Thanks to my friend, Sarah, for reminding me that this week (September 27 - October 4) is Banned Books Week.
I would love to engage in a full discussion of the merits/danger of banning books, but instead I'm going to take my kiddos and head to the library. We've got some Banned Books to read.
Food for thought: Take a look at the list of books that were frequently challenged in the 1990s:
Are you as surprised as I was at what books made the list? I mean, it's obviously no surprise that #19 has been challenged. (I don't want to list the title or author, in case someone who is Googling it ends up at my blog by mistake.)
But How To Eat Fried Worms (#96)?? Or Where's Waldo? (#88)!? Heck, I've brought Where's Waldo? to church with me to keep the kids quiet.
4 comments:
Crazy that some of those books are on the list. Although I do not agree with banning books, I wish there was some kind of rating system, or at least a big "E" for explicit on the cover if there is explicit material inside. I HATE reading a good book and all of a sudden being assaulted by pornographic words. We put warnings on movies, music, video games, why not books?
Ditto about putting ratings on books! Very interesting that Fried Worms was banned. Who chooses these books?
To Kill A Mockingbird!! I am shocked.
Granted, a number of books on the list are trash; I don't remember what #19 is, but if it's the one by "Anonymous," yeah, it's pure trash, with no redeeming literary or social value. Without getting too political (it's tough to do right now, I admit), I believe it is important to keep that trash on our library and bookstore shelves. Otherwise, who knows when "Goodnight Moon," or our list-making favorite, "In The Night Kitchen," will be next?
I keep hoping that parents still have the ability and the level of interest/involvement needed to decide for themselves what is and is not appropriate for their children to read. Call me a dreamer....
Happy reading!
Post a Comment