"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Banned Books Week

September 23 is the beginning of "BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2018". Below is a couple of lists of ten of the most frequently challenged books.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on or derived from communities across the United States. According to their data, the ten most challenged books of 2017 were:


1) Thirteen Reasons Why - Challenged and banned in multiple school districts because it discusses suicide.

2) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time IndianChallenged because of profanity and situations that were deemed sexually explicit.

3) Drama - Challenged and banned in school libraries because it includes LGBT characters and was considered "confusing."

4) The Kite Runner - Challenged and banned because it includes sexual violence and was thought to "lead to terrorism" and "promote Islam."

5) GeorgeWritten for elementary-aged children, this book was challenged and banned because it includes a transgender child.

6) Sex is a Funny Word - This informational children's book was challenged because it addresses sex education and is believed to lead children to "want to have sex or ask questions about sex."

7) To Kill a MockingbirdChallenged and banned because of violence and the use of the N-word.

8) The Hate U GiveChallenged and banned because it was considered "pervasively vulgar" and because of drug use, profanity and offensive language.

9) And Tango Makes ThreeThis children's book was challenged because it features a same-sex relationship.

10) I Am JazzThis autobiographical picture book was challenged because it addresses gender identity.


TEN OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS IN HISTORY:

Some books have been repeatedly banned or challenged throughout history. This is a list of books that appear the most often on banned books lists.































If you would like more information about banned and challenged books, contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, or oif@ala.org. Another god source of information on banned books is the "Libraries and Center for Academic Technology" site by Butler University: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684

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