Top 10 Books Prudes Don’t Want Us To Read

[Are_grits_groceries]

It’s that time again: the ALA is out with its list of the most attacked, banned, burned, castrated, censored and altogether buried books of the past year… and you’ll be mighty surprised (maybe) at which one makes the Top 5.

The American Library Association named “Rhymes With Witches” one of its best books for teens 2005, but maybe that title caught the attention of the crusading prudes, who have subsequently tried to suppress her “Internet Girls” series.

But it isn’t the #1 choice that is causing all the press attention… it’s #5.

1. ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs

2. “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality

3. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide

4. “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee
Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

6. “Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

7. “My Sister’s Keeper,” by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence

8. “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things,” by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

9. “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

10. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Look, we hate the “T”-word series (we can’t even bring ourselves to say it), but should it be banned? No. Should anything? Probably not.
http://blogs.nerve.com/scanner/2010/04/15/top-10-books-prudes-dont-want-us-to-read/

It's a good thing that there are librarians to hold the fort. They are a formidable group.

[ejpoeta]

1. I haven't even heard of many of these!!

but i read the catcher in the rye in school and the chocolate war i read in CATHOLIC school. i remember because we had to buy our books.

[depakid]

2. Pretty impressive that Salinger and Harper Lee still make the list after all this time...

That ought to say more to thinking folks than the inclusion of Twilight at #5.

[kenny blankenship]

17. Wingnuts may not remember what they said yesterday or even this morning

but they will bear a grudge across 7 reincarnations.

[malaise]

3. Maybe librarians ban books they want teenagers to read

When we were teens, we only needed to hear book was banned and we were going to read it.
Of course we read a lot anyway.

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. They are diabolical enough

to have thought of that. They publicize the books that people want banned. This creates a debate about censorship AND flags the "fun" books to read.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Same here. But not all books are appropriate for younger kids. nt

[RoyGBiv]

8. Yeah ...

... but having read one of the "T-series" books, I can safely say nothing, not even pissing off an uptight idiot, will make me read another one.

[malaise]

10. LOL

:hi:

[FSogol]

14. Librarians don't ban books. That is a list of books by librarians, that others seek to ban. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

34. wrong. Librarians are in the forefront of the fight against all book banning.

School boards ban books.

[exboyfil]

6. I got to admit that I went along with Number 5 for

my daughters because all their friends were reading it. I trust my daughters to think for themselves, but a book glorifying vampires - well ??? Of course at their age I had already started reading some pretty explicit stuff (think New Wave sexually graphic science fiction). My parents did not have a clue what was in all those books about space and aliens. I guess the kicker was when I found my mom reading a book by one of my favorite science fiction authors - Philip Jose Farmer (Blown and Image of the Beast). She was reading it for the sexually explicit content. I was reading it because Farmer was connected to my all time favorite author - Edgar Rice Burroughs. Frankly alot of the stuff in it I did not understand at the time.

[Hannah Bell]

7. I think there's a bit of misrepresentation in the title. "don't want *kids* to read," it should be.

as you'll note they all say "Unsuited to Age Group".

& i don't think that necessarily means the nay-sayers are coextensive with "prudes", either.

(waiting for the usual kneejerkers: "oh, so you're a book-burner".)

[Are_grits_groceries]

11. And that can be a good cover to

get books banned. Some may fit into that category, but who determines what is appropriate for an age group. Some parents wouldn't want their adult children to read anything that is sexually explicit.

What better way to attack a book? You claim that thus and so will warp the minds of the children. That is a much easier way to get a book pulled than just general opposition.

The kids will get the books one way or another. Banning is a way for some parents to avoid monitoring their kids. I would rather let my child know that they could read what they want if I knew what it was. That would give me a chance to discuss ideas in them if they needed some thought.

There are some books such as "The Anarchist's Cookbook" that give me pause. However, I might stand a better chance of knowing that they were reading it if I didn't go Code Red over books that I might be troubled about.

[Hannah Bell]

13. "A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint,

filed with a library or SCHOOL, requesting that materials be removed or RESTRICTED because of content or appropriateness. In 2009, OIF received 460 reports on efforts to remove or RESTRICT materials from SCHOOL CURRICULA and library bookshelves."

http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/april2010/mostchallenged2009_oif.cfm


That is from the ALA site the article refers to.

I think the intermingling of school curricula, school libraries, & public libraries here blurs distinct issues, & I think the article is misleading.

