Banned Books Week Starts Tomorrow: "Banning Books Silences Stories"

I want to live in a world that supports a diverse range of voices, where everyone can find that story that speaks to them and inspires them to amplify their own voice. That's why I am against censorship and support Banned Books Week and the fight to keep challenged books on the shelves and in libraries.



The Top Ten Challenged Books of 2017 are:

1. Thirteen Reasons Why written by Jay Asher
   Originally published in 2007, this New York Times bestseller has resurfaced as a controversial book after Netflix aired a TV series by the same name. This YA novel was challenged and banned in multiple school districts because it discusses suicide.
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie
   Consistently challenged since its publication in 2007 for acknowledging issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and sexuality, this National Book Award winner was challenged in school curriculums because of profanity and situations that were deemed sexually explicit.
3. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
   This Stonewall Honor Award-winning, 2012 graphic novel from an acclaimed cartoonist was challenged and banned in school libraries because it includes LGBT characters and was considered “confusing.”
4. The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini
   This critically acclaimed, multigenerational novel was challenged and banned because it includes sexual violence and was thought to “lead to terrorism” and “promote Islam.”
5. George written by Alex Gino
   Written for elementary-age children, this Lambda Literary Award winner was challenged and banned because it includes a transgender child.
6. Sex is a Funny Word written by Cory Silverberg and illustrated by Fiona Smyth
   This 2015 informational children’s book written by a certified sex educator was challenged because it addresses sex education and is believed to lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex.”
7. To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee
   This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, considered an American classic, was challenged and banned because of violence and its use of the N-word.
8. The Hate U Give written by Angie Thomas
   Despite winning multiple awards and being the most searched-for book on Goodreads during its debut year, this YA novel was challenged and banned in school libraries and curriculums because it was considered “pervasively vulgar” and because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language.
9. And Tango Makes Three written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole
   Returning after a brief hiatus from the Top Ten Most Challenged list, this ALA Notable Children’s Book, published in 2005, was challenged and labeled because it features a same-sex relationship.
10. I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
    This autobiographical picture book co-written by the 13-year-old protagonist was challenged because it addresses gender identity.

For more information, see the Banned Books Week website.

Props to Ny'shira Lundy!

Ny'shira Lundy, 15, fought to get THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas back on the shelves of Katy ISD schools.

It was removed late last year for "pervasive vulgarity and racially insensitive language" after the parent of a junior high school student complained. Lundy decided to fight for the book, organizing an official petition and speaking before the school board on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

"Like Starr, I’m a black female who attended a predominantly white prep school. I struggled to feel as if I could be myself. After reading her story, and seeing how she went from feeling like to she had to adjust to the environment that she was in, to feeling as if she had a voice and that she should be bold enough to share it, it made me feel confident, and as if I shouldn’t be afraid to embrace who I am."

Thanks to her efforts, THE HATE U GIVE has been reinstated in Katy ISD high school libraries.

I paid more attention to this case than the many, many cases of censorship in school libraries because I attended Katy ISD schools for Kindergarten through sixth grade. They're amazing schools with excellent teachers, funding for incredible programs, and overall competitive in academics. I have that strong educational foundation to thank for many of the things I've achieved. But I also have books to thank for the person that I am.

Books are a window to other experiences. They make our world bigger. And sometimes they have to depict the worst parts of the world to tell their story.

Congratulations to Ny'shira Lundy, congratulations to Angie Thomas, and congratulations to the students of Katy ISD. I hope there's a wait list at the libraries for THE HATE U GIVE.

For the rest of us, remember to read banned & challenged books. You can also explore the Banned Books Week site for ideas on how to support the ALA, the Freedom to Read Foundation, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, The American Society of Journalists and Authors, Project Censored, and other groups supporting the right to read.

Banned Books Week is Here!

Banned Books Week lasts from today (September 30) to October 6th.  It is a celebration of not just reading books that have been challenged, but of seeking out knowledge, using critical thinking to make decisions for yourself, and freedom of information and expression.  It's about being LOUD about your right to read. 

