above at right is a map, drawn from cases documented by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Kid's Right to Read Project (a collaboration of the National Coalition Against Censorship and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression), of the book challenges or bans that occurred from 2007-2009 (courtesy of Banned Books Week). According ALA, at least 513 occurred in 2008, but the total could be higher since up to 80% are never reported. (For more information, you can review ALA's Books Banned and Challenged 2007-2008, and Books Banned and Challenged 2008-2009, and the Kids' Right to Read Project Report.)
In 2008, the 10 most challenged books were:
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
(Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint,and unsuited to age group)
- His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
(Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence)
- TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
(Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
- Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
(Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence)
- Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
(Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence)
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
(Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group)
- Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
(Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group)
- Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
(Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group)
- The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
(Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group)
- Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
(Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group)
Joan E. Bertin, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship , writes in today's Huffington Post about the ongoing problem of US book banning and challenges.
All over the country, libraries and bookstores are hosting events. If you can, please attend one this week. A major launch event, the Banned Books Week Read-Out, took place in Chicago (I wasn't there, so I couldn't attend.) There are a number of other things you can do as well, like these.
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Just so we're clear:
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