September
27th marks the beginning of the 27th annual Banned
Books Week in the United States (in Canada a similar
event called Freedom
To Read happens February 22 - 28, 2009). This yearly
American Library Association event “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.”
In 2007 the ALA Office for Intellectual
Freedom (OIF) received 420 reports of book challenges
(“A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint,
filed with a library or school.”) but while public
libraries, schools and school libraries report challenges,
the majority of them go unreported.
Below you'll find a list of the most challenged
books of 2007, a list which was topped, for two years
in a row, by a “children’s book about two
male penguins caring for an orphaned egg.” Obviously
some people find that idea objectionable and would like
to impose those objections on others but most of us
firmly believe our choice of reading material should
be left in our own hands, thanks!
The 10 Most Challenged
Books of 2007 (info from the ALA website)
1. “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter
Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family,
Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
2. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence
3. “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language
4. “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint
5. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by
Mark Twain
Reasons: Racism
6. “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive
Language
7. “TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited
to Age Group
8. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya
Angelou
Reasons: Sexually Explicit
9. “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie
Harris
Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
10. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by
Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive
Language, Unsuited to Age Group
So what can do we do to fight censorship?
The ALA offers advice here.
The National Coalition Against Censorship has a toolkit
for dealing with censorship in schools up at their
website. Random House is featuring a First
Amendment First-Aid Kit which includes a list of
strategies for battling book challenges, a sample letter
to media to raise awareness when censorship issues arise
and more.
To celebrate BBW you might want to exercise
your intellectual freedom by reading a frequently challenged
book like I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, A Wrinkle
in Time, Native Son, Annie on my Mind or Cujo. Yup,
you might be surprised what you find on the 100
Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 list!
“Don't join the book burners. Don't think
you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence
that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go
in your library and read every book.”
Banned
Books Week
1. “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter
Parnell 
