banned books

[likethebeer]

A list of the most frequently challenged books in the 1990s (which explains why there's no Harry Potter, not having appeared in the U.S. until the late 90s). Please forgive me for the lack of italics (a pet peeve of mine on the internet). I don't have time to do the code for every book.

1. Impressions Edited by Jack Booth et al.
2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
3. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger



4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
5. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
6. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
7. Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
8. More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
9. The Witches by Roald Dahl
10. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
11. Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
12. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
13. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
14. Blubber by Judy Blume
15. Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
16. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
18. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
19. Christine by Stephen King
20. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
21. Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
22. The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
23. Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
24. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
25. Night Chills by Dean Koontz
26. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
27. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
28. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
30. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
31. The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
32. The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
33. My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
34. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
35. Cujo by Stephen King
36. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
37. The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
38. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
39. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
40. Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
41. I Have to Go by Robert Munsch
42. Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
43. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. My House by Nikki Giovanni
46. Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
47. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
48. Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols by Edna Barth
49. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
50. Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz

I look at these and I think: that's it--books should not be banned. If my kid wanted to read fucking Mein Kampf or "The Protocals of Zion," they should be free to do so.

I really, really hate things that waste my time & banning books is a goddamned waste. Ok, so I'm preaching to the choir, but what the hell.

Oh, but I have to say in addition to everything else: A Wrinkle in Time? Unless it's been banned by freedom from religion people b/c you find out that Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who & Mrs. Whatsit are basically angels working for god, which is spoken about, along with selfless love. And, my gosh, if you're going to ban Stephen King, why only choose a few of his books. Just cross his name across ev-er-y thing.

Oh, and just 'coz I don't get to use that icon much, I'm putting in the "anti-religious extremism" one.

Comments

[kalimama.livejournal.com]

I've read a lot, if not most of these books, and a lot of the authors were my favorites growing up. I lived in an anti-censorship home, I guess.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

_A Separate Peace_, _Lord of the Flies_, _The Grapes of Wrath_ and _The Color Purple_ were all required readings for me in school. I guess "Grapes" maybe gets axed b/c of the grown woman breastfeeding at the end? Which had to be explained to me by the teacher b/c I totally didn't get what was going on. Ok, well I was probably skimming the book anyway.

[binro33.livejournal.com]

Banning=bad.

Shocked!

[dixiethorn.livejournal.com]

I know most if not all of those books, and I'm utterly jaw dropped shocked!

Hi!
*waves*

I was sent by erisreg (he told me to tell you that) & wi_c! Just in case you're wondering "where the heck did she come from?" :D wi_c noticed Taliesen in my interests, and even though I'd said it because of the Bard, I also love & have an interest in the Wright House! Oh yeah and I'm in the Twin Cities...So here I am!