Today is the beginning of "BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2016". The top ten books frequently challenged in 2015 has been released by the State of America's Library Report. 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 2015 were:
Looking for Alaska, by John Green Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.
Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other (“poorly written,” “concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it”).
I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings Reasons: Inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group.
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin Reasons: Anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints”).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon Reasons: Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“profanity and atheism”).
The Holy Bible Reasons: Religious viewpoint.
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel Reasons: Violence and other (“graphic images”).
Habibi, by Craig Thompson Reasons: Nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.
Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan, by Jeanette Winter Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence.
Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan Reasons: Homosexuality and other (“condones public displays of affection”).
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.
I'm laughing that one of the reasons for Fifty Shades of Gray being banned was that it was poorly written. That's awesome! Not sure why that would even be a consideration for a children's library anyway.
Several of those I understand, especially in kids' libraries.
ReplyDeleteThe Bible - because Lord knows we don't want kids following the Ten Commandments.
I'm laughing that one of the reasons for Fifty Shades of Gray being banned was that it was poorly written. That's awesome! Not sure why that would even be a consideration for a children's library anyway.
ReplyDelete