"The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame."
--Oscar Wilde
The 1st Amendment--notably the Freedom of Speech--has been on my mind a lot lately. Several things have happened which have made me take a closer look at what freedom of speech/expression really means. In my research, I have come across some of the following lists of books which have been challenged or banned. Because of my occupation, and my belief in letting people think for themselves, I strongly oppose censorship. But looking at some of these books, I couldn't even fathom what reason people would have to try to censor them. The Giving Tree? Fallen Angels? Julie of the Wolves? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? Huh?? Unlike some of the would be book-banners I have read all of these books and I just don't see the problem. I read Fallen Angels for a children's lit. class; thinking back I don't remember what the issue would be. The topic is the Vietnam War so I suppose that may be what some people shirk at. But the Vietnam War happened, and as in all wars terrible things happened. Should we hide this from teenagers? I love the above quote; shameful things happen in this world and every single person should have the right to be able to read these accounts if they so choose. Celebrate your freedom of speech by reading a banned book today!
that have been challenged
Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack by M. E. Kerr
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
The Bridge to Terabithia and
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones
by Alvin Schwartz
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
The 10 most challenged books of the 21st Century (2000-2005) are:
1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris
8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz
9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
10. "Forever" by Judy Blume
"Most Challenged Books of 21st Century (2000-2005)," American Library Association, May 29, 2007.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/topten2000to2005.cfm (Accessed October 23, 2008)
Document ID: 388245
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