This year is the 50th Anniversary of Banned Books Week.  You can find out more information, including activities and resources, at the ALA website and BannedBooksWeek.org.  The Macmillan Children's Publishing Group is going to celebrate their seven most-challenged titles on their blog.  I've read five of the seven, and they're all great novels.

To celebrate, Google Play has 25 challenged novels on sale for 99 cents each.  (Prices may be matched in other online bookstores.)  YA titles include JULIE OF THE WOLVES by Jean Craighead George, THE TERRORIST by Caroline B. Cooney, and THE DROWNING OF STEPHAN JONES by Bette Greene.

I'm very, very busy this week, but I'll try to post something special for the week every day.

Banned Books Week 2010: The Conclusion

I hope everyone read what they wanted to read this week, in celebration of Banned Books Week.  Today, the oft-challenged Ellen Hopkins was the keynote speaker at the Austin Teen Book Festival.  Her points were familiar, but still need to be made again and again.  People have different maturity and reading levels.  No one can determine what is appropriate for someone else to read, especially if they haven't read it themselves.  Read and interpret on your own.

Also, I adore this graphic from GOOD Magazine on the most targeted books.  (The reasons for challenging are represented by colored darts.  Visual puns are so much fun.)

One of the easiest things you can do to help?  Send a letter or e-mail to a challenged author saying what his or her book meant to you.  Many authors save such letters and pass copies on to librarians trying to defend their books.  The best way to challenge those who want to silence voices is by speaking.

Remember, it's hard to truly ban a book. If your school library doesn't carry a book, try the city library. Go to a bookstore. Use Amazon or other online retailers like Book Depository. IndieBound will set you up with independents across the country.

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week, Sept. 26 - Oct. 3, 2009

Banned Books Week is almost over, but I like that the tradition continues. Yes, parents should be able to police what their kids read. No, they should not police what others let their kids read. And the parents should be aware that their kids will probably get their hands on whatever it is they want to read anyway.

Besides, most kids just skim, read the Cliff's Notes, or ignore assigned books. Trying to ban a book makes it appealing to teenagers. Yes, this Onion article is a satire, but it makes a good point. Also, it's full of brilliant lines, like:

"Desensitized to sex and violence from an early age, today's teens simply expect more out of their banned books than previous generations," said Naomi Gould, director of the D.C.-based National Education Consortium. "For the teens of yesteryear, access to novels like Tropic Of Cancer, Portnoy's Complaint, and Lady Chatterley's Lover was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime thrill. But for teens raised on Cinemax and Def Comedy Jam, it just doesn't cut it."

However, don't take the satire at face value. LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER is absolutely worth reading.

End of Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week finished yesterday, but I spoke about it tonight on my radio show. This month I'm planning on doing a second program about voting as well. For those of you over-18, living in the US slackers who haven't registered yet . . . the deadline is about to hit you in the face. DO IT NOW.

The following is ALA's list of the 100 most challenged books in 200-2007. I've bolded the ones I've read and italicized the ones I want to read. Star means I've read parts. I've read 36 total. Of those, I only had trouble with one. My mother searched a long time to find a copy of ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET.

