The BFG by Roald Dahl

The BFG
By Roald Dahl

Giants are dead all over as Evan tells a story about Granny Wendy losing her whomping stick and the story of Sophie the orphan.


Banned

Cannibalism

1987 - Amana, Iowa for being too mature for the audience, teaching poor values

Sources

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. American Library Association, 2014. pg 144.

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/


The Witches by Roald Dahl

The Witches
By Roald Dahl

When a young boy meets up with some witches, he might be losing his damn mind. Roald Dahl, you so crazy!


Banned

#22 ALA Banned List, 1990-199

perceived misogyny. Dahl says that witches can only be women. "I do not wish to speak badly about women," the author writes. "Most women are lovely. But the fact remains that all witches are women. There is no such thing as a male witch. On the other hand, a ghoul is always a male... both are dangerous.  But neither of them is half as dangerous as a REAL WITCH."

"the children misbehave and take retribution on the adults and there's never, ever a consequence for their actions"

Devalues the life of a child

1987 - Amana, Iowa for being “too sophisticated and did not teach moral values”

1989 - Billings, Montana attempt was made wherein Dahl commented the parents had no sense of humor

1990 - Goose Lake, Iowa for violence, mouse turning, and the word “slut”

1991 - Dallas, Oregon for possiblity of turning kids to witchcraft or the occult

1992

Escondido, California for fear of desensitizing kids to violence and increasing the interest in witchcraft

La Mesa-Spring Valley, California for depiction of witches as ordinary women that children cannot defend against and promoting Wiccan and witchcraft

1993

Spenser, Wisconsin for desensitizing children to crimes related to witchcraft

Pennsylvania - Challenged at Pine Forge Elementary School in Boyertown area

1994 - Challenged but retained in Battle Creek, Michigan despite a parent claiming it is “satanic.”

1995 - Stafford, Virginia for “crude language” and encouraging children to be disobediant

1997 - Wichita Falls, Texas for satanic themes

1998 - Dublin, Ohio - “derogatory to children, hurtful to self-esteem, and conflicted with the the [challenger’s] family’s religious and moral beliefs.”

Sources:

Christian Science Monitor

SHmoop

ALA

LA Trobe University

SkepticFiles

Karolides, Nicholas J. et al. 120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature. Checkmark Books, 1997. pg 314-320.

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. American Library Association, 2014. pg 145.

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/


James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Once upon a time, a little boy went on a magical adventure. Except I'm betting it was all in his head because this is some crazy crap featuring bugs, giant produce, and murder in the clouds.


Banned

#50 ALA list, 1990–1999

1991

Florida - Challenged at Deep Creek Elementary in Charlotte Harbor for "not appropriate reading material for young children."

Wisconsin - Challenged at Pederson Elemntary School in Altoona for use of the word "ass" and the parts with wine, tobacco, and snuff.

1992 - Florida

Challenged at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville because it promotes drugs and whiskey and has a foul word

Hernando County, Florida - a woman in Hernando County, Florida, took issue with Grasshopper's statement, "I'd rather be fried alive and eaten by a Mexican!", as well as references to snuff, tobacco and whiskey. Her complaints to her 10-year-old daughter's school principal led to review by the regional school board.

1995 - Virginia - Challenged at Stafford County Schools for crude language and encourages children to disobey authority. The book was removed from classrooms and placed in the library where it is restricted

1999 - Texas - Banned from an elementary school in Lufkin for containing the word "ass."

Indian River County, FL - mystical element

Wisconsin - spider licking her lips could be sexual

Toledo, Ohio - book store owner claimed it was advocating communism

Sources

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

100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999

Favorite Banned Books

Book Slut

Smart Bitches Trashy Books

DeleteCensorship.org

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/