When Dad Killed Mom by Julius Lester

in
When Dad Killed Mom
By Julius Lester

We delve into the lives of two kids being disrupted by their dad shooting their mom in the face and the secrets that get revealed.

Banned

#56 on ALA's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009

2002 - Wyoming - Teton County Board of Education voted to ban the book from Jackson Hole Middle School (JHMS) library after a parent's complaint about being unsuitable for age group

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan

in
Daughters of Eve
By Lois Duncan

A group of young girls become a frightening force for feminism as we discuss Lois Duncan, water heater's breaking, and dude's being jerks.

Banned

1997 - West Virginia - Removed along with 16 other title from Jackson County school libraries

2000 - Virginia - removed from Fairfax County middle school libraries for violence, risky behaviors, and "seeks to prejudice young vulnerable minds on several issues"

2005 - Indiana - Challenged at Lowell Middle School for profanity and sexual content

2007 - New Mexico - Superintendent of Clovis Municipal Schools removed the book from elementary schools after rumors of parent's displeasure and having a formal review which found issues with language and "suggestive material." Duncan (author) agreed the book was not for elementary schools.

Book covers many challenging topics such as sex, language, domestic violence, feminism, anti-feminism, rape, murder, violence, vigilante behavior, sexism, abortion

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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ttyl by Lauren Myracle

in

Three girls live their lives one text message at a time in this look into what makes teen girls tick. It's boys, right? Some booze? What's the religious one doing with her teacher? Find out in ttyl by Lauren Myracle.

Banned

2007 - New York - Challenged for offensive language, sex acts, drinking, and "crude references to male and female anatomy… and flirtation with a teacher that almost goes too far." Book retained for not glorifying the behavior.

2008 - Texas - parents challenged about sexual content, alcohol, porn, inappropriate teacher student relationships, and profanity. School offers opportunity for parents to limit access to particular books for their children.

2009 - Wisconsin - challenged for the sexual content

2010 - Connecticut - critics cut the style's misuse of grammar and offensive language.

2016 - Florida - Parents of students at Yulee Middle School in Nassau County brought the book series to the media after noticing "paragraphs about sex, to drinking alcohol and stripping" when their children brought the books home. Parent Billie Thrift told news outlet Action News Jax: "It's telling kids to rebel against parents. It's telling them it's OK to party, drink, cuss and do other obscene things in the book. She immediately didn't want to read it, but she was scared she was going to get a bad grade because she didn't finish reading the book she checked out. Personally, I think this is what's wrong with children today. It's books like this and stuff being exposed to our children and it being allowed to being exposed."

On the ALA Top ten frequently challenged books lists of the 21st century since 2007 for offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group, drugs, and nudity

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Part 2

in ,

The second part of a book about a little girl who goes off to help her uncle dad with an armored bear to stop her evil mom monkey lady from going to heaven.

Banned

#8 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009

2007

Halton, Ontario, Canada - trilogy was challenged at a Catholic school district that the books were "written by an atheist where the characters and text are anti-God, anti-Catholic, and anti-religion," pulled from public display be available for students who ask

Calgary, Alberta, Canada - publicly funded Catholic school district removed then returned the books to shelves for anti-religious content

Alamosa, Colorado - pulled then returned to shelves at Ortega Middle School for anti-religious content

Winchester, Kentucky - Challenged because of childhood alcohol and drug (wine and poppy) consumption and anti-religious

Lubbock, Texas - Challenged at Shallowater Middle School for being anti-religious

Oshkosh, Wisconsin - pulled from St John Neumann Middle School and Lourdes High School for "anti-Christian messages."

2008 - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - retained but added a sticker that said "representations of the church in this novel are purely fictional," and don't reflect real Roman Catholic Church or Gospel of Jesus Christ

OIF claims 513 cases where books were targeted for censorship, of which 74 were successfully banned or restricted.

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Part 1

in ,

The first part of a book about a little girl who can talk to shiny camping equipment goes on a quest to fight an evil lady with a golden monkey from cutting out people's souls.

Banned

#8 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009

2007

Halton, Ontario, Canada - trilogy was challenged at a Catholic school district that the books were "written by an atheist where the characters and text are anti-God, anti-Catholic, and anti-religion," pulled from public display be available for students who ask

Calgary, Alberta, Canada - publicly funded Catholic school district removed then returned the books to shelves for anti-religious content

Alamosa, Colorado - pulled then returned to shelves at Ortega Middle School for anti-religious content

Winchester, Kentucky - Challenged because of childhood alcohol and drug (wine and poppy) consumption and anti-religious

Lubbock, Texas - Challenged at Shallowater Middle School for being anti-religious

Oshkosh, Wisconsin - pulled from St John Neumann Middle School and Lourdes High School for "anti-Christian messages."