[MicaelS]

9. Straight from the ALA website

Book on text messaging teens prompts most book challenges of 2009

Seven titles were dropped from the list, including:

His Dark Materials Trilogy (Series) by Philip Pullman (Political Viewpoint, Religious Viewpoint, Violence);
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz (Occult/Satanism, Religious Viewpoint, Violence);
"Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya (Occult/Satanism, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Sexually Explicit, Violence);
Gossip Girl (Series) by Cecily von Ziegesar (Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group);
"Uncle Bobby’s Wedding" by Sarah S. Brannen (Homosexuality, Unsuited to Age Group);
"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group); and
"Flashcards of My Life" by Charise Mericle Harper (Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group).

Also new this year is an updated list of the top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of the Decade (2000 – 2009). Topping the list is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, frequently challenged for various issues including occult/Satanism and anti-family themes. A complete listing can be found at

Top 100 Banned / Challenged Books: 2000-2009

1 Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
2 Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3 The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
4 And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
5 Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
6 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
7 Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
8 His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
9 TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Myracle, Lauren
10 The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
11 Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Meyers
12 It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
13 Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
14 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
15 The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
16 Forever, by Judy Blume
17 The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
18 Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
19 Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
20 King and King, by Linda de Haan
21 To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
22 Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
23 The Giver, by Lois Lowry
24 In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
25 Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
26 Beloved, by Toni Morrison
27 My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
28 Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
29 The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney
30 We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
32 Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
33 Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
34 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
35 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
36 Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
37 It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
38 Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
39 Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
40 Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
41 Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
42 The Fighting Ground, by Avi
43 Blubber, by Judy Blume
44 Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
45 Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
46 Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard
48 Rainboy Boys, by Alex Sanchez
49 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
50 The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
51 Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
52 The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
53 You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
54 The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
55 Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green
56 When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
57 Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
58 Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
59 Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
60 Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
61 Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
62 The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
63 The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney
64 Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park
65 The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
66 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
67 A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
68 Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
69 Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
70 Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
71 Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
72 Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
73 What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
74 The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
75 Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry
76 A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
77 Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
78 The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
79 The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
80 A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
81 Black Boy, by Richard Wright
82 Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
83 Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
84 So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
85 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
86 Cut, by Patricia McCormick
87 Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
88 The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
89 Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
90 A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
91 Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Graighead George
92 The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
93 Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
94 Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
95 Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
96 Grendel, by John Gardner
97 The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
98 I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
99 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
100 America: A Novel, by Frank, E.R.

Edited to correct bad link.

[On the Road]

15. I Guess They Haven't Caught on to Chuck Palahniuk

Fight Club isn't so bad, but Choke, Snuff and some of the others are pretty out there.

[Arugula Latte]

45. Choke -- I could barely choke that one down.

It really grossed me out. :scared:

[On the Road]

60. *That* it Most Certainly Does

but its very inventive and IMO absolutely hysterical. Genius is not the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind.

Unlike "Fight Club," though, the movie "Choke" was an absolute abomination. They even made it end on the mile-high-club thing, turning the movie into a pointless dirty joke. Nothing about the themes of false identities, self-discovery through self-destruction, or the original ending of the four protagonists standing in the ruins of the stone structure with only the rest of their lives in front of them.

The original point being, though, that the only reason "To Kill a Mockingbird" is on these lists instead of "Choke" isn't because it hasn't become notorious yet.

[tammywammy]

48. I had a friend recommend Palahnuik to me

I just thought they were stupid. But I kept reading, I read Diary, Choke, Lullaby and Haunted. I just kept thinking, well if she recommended them to me he must be good, cause I usually like her taste, and kept thinking "well the next one has got to be better than this" and was just disappointed. I gave up after reading 4 of his books. I do like the movie Fight Club though. Oh well. :)

[ceile]

16. Bridge to Terabithia?

Really?!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. Yes, that's one of the surprising entries on that list

Some people need to get out more.

[Tesha]

52. Suicide is a very, very bad thing for those folks to ponder.

And if you never read about it, you'll never consider it. (I don't need
a sarcasm tag, do I?)

Tesha

[MorningGlow]

22. 35 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison

And yet the movie version was shown on Nick recently, and I'll bet the overprotected angels were allowed to watch it! ;)

Also interesting that Blubber was on there, about a fat kid being teased, and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, which talks about menstruation, and yet not Deenie, which talks in great detail about masturbation. Or, for that matter, Then Again Maybe I Won't, with all the talk about a middle-school kid's out-of-control erections. This is so random...
:rofl:

[exboyfil]

27. Fahrenheit 451?

Someone must be joking? Right? Right?