1 Harry Potter J.K. Rowling
2 Alice series Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3 The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
4 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
*5 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
6 Scary Stories Alvin Schwartz
7 Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers
8 It’s Perfectly Normal Robie Harris
9 And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
10 Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey
11 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
12 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison
13 Forever Judy Blume
14 The Color Purple Alice Walker
15 The Perks of Being A Wallflower Stephen Chbosky
16 Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan
17 Go Ask Alice Anonymous
18 King and King Linda de Haan
19 Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
20 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson
21 The Giver Lois Lowry
22 We All Fall Down Robert Cormier
23 To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee
24 Beloved Toni Morrison
25 The Face on the Milk Carton Caroline Cooney
26 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson
*27 My Brother Sam Is Dead James Lincoln Collier
28 In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak
29 His Dark Materials series Philip Pullman
30 Gossip Girl series Cecily von Ziegesar
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know Sonya Sones
32 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging Louise Rennison
33 It’s So Amazing Robie Harris
34 Arming America Michael Bellasiles
35 Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane
36 Blubber Judy Blume
37 Brave New World Aldous Huxley
38 Athletic Shorts Chris Crutcher
39 Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya
40 Life is Funny E.R. Frank
41 Daughters of Eve Lois Duncan
42 Crazy Lady Jane Leslie Conly
43 The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson
44 You Hear Me Betsy Franco
45 Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut
46 Whale Talk Chris Crutcher
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey
48 The Facts Speak for Themselves Brock Cole
49 The Terrorist Caroline Cooney
50 Mick Harte Was Here Barbara Park
51 Summer of My German Soldier Bette Green
52 The Upstairs Room Johanna Reiss
53 When Dad Killed Mom Julius Lester
54 Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause
55 The Fighting Ground Avi
56 The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien
57 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor
58 Fat Kid Rules the World K.L. Going
59 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things Carolyn Mackler
60 A Time To Kill John Grisham
61 Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez
62 Olive’s Ocean Kevin Henkes
63 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Ken Kesey
64 A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck
65 Speak Laurie Halse Anderson
66 Always Running Luis Rodriguez
67 Black Boy Richard Wright
68 Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George
69 Deal With It! Esther Drill
70 Detour for Emmy Marilyn Reynolds
71 Draw Me A Star Eric Carle
72 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
73 Harris and Me Gary Paulsen
74 Junie B. Jones series Barbara Park
75 So Far From the Bamboo Grove Yoko Watkins
76 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
77 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher
78 What’s Happening to My Body Book Lynda Madaras
79 The Boy Who Lost His Face Louis Sachar
80 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
81 Anastasia Again! Lois Lowry
82 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Judy Blume
83 Bumps In the Night Harry Allard
84 Goosebumps series R.L. Stine
85 Shade’s Children Garth Nix
86 Cut Patricia McCormick
87 Grendel John Gardner
88 The House of Spirits Isabel Allende
89 I Saw Esau Iona Opte
90 Ironman Chris Crutcher
91 The Stupids series Harry Allard
92 Taming the Star Runner S.E. Hinton
93 Then Again, Maybe I Won’t Judy Blume
94 Tiger Eyes Judy Blume
95 Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel
96 Nathan’s Run John Gilstrap
97 Pinkerton, Behave! Steven Kellog
98 Freaky Friday Mary Rodgers
99 Halloween ABC Eve Merriam
100 Heather Has Two Mommies Leslea Newman

Here's the same for 1990-1999. Most of these are the same, but there's still several differences. For one thing, more of these are directed at adults rather than children.

1.Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2.Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
*3.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4.The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6.Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7.Forever by Judy Blume
8.Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
9.Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
10.The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
11.The Giver by Lois Lowry
12.My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13.It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
14.Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
15.Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
16.A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
17.The Color Purple by Alice Walker
18.Sex by Madonna
19.Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
20.The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
21.In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
22.The Witches by Roald Dahl
23.A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
24.The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
25.Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
26.The Goats by Brock Cole
27.The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
28.Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
29.Final Exit by Derek Humphry
30.Blubber by Judy Blume
31.Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
32.Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
33.Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
34.The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
35.What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
36.Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
37.The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38.The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
39.The Pigman by Paul Zindel
40.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
41.We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
42.Deenie by Judy Blume
43.Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
44.Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
45.Beloved by Toni Morrison
46.The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
47.Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
48.Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
49.Cujo by Stephen King
50.James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
51.A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52.Ordinary People by Judith Guest
53.American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
54.Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
55.Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
56.Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
57.Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
58.What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
59.The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
60.Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
61.Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
62.Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
63.Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
64.Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
65.Fade by Robert Cormier
66.Guess What? by Mem Fox
67.Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
68.Lord of the Flies by William Golding
69.Native Son by Richard Wright
70.Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
71.Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
72.On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
73.The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
74.Jack by A.M. Homes
75.Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
76.Family Secrets by Norma Klein
77.Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
*78.Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
79.Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
80.The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
81.Carrie by Stephen King
82.The Dead Zone by Stephen King
83.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
84.Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
85.Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
86.Private Parts by Howard Stern
87.Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
88.Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
89.Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
90.Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91.Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92.Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93.Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94.Jumper by Steven Gould
95.Christine by Stephen King
96.The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
97.That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton
98.Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
99.The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain
100.Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier