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Americal Libraries most challenged books

edited September 2006 in - Reading

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  • 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

    Now when you look at the 100 list, Scary stories comes above JKR.
    But what have they got against the Captain Underpants series?!!!
    Picked this up from an article in the Daily Mail online, typed American Library Association into Yahoo and pasted the list from their link- yes I know that's wrong!
    Comments on the list anyone.
  • Does it give people's reasons for challenging these books?
  • I'm sure there will be an explanation somewhere, but as I understood it the list was compiled from lots of libraries throughout the states, and as some states have very strong religious leanings, it doesn't take too much imagination to understand why people challenged them.
    Can't understand it myself, if you don't like the book don't read it.
  • Carol - I don't think their minds work like that! If they find something unsuitable, everyone else is supposed to feel the same.
  • Jenny, you're right. Some people's idea of democracy I suppose!
  • Religion could play a part. A few years ago at my children's previous school there was a child who had to be removed from class everytime the teacher read chapters from a Harry Potter book. The girl's very christian parents did not wish their children to be exposed to witchcraft. I'd guess that in some pockets of the USA there would be people with similar thoughts. Sad for the kids, hey?
  • Anyone know why they're complaining about the John Steinbeck book?
  • This isn't to do with American libraries but it raises concern for me.  Our "esteemed" Attorney-
    General has requested that "Join the Caravan" and "Defence of the Muslim Lands" be banned by the Classification Review Board.  As a result, the University of Melbourne library has removed these two books.  I thought universities stood for freedom of research and unbiased scholarship.  Surely we have a right to read.  How can we disagree with something we are not allowed to read?  Will book burning be the next step?
  • It adds another bar for writers to jump over to get their books read.
    How long will it be before pressure is applied to publishers, and the threats to the shareholders profits force them to comply- okay that's a scenario at the moment, but iot doesn't seem so unreal as it would of ten years ago.
  • Carol, unfortunately it's probably not a scenario. Even if it is, this kind of thing is happening in America politics even now.

    America is in the process of becoming a theocracy, despite their constitution stating that the government is a secular government not a religious one. The Christian right is on the rise over there,and to me it seems that freedom of speech has become little more than the freedom to say anything so long as it doesn't slander America or God.

    So much for the land of the free.
  • When this list began being reported in the press, it was headlined as banned books, and continued that way in other reports.
    I checked out the details because I wondered what others had been banned, and hence discovered the list was of challenged books. It's possible some of the list of 100 did get banned in some states. But to find out it would probably require trawling through each state to find out which ones were.
    There's been no outcry here, so obviously the general populace doesn't care.
  • You have to remember that there are some areas in America where the MAJORITY of residents believe the world was created in exactly 4004 BC, despite compelling and incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. They also believe that the fossilised remains of dinosaurs in museums are some kind of an elaborate hoax, and refuse to allow their children to be taught any aspects of evolutionary theory. In these same areas (this was covered in an interesting - and frankly frightening - documentary on TV recently), admitting you're an atheist will ensure you don't get promotion, and might even cost you your job. It will certainly turn you into a social outcast.
    I think burning books are the least of our worries, especially when you realise that these same 'creationist' idiots are led by a religious fanatic with his hand on the world's largest selection of nuclear triggers!
    I'm all for Fundamental Atheism - that particular belief system has never killed anyone in its name, unlike every other religion the human race has so far devised.
  • I didn't realise how deeply the 'creatonism'idea was. So, I can see that a lot of those books would be considered heresy in their view.
    Scary thoughts when you consider the situation.
  • For more information on Religion and it's impact on the political climate in America, and on atheism in general, I'd recommened The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (£10 on Amazon, £20 in the shops).
  • Thanks Gary.
    It was late at night, my brain wasn't working at anywhere near its usual 20% efficiency, and I just couldn't remember the name of the host of the documentary I mentioned. It was, of course, Richard Dawkins.
  • There was something about End-timers on recently. Apparently there's no point doing anything about global warming because the world's going to end soon anyway.
  • Jay - How?
  • Cool. If the world ends at least I don't have to go to work anymore...:-)
  • Jay, that was the programme done by Tony Robinson.It was repeated a couple of weeks ago.
  • The Apocalypse!
  • I only watched the last ten minutes, and that was more than enough for me.
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