Banned Book Week: Celebrating The Freedom To Read 2008 ends tonight, but I couldn’t let it go without a look at books I might have missed.
Living in the United States, I take for granted the freedom to read anything I wish. Unfortunately, this is tested whenever unorthodox or unpopular books are challenged.
BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met. American Library Association
Even extremely popular books can face criticism from some groups. Although the Harry Potter series has been wildly successful in opening up the world of books to a whole generation of new readers, it’s at the top of the most challenged books of the decade.
In reverse order, here is my personal Hall of Fame from the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books in 2000-2007:
- 88 The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
- 82 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Judy Blume
- 80 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
- 76 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
- 74 Junie B. Jones series Barbara Park
- 68 Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George
- 64 A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck
- 60 A Time To Kill John Grisham
- 57 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor
- 47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey
- 43 The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson
- 37 Brave New World Aldous Huxley
- 29 His Dark Materials series Philip Pullman
- 26 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson
- 24 Beloved Toni Morrison
- 23 To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee
- 20 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson
- 19 Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
- 14 The Color Purple Alice Walker
- 12 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison
- 11 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
- 10 Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey
- 6 Scary Stories Alvin Schwartz
- 5 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
- 4 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
- 1 Harry Potter J.K. Rowling
Each of these books has been an important part of my life. Some for just the time it took to read the book; others have stayed with me, shaping my perspective. A few I’ve shared with my children. One or two - Captain Underpants, for example - I’ve put up with as a parent.
How would my life, and my children’s lives, be different without these books? I’m glad I don’t know.
*Out of 3,869 challenges reported to or recorded by the Office for intellectual Freedom, as compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom does not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Research suggests that for each challenge reported there are as many as four or five which go unreported.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Dan Kleinman 10.06.08 at 12:11 pm
“Has Your Favorite Book Been Banned?”
Answer: No.
No books have been banned in the USA for many decades. http://preview.tinyurl.com/sowell
goodncrazy 10.06.08 at 4:57 pm
Okay. I’ve read at least half of those books AND loved them.
And….JUNIE B. JONES??????? What the….?
Sandra Foyt 10.06.08 at 5:20 pm
Now, now. I can certainly understand wanting to ban Junie B. Jones.
Oh, the grammar, the awful, ugly butchering of the English language!
It was a happy day in the Foyt household when dear daughter decided to give away the Junie B. Jones collection.
Myrinda 10.07.08 at 9:50 pm
So is it good or bad that I have read at least half of those? Most of those are GREAT books that get people thinking…maybe we aren’t supposed to be thinking? LOL!
Kikolani | Poetry, Photography, Blogging Tips 10.12.08 at 11:31 am
I’m not surprised about Harry Potter. I worked at a bookstore, and came across a surprising number of parents who wouldn’t let their kids read those books because they didn’t want them to start believing in witchcraft. I always wondered what else they would censor from their kids’ lives out of fear.
~ Kristi