Lots of old friends on that list and maybe a few new ones.

[Tesha]

53. If you haven't read "The Giver" (and the rest of the trilogy), give it a read! (NT)

[a la izquierda]

31. Good grief, I'm happy my mom didn't pay attention...

to that list. I read tons of stuff on there. All of those books made me who I am, and at 32 (and almost a newly minted PhD), I still like to re-read Judy Blume from time to time.

[CBR]

50. Captain Underpants? LOL -- people are so lame. nt

[BlueIris]

12. Interesting to see "The Color Purple" still ranks so high on the list.

Alice Walker, shocking and horrifying prudish homophobes for 28 years.

[exboyfil]

29. I remember seeing the Color Purple with a female friend from my

Bible study in the theater. Did not have a clue about the content. I guess I would say that I was really embarrassed about the whole experience (not quite like taking a first date to see Looking for Mr. Goodbar which an older acquaintance of mine did - that relationship did not work out).

The lesbian relationship was handled with sensitivity, and that part did not disturb me. The dad though - that part really bothered me. I guess I still have a tough time getting around the presentation that all men are dogs (I know that was not the message, but that was what I walked away with from the first viewing). Can't say that I will be an any hurry to let my 12 and 14 year old daughters see the movie (more likely I would let them read the book if they expressed an interest).

[Klukie]

40. I don't think that this movie portrayed all men as dogs....

maybe you should look at it again and keep in mind the time frame it was set in. Men did rule the roost so to speak much more then they do today and the movie showed many men that didn't have the dog mentality. I think this movie did a great job of portraying the reality of the times, but I guess reality can sometimes difficult to accept. BTW this is my favorite movie of all time and I will require my daughter to watch it with me.

[BlueIris]

54. "I still have a tough time getting around the presentation that all men are dogs..."

(I know that was not the message, but that was what I walked away with from the first viewing). Can't say that I will be an any hurry to let my 12 and 14 year old daughters see the movie (more likely I would let them read the book if they expressed an interest)."

Ew.

It's disturbing to me that anyone could see the movie, "The Color Purple" (I doubt you have read the book), and think all it was saying was that "all men are dogs." As opposed to, say, "Wow, the reality of the oppressive violence women are subjected to was detailed in a grotesque but moving fashion," or "Wow, I feel so terrible about what women are forced to endure in our fetid, misogynist society." And don't even get me started on your refusal to let your teenage daughters see it. That is just pathetic.

Welcome to Ignore.

[exboyfil]

61. My daughters don't experience that society today

and for that I am very thankful. I said it was my first viewing, and it was when I was 22. Even after the second viewing (actually a few weeks later) my opinion changed significantly, and my awkwardness with the subject matter also changed (I gave that date a heads up about the content in advance). Not to give spoilers but the rape scene is not something that I felt comfortable with seeing (especially with a female friend next to me - I actually walked out to the bathroom on the second viewing during that scene). Also the behavior of all men with any sort of screen time was reprehensible in the movie, and, if you are a man, you can't help but want to look for the exit door. I know several men where presented in a positive light in the movie (her son and her son's adopted father for example), but these characters have no screen time. The father and the husband do, and they are both individuals I would not care to be around (even though the husband does mellow with time).

I felt a great deal of compassion for the women in the movie. If I did not my walkaway would be different (I really would not care about the behavior of the men in that case). At least where I live and work women do not experience the type of misogynism seen in the movie.

I don't let my daughters see movies with graphic violence or overt sexuality. More to the point my wife censors them far more than I do. If my wife had her way, my daughters would not be reading the books which their friends read. I am a strong believer in reading, and it would take some convincing for me to deny them the opportunity to read anything that they want.

I will read the novel though based on your recommendation.

Given that several civil rights organizations were protesting the movie when it came out for its portrayal of black men, I think that my reaction on first watching it was not out of the box.

[w8liftinglady]

19. compare to this list from 1984-we've all read THESE books

The thirty most-often banned books in America, as listed by Playboy
magazine in January. Books are listed in order of frequency of
censorship, with the most-banned first, the least-banned last.

The Dirty Thirty
The following is a list of the most-often banned books in American schools
and libraries. Taken from the January 1984 issue of "Playboy" magazine.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Go Ask Alice (author unknown)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Forever by Judy Blume
Our Bodies, Ourselves by the Boston Women's Health Collective
My Darling, My Hamburger by Paul Zindel
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown
Slaughterhouse-five or, The Children's Crusade by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Ann Frank
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Deliverance by James Dickey
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich by Alice Childress
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
It's OK if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein
http://www.radix.net/~bobg/books/banned.1.html

[TransitJohn]

20. Nudity in literature?

:wtf: :banghead:

These people are afraid of thought.

