Potter tops list of challenged books

[Khephra]

Potter tops list of challenged books
· September 6, 2003 at 1:02 PM


Harry Potter leads a list of the most challenged literature in America, drawing hundreds of complaints from almost exclusively religious sects or individuals this year. While the Harry Potter series is the most obvious example of a series whose right to be placed in a school or public library setting is debated, other books draw attempts of censorship from nearly as many sources.

The American Library Association-sponsored Banned Books Week, which will take take place on September 20-27, recounts past censorship and celebrates free thinking and human's capacity of intellectual freedom.

Freshman Charles Trujillo said he has read the entire Harry Potter series. He was in the school library reading "Interview With A Vampire" by Anne Rice.

"I had no problem with any of those (Harry Potter) books, and my parents didn't either," Trujillo said. "If somebody told me I couldn't read a book it would make me want to read it more."

more....................

http://www.hpana.com/news.cfm?nids=17454_potter_tops_list_of_challenged_books

[Vikingking66]

1. I was amused to see the Chocolate War on the list

A book about a kid standing up against peer pressure,
conformity, and a corrupt institution must terrify
the pro-family folks.

[no one in particular]

3. Unreal, isn't it?

"A book about a kid standing up against peer pressure,
conformity, and a corrupt institution must terrify
the pro-family folks. "

Most of 'em haven't even read it, if they could.

My dad's new wife is a fundy with that mindset. Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, HP are all from the devil and my kids are going to hell because of them.

If it wasn't so sad, it'd be funny.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Well they do have a point you know

If you read all of that you will go to hell...

And you should also know that the magic in DnD
is real (really, only active spell is the sleep
spell... since the material is SO DRY, that it
puts me to sleep if I am tired)

I was working on a piece and had all them DnD books
out and was told that I was going to hell by a fundy
... after half an hour of being
insulted I finally went, you are right lady, I am
because I am Jewish, now go away!

It was funny, to see all those gears tripping.

:bounce:

[Iris]

12. hee!hee! - that's EXACTLY what my great-grandmother said to my grandfather

about the radio he made out of an oatmeal box 65 years!

[Atlant]

6. That's been on the list for years! (NT)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

20. Fahrenheit 451!!! my 10 year old daughter loved "the chocolate wars" and

"beyond the chocalte wars"...read all the potter books by age 11...and has been an avid reader since the age of 7...already read "Animal Farm" and "1984"....her teachers love it...anything that gets kids reading is GOOD!

Fahrenheit 451!!!

[proud patriot]

2. Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles are my absolute favorite fiction series

If you haven't read them yet ...I highly reccomend them .
My favorites of the series are "Queen of the Dammed" and
"Memnoch the Devil"

The "Witching Hour" series by Anne Rice are equally as good IMHO

[hel]

9. Harry Potter books are just as good

I'm a big fan of Anne Rice too, but the latest books (other than Blackwood Farm, that was great) of Vampire Chronicles were not as good as "Memnoch the Devil" and the others. She is losing her interest in vampires, I guess, getting obsessed with religion more and more. I read on her website that the next book will be her last about vampires or witches.

And Harry Potter books are just as great, I assure you.

This is my first post by the way. I thought I'd lurk and watch how things go around here for a few days, but couldn't resist the temptation of Vampire Chronicles and Harry Potter mentioned in the same post. :)

[absolutezero]

13. same thing i used to do

welcome to DU :hi:

[MaineDem]

14. Welcome, hel

:hi:

[hel]

36. Thanks for the welcome

Both of you :)

[Mal]

41. Hey! My girlfriend was an extra in Queen of the Damned!

Nothing to do with the subject. Just thought I'd say.

[MaineDem]

5. "Bastard Out of Carolina"

This book was taught in the local high school here. Some parents were outraged even though they had never read it. In fact, one mother said (and this is almost an exact quote) "I've never read a book but if I had I'd never read that." The English teacher involved was fired...contract not renewed I think they said.