2008 - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - retained but added a sticker that said "representations of the church in this novel are purely fictional," and don't reflect real Roman Catholic Church or Gospel of Jesus Christ

OIF claims 513 cases where books were targeted for censorship, of which 74 were successfully banned or restricted.

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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

Agony of Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

in
The Agony of Alice
By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Growing up is tough and Alice is agonizing about finding a new mom and pretty much being a weirdo normal kid.

Banned

2000 - Fairfax County, Virginia - was challenged but retained after a parent complained. The book is available only for "small discussion groups for girls only."

2001 - Alice series #7 on ALA Top 10 List for sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

2002

Webb City, Missouri - school library banned several Alice books for their “promotion of homosexuality” and discussion of issues “best left to parents.”

Alice series #2 on ALA Top 10 List for homosexuality, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

2003 - Alice series #1 on ALA Top 10 List for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuitable for age group

2006 - Alice series #3 on ALA Top 10 List for offensive language and sexually explicit

2011 - Series #6 on ALA Top 10 List for nudity, offensive language, and religious viewpoints

Series is #14 on 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999

Series is #2 on Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009

"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

in

Some library news, an autobiography steeped in racial overtones, crimes against children and sex, and then a little alien abduction in the library.

Banned

1983 - Alabama State Textbook Committee because the work preaches "bitterness and hatred against whites."

1987 - Raleigh, North Carolina because of complaints about and eight-year-old gets raped

1988 - Strong, Maine for rape

1990 - Bremerton, Washington for the "graphic" depiction of molestation

1991 - Banning, California after parents complained about child molestation and rape

1992 - Pleasanton, California for sexually explicit language

1993

Haines City High School, Florida library and English curriculum for rape of an eight year old

Columbus, Mississippi as "too sexually explicit to be read by children"

Hooks High School, Texas

1994

Castle Rock, Colorado because it is a "lurid tale of sexual perversion"

Des Moines, Iowa after a parent objected to inappropriately explicit sexual scenes

Austin, Texas because "the book is pornographic, contains profanity, and encourages premarital sex and homosexuality." Children required parental permission.

1995

Gilbert Unified School, Arizona after parents complained it did not represent "traditional values"

Volusia County County Schools, Florida because "It is sexually explicit and promotes cohabitation and rape"

Caddo Parish, Louisiana because of books language and objectionable content. Students petitioned and demonstrated and got it reinstated.

Hendersonville, Beech High School, Tennessee

Danforth High School, Wimberley, Texas

Southlake, Carroll School, Texas deemed it "pornographic" and full of "gross evils"

1996

Moulton, Alabama by School Superintendent, who decided "the poet's descriptions of being raped as a little girl were pornographic."

Round Rock Independent High School, Texas for being too violent.

1997

Folsom Cordova School District, California for containing sexually explicit passages

Wayne County High School, Georgia for the novel's sexual explicitness

Richfield High School, Minnesota for being too explicit

Turrentine Middle School, North Carolina where parents complained of profanity and sexual references

Union Township, Ohio for description of rape at age eight and other sexual content

Mukilteo, Washington for being sexually explicit

1998

Brooksville, Florida for passage about author's rape at age eight and sexual content

Anne Arundel County, Maryland after parents complained the book "portrays white people as being horrible, nasty, stupid people - if a child didn't have negative feelings about white people, this could sow the seeds." Challenge overridden after sexually explicit complaints.

Alamance, North Carolina

1999 - Unity Elementary School, New Hampshire for being "too sexually explicit."

2000 - Poolesville High School, Maryland for sexual content and language

2002

Montana for underage sex, rape, and homosexuality

Fairfax County, Virginia by Parents Against Bad Books in Schools for profanity, drugs, explicit sexual content, and torture.

2006

Annapolis, Maryland for rape scenes and being too mature for age group

Fond du Lac High School, Wisconsin for underage rape and unwanted pregnancy

2007

Coeur d'Alene School District, Idaho

Manheim Township, Pennsylvania for sexual references

2009

California

Ocean View School District for being inappropriate for children

Newman-Crows Landing School District after a trustee questioned staff qualifications to teach a novel depicting African American culture.

2016 - Illinois - Parents and residents wished it be removed from Lemont High School due to sexual content. The school board said the students could read other books in place.

Sources

Doyle, Robert P. "66. Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. American Library Association, 2014. pg 98-99

Raw Story - Illinois parents call for ‘smut’ book ban: ‘We can’t have 18-year-olds reading about sexual issues’

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"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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

The BFG by Roald Dahl

in
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

in
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

in

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/