Saturday marked the beginning of Banned Books Week, a week sponsored by the ALA in which we take a look at books that have been challenged or outright banned from schools or libraries. The ALA also released it's yearly list of challenged and banned books, many of which I've read and loved myself. I noticed on the list that although many of the challenges never followed through to a banning, some of the schools ruled to keep the book with a 'Mature Reader' sticker on it, or require parental consent. I'm fine with that - this at least encourages some form of conversation, where trying to ban a book is like covering a child's ears or taping her mouth shut.
You can read the full list of 2009-2010's banned or challenged books yourself, or look at a list of most frequently challenged books. For me, here's a short list of this year's challenged books that caught my eye.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This was challenged because parents found the language "vulgar and racist." It's about a Native American boy that decides to attend the white kids' school - of course issues of race will come up. Real issues, that kids should really be aware of so that maybe their generation can change something. It was retained on the reading list, but now a committee that includes parents will meet to decide whether books are appropriate. At least there's discussion.
Geography Club by Bent Hartinger. A story about a gay boy trying to fit in, this was challenged as being "obscene or pornography". I don't have the book with me to check for specific passages, but I don't remember there being any more sexual talk than in your average young adult novel. So then books about gay kids are porn?
Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. I didn't read this series myself, but I find it's banning hilarious in a morbid way. In one school district the entire series was banned "for sexual content or nudity." But here's the kicker - the book series hasn't even been finished! "Stephenville ISD actually banned books that have not yet been published and perhaps even books that have yet to be written. There is no way the district could know the content of these books, and yet they have been banned." That's judging a book without a cover.
Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. Here's another funny. This dictionary was pulled from an entire school district because of the inclusion of a single term: "oral sex". I'll admit, I learned my fair share of "not nice" words by looking them up in the dictionary - it keeps you from being laughed at for asking what others see as dumb questions. Besides, banning a whole book because you're uncomfortable with one word? It's like punishing the entire school because one kid's a rude little prick.
Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. This series was banned, but not for giving readers a brain aneurism. The content was "too sexual" for some librarians. But the real punch in the gut? The librarians even asked parents to not let their kids bring these books to school. Twilight is certainly not my favorite, but at least these girls read something. I thought librarians were supposed to promote reading.
Dragon Ball Manga Series by Akira Toriyama. I love this manga - it's hilarious. But it also has sexual innuendo and the kid doesn't always know how to wear pants, which is why a 9-year-old's mom had it pulled from his middle school. Funny how the super violent Dragon Ball Z is more age appropriate.
Fight censorship and read a banned book - maybe I'll Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, maybe A Wrinkle in Time, or maybe I'll run out and buy a copy of And Tango Makes Three. What about you?
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