I detest censorship in any form. I've read all the Potter books and I'm amazed at the imagination they inspire, as well as the lessons they teach. Most of the vocal opposition is from people who have no idea what's in the books.

[Corgigal]

32. Thank You

for mentioning Bastard Out Of Carolina. You made me remember and I just bought the paperback for my 14 year old daughter. I think its a powerful and moving book and I'm sure she will love it. She just finished reading The Outsiders. She also loved the Lovely Bones and while some of her teachers weren't sure she should be reading it, they became so curious that they purchased the book to read.
So another good book for her to read. Thanks, again.

[Cassandra]

37. Never read a book?

Is that even possible? How did she get through school? Did she get through school? (I'm being kind and assuming she's not illiterate.) And if she actually has never read a book (including the Bible? ), what gives her the right to say what others should read?
The mind boggles! :wow:

[barbaraann]

7. My brother won't let his son read Potter but he watches horrible

things on television that I would never have let my son watch.

And I think Harry Potter is a lot more wholesome than the Goosebumps books.

[Gman]

8. It's this type stuff that pisses me off

* "Taming the Star Runner" by S.E. Hinton, for offensive language. "Captain Underpants" by Dav Pilkey, for insensitivity and being unsuited to age group, as well as encouraging children to disobey authority.

I've taught all my kids that it is completely ok to question authority.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Well...

I'm glad to see Huckleberry Finn is still on the list, but I miss Catcher in the Rye.

Where's Judy Blume? And they missed Conrad's Nigger of the Narcissus once again. That's the problem with bookburners being semi-literate-- they miss a lot of the really good stuff. If they could read, there'd be a much longer list.

And Fahrenheit 451 would always be #1.

(Always wondered what ol' Sam Clemens would have though about Huck Finn being the most banned book in American history.)

[baldguy]

29. "If they could read, there'd be a much longer list."

Catch-22

[Cassandra]

38. I'm not sure they've ever included "The Phantom Tollbooth"

but it's so wonderful, they probably should.

[Atlant]

44. "The Phantom Tollbooth" *HAS* apparently been banned (somewhere).

http://users.rcn.com/kyp/banbk96.html

Although it's not in the ALA "Top 100" banned-and-challenged:

http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Our_Association/Offices/Intellectual_Freedom3/Banned_Books_Week/Related_Links7/Top_100_Challenged_Books_1990-1999.htm

[maxanne]

11. jeepers creepers

if any book should be challenged, it should be the Bible!

All that gratuitious lust, violence, sorcery, incest, and rape - certainly not fit for the children to read!!

[Muddleoftheroad]

15. This is NOT a left/right issue

Look at that list -- both the left AND the right are challenging these books. So no, bible bashing needed here.

[rini]

16. This censorship

thing is a sad commentary on the lack of parental control in society. Parents who expect the state to regulate what their children can read or not, watch or not, think or not, have relinquished their role as parents. Some people object to Cinderella for goodness sake. These people rarely if ever have read what they are against and can't even discuss the issues of why this or that is wrong with their children, they just "know" it's wrong.

[maxanne]

18. I don't believe I mentioned

censorship as a partisan issue. And thanks for the instructions, but I'll post what I please.

[Muddleoftheroad]

19. Yes you will

But your post easily attacked only one side of this issue. My post corrected that.

[karlschneider]

21. Well, we would certainly miss your thought-police input if you were to

ever fade away.
:eyes:

[truth2power]

23. Thank you, Karl! n/t

[Muddleoftheroad]

24. If I were thought police

that post wouldn't warrant my notice.

[philosophie_en_rose]

25. So sorry for attacking only one side of the issue!

This being a partisan website and all... I forgot that we were supposed to be fair and balanced - emphasizing points we don't agree with.

The poster has the right to post what they like. If you disagree, then do it, but "correcting" someone's else's post is sanctimonious and insulting.

