Banned Books

Check out what THEY don’t want you to read

The American Library Association notes that every year hundreds of attempts are made to remove books from public and school libraries. Here’s a list of popular titles giving the title, author, reason given for challenge and year challenged or an indicator that it was on the 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999 list (Top 100).

 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Y Alexie Sexual Content, 2008

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. 921 Angelou  Sexual Content, Top 100

The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy by T. A Barron, Y Barron  "Deals with the Occult," 2008

Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. 967.73053 Bowden Offensive Language, 2008

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. SF Bradbury  Offensive Language, 1992

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. Y Crutcher Offensive Language, 2005-2008

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. J Dahl Offensive Language/Promoting Drug Use, Top 100

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan. Y Duncan, School Related Violence, Top 100

The Dead Zone by Stephen King. HOR King  Offensive Language, Top 100

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. Y L'Engle  "Deals with the Occult," Top 100 **STAFF REVIEW**

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. FIC Maguire  Sexual Content, 2008

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. Y Meyer Age-inappropriate/Sexual Content, 2008

Hoops by Walter Dean Myers. Y Myers  Offensive Language/Sexual Content, 2008

A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. Y Peck  Depiction of pigs mating and being slaughtered, Top 100

 My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. FIC Picoult "Too Racy," 2009

Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. J Pilkey Offensive language/Modeling bad behavior, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Y Pullman  Anti-Catholic Church, 2008

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging : Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison. Y Rennison Sexual Content, 2008

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell. J Rockwell    Encouraging inappropriate behavior, 1988 through the early 1990s

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. FIC Salinger  Offensive Language, Top 100

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. FIC Sebold  "Too Frightening," 2008

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. J Sendak Nudity/Offensive Language, Top 100 and as recent as 2008  **STAFF REVIEW**

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. J. Seuss  Criminalizes the forest industry, 1989 **STAFF REVIEW**

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket. J Snicket Violence /Horror, 2006

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. SF Tolkien "Satanic," 2001

Fools Crow by James Welch. FIC Welch Sexual Content/Violence, 1999

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. J Wilder Offensive Language, 1997

For more information on book banning and challenges check out these resources:

120 banned books: Censorship Histories of World Literature by  Nicholas J. Karolides, Margaret Bald & Dawn B. Sova.  363.61 Karolides

Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries by Herbert N. Foerstel. 363.31 Foerstel

Bookbanning in America: Who Bans Books?--And Why? by William Noble. 098.1 N63bo

Book Banning by Ronnie D. Lankford, book editor. 363.31 Book

Websites

The American Library Association’s Banned Books Week Site: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

Google Book Search: http://books.google.com/googlebooks/banned/