The American Library Association (ALA) recently published their annual Top 10 List of Most Frequently Challenged Books and I was kind of surprised at what came in at #1. A little history behind this: For nearly 20 years, the ALA has been gathering book challenges (formal, written complaints filed with libraries or schools requesting books be removed or restricted because of content or appropriateness).
In 2009 alone, the group received 460 reports from people trying to restrict certain books from making it onto public and school library bookshelves. I don't know about you, but the idea of banning books is just silly to me. Honestly, there's enough graphic stuff going on in the world in general...why should we censor it in books? However, I have found that some authors of books that have been banned in schools across the country—Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries, Airhead) often talks about being banned, with glee—take particular pride in ending up on these lists.
So who made the ALA's Top 10 list this year? Check it out below:
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| Amulet Books |
by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
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| S&S BFYR |
by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality
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| MTV Books |
by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide
 |
| Grand Central Publishing |
by Harper Lee
Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
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| Little Brown |
by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
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| Little Brown |
by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
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| Washington Square Press |
by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence
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| Candlewick |
by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
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| Mariner Books |
by Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
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| Ember |
by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
Are you as surprised as I was to see Lauren Myracle in the #1 slot? Sounds a little silly that so many people complained about some of these books, doesn't it? It kind of makes me want to go out and read all of them (at least the ones I haven't already read). And come on people, homosexuality as a complaint? Really? What is this, the 1800s? How about everyone stop judging. Still, this is interesting all around, no?
5x5,
B.
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