Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm
By George Orwell

Today we learn about the classic tale of animal rights and a few more books that were meant for adults but given to children.

Banned

1965 - Wisconsin - A Wisconsin survey revealed that the John Birch Society had challenged the novel's use, objecting to the words "masses will revolt."

1968 - New York - The New York State English Council's Committee on Defenses Against Censorship surveyed English classrooms where it was identified as a "problem book" with the reason that "Orwell was a communist."

1977 - Russia - Suppressed from being displayed at the Moscow International Book Fair.

1982 - Georgia - Objected to for it's political theories in DeKalb County during a survey period of 1979 to 1982

1987 - Florida - Banned from Bay County's middle and high schools in Panama City by the Bay County school superintendent. Forty-four parents filed a suit against the district claiming that the instructional aids policy denied constitutional rights and the book was reinstated along with sixty-four other books.

2002 - United Arab Emirates - Banned from schools along with 125 other books. The Ministry of Education banned it on the grounds that it contained written or illustrated material that contradicts Islamic and Arab values, including pictures of alcoholic drinks, pigs, and "indecent images."

Sources

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.

"Dances and Dames" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell

1984 (Signet Classics)
By George Orwell

The story of man who feels all is not right with the world. Then he finds out how wrong the world really is.

Banned

  • 1950 - Banned and burned in communist Russia under Stalin and USSR, ownership meant possible arrest for its anti-communist views. Allowed back in country after editing in 1990.
  • 1981 - Jackson County, Florida - challenged for being pro-communist and contained “explicit sexual content.”
  • Wrenshall, Minnesota - teacher was fired for refusing to remove it from reading list (unconfirmed)
  • 2009-10 - Amazon deleted it and Animal Farm from users kindles sparking controversy. Amazon found that the “copies” deleted had been published illegally from an independent publisher that had ignored copyright laws (1984 is under copyright until 2020) and the money spent was refunded. This was more of a recall to protect copyright than a ban or censorship case.
  • 2017 - Idaho - book is under scrutiny after being challenged by a Jefferson County parent for having "violent, sexually charged language."

Sources

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. ALA. 2014.

Bodkin, Devin. "JEFFERSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS CONSIDER BANNING CLASSIC NOVEL." Idaho Ed News. Retrieved September 26, 2017 from https://www.idahoednews.org/news/jefferson-county-administrators-consider-banning-classic-novel/ 

"Dances and Dames" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/