[Muddleoftheroad]

34. Extremists

Of both sides bring this on us. I don't like it when every ill of the world is made to look like some sort of Bible-belt problem. It's not.

And, yes, this is a partisan website, but there is no point in our misrepresenting things either.

[maxanne]

40. you might try reading my post again

I wasn't making a statement of partisan anything. I was making a rather wry and ironic observation about the mentality of those who would ban Harry Potter books for sorcery, yet believe in Noah's ark, the parting of the Red Sea, virgin births, and dead guys rising three days later. Harry Potter bad - Lot impregnating daughters - good/holy. :eyes:

[Sideways]

42. Good Gawd Maxanne You Made Me Wet My Pants

Try making the Abraham Sarah Hagar sex triangle palatable to the fundies. Yet Potter is BAD. Fucking Jebus on toast. These folks don't read their bible they just thump it.:crazy:

[shugah]

33. read the article

Harry Potter leads a list of the most challenged literature in America, drawing hundreds of complaints from almost exclusively religious sects or individuals this year.

[Pale Blue Dot]

17. My son is eight and he's read all of the Harry Potter books and

the Captain Underpants books. It's must be all the satanism that's turning him into a nice, polite, well-adjusted kid.

I apologize to everyone at DU (and the world) for creating such a monster.:eyes:

[dflprincess]

22. But if it wasn't for the fundis I would never have heard of

Harry Potter... Well, by now I would have.

I didn't hear about him until after the 2nd book came out. There was an article in the local paper about the objections the fundies had to the books. Fortunately, it was a balanced article and quoted librarians and parents talking about how they got their kids reading. So, thanks to the right wing, I picked them up the next time I was at the bookstore and gave them to my niece.

[farmboxer]

26. Jerry Falwell And Pat Robertson

want Harry Potter books burned! Idiots!

[Best_man23]

31. These folks also thought books should be burned

Falwell and Robertson would be in good company.

[Mountainman]

27. Growing up as a Catholic we had the "Index" to tell us what not to read

I used it to tell myself what I should read. The very idea of banning a book makes it all the more popular. When ever we got an book report assignment in grade school we got a list of books we could read and a list that we could not read. I used the list to find out want they didn't want me to know or think about.

[goddess40]

28. I'm against censorship BUT...

I'm not against common sense. In 7th grade English they required the kids to read "Night" by by Elie Wiesel and "The Wreckers" by Iain Lawrence. Both were too graphic and ghoulish for required reading, my kid couldn't sleep decently for weeks.

"Night" would be better for late high school or college history class. There are many other holocaust books that aren't as extreme that still would have gotten the info. out without causing the nightmares.

One book that I think should be required is "Fahrenheit 451".

[slackmaster]

30. Egad, Mark Twain's and Maya Angelou's works on the same shit list

Un-fucking-believable. I wonder if the people who banned them have actually read and/or comprehended I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

:shrug:

[Suspicious]

35. Okay,

I have a tendency to miss the obvious, but since I have not read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou, and one of the stated objections is racism, can someone who has read it explain to me where examples of racism can be found in her book?

I find this extremely difficult to believe.

[Astarho]

39. Bridge to Terebithia?

My Fifth Grade teacher read that to us in class. It was a damn good book. It's been a while but I don't remember any sexual content, at least nothing worse than what you see on TV sitcoms. Occult/Satanism, ha, wasn't it set in the Bible Belt south? Kids running off into the woods creating magic kingdoms, real dangerous Satanic worship there. :eyes:

[tlcandie]

43. Another recommendation that I happened onto...

Quite entertaining...

The 'Artemis Fowl' series of books by Eoin Colfer. Colfer is an elementary school teacher in Ireland. His first novel was 'Benny and Omar'.

:) :hi:

[Atlant]

45. Any book that might teach a kid...

Any book that might teach a kid to think or act for themselves is,
by definition, highly dangerous to people who demand unswerving,
thoughtless obediance.

Atlant