[caty]

21. "To Kill a Mockingbird"

is one of our greatest American classic novels. It's the reading of books like these that encourage teens, who are on their way to adulthood, to think and reason for themselves. As a former teacher, I've always hated "do not read" lists. Let the reader judge for themselves. There is no law that states that if you start reading a book you don't like, you don't agree with, or it disturbs you in some way that you can't just close the book and not finish it. It's like TV. If you don't like what's on, change the channel.

[Donnachaidh]

26. It is a beautifully writen book -- WTH is WRONG with these people?

Jeez.

[underpants]

33. The single best American book of fiction ever IMHO

actually it is my favorite book so I only put "American" to tamper it down a bit

That should be required reading in schools
along with
Catch-22
Catcher in the Rye
What's the Matter with Kansas?
and Howard Zinn's People's History

[johnaries]

35. It's banned for "Racism"?!?!? WTF?

:shrug:

[eppur_se_muova]

47. Failure to make the "use/mention" distinction.

Showing racism in a bad light is not likely to encourage racism.

You can't teach people how to deal with important topics if you forbid them to read or discuss them first.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

23. Why don't they ban the Bible?

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide

[saltpoint]

24. 'Have read three or four of these titles, although some while back, and

it seemed to me that the censors are over-reacting.

The titles I read, including TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and CATCHER IN THE RYE, just didn't bring civilization to a halt. After I completed reading those titles, I was able to notice that people still got up in the morning and went to work or school, that traffic appeared to be flowing pretty much as it usually does, that stoplights worked, that dentists still filled cavities, that the corner grocery store still stocked milk, bread, and PopTarts.

No damage to report.

[caty]

28. That book

taught many important life lessons, including the importance of "self respect" and respect for others. Something I see sorely lacking in the youth of today.

[saltpoint]

30. Hi, caty. I hope the "banned books" list is even more widely circulated

in the future in hopes of its prompting as many young people to read these titles as possible.

Those books and others make the world more real. And more interesting. And more worthwhile. They assist in our citizenship. I agree with you about the importance of self-respect and always felt the arts played a gigantic role in the big picture.

[ensho]

25. I heart librarians

nt

[RobertDevereaux]

32. Delighted to say . . .

. . . that Lauren Myracle is a friend of mine in town here, a wonderful person and a talented writer. Her success is refreshing & I'm sure she'll be tickled by this!

[RedCappedBandit]

36. If I ever have kids..

They shall read whatever they want, whenever they want.*

If a chosen book is "unsuited for their age group" I'll take that to mean they're simply more advanced than others their age :D


*This excludes right wing garbage.
Can I point out that I found a copy of a book by Rick Warren in my bathroom that my brother is reading? The book is ridiculous.

[seabeyond]

62. what a ridiculous statement and to add your one exclusion, hypocrisy.

i would have no issue at all kids reading rw garbage, or fundie christian garbage. i would encourage them, and have, so they can get a well rounded idea of what is up in the world today, instead of leaving them ignorant to reality

if you trust you child to read anything, i mean anything.... (and that is leaving a lot of stuff open that may not be a good choice) then you trust your kids to be able to handle something as simple as opposing ideas.

[RedCappedBandit]

67. Sometimes people say things in jest.

:)

[seabeyond]

68. ah. ok. thanks for clarification. i didnt get the "jest", obviously. nt

[uppityperson]

37. Twilight romanticizes stalking and controlling, abusive, behavior.

It shouldn't be banned, but parents should make sure they have a good long talk with their kids about it. It's a bad idea to "fall in love" due to hormones/phermones and then let that person take control of your life. RUN! RUN! RUN!

"Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint"? Well, of a sect of misogynists perhaps.

[LWolf]

38. I, too, hate the "T" series, and would rather not type it.

It's poorly written, the characters are shallow and indefensible, the plot tiresome and implausible, but it is certainly not "sexually explicit." When sex actually happens in the final volume, it's about as vague and general as it could be without knowing that sex was happening. There is no "religious view point," which may offend those that WANT one.

I'm sick of my middle-school girls' obsession with "T," but I understand that it serves as a modern "gothic," and I remember when I was in 6th grade, and thought Victoria Holt books were awesome. I grew out of them as I matured. ;)

This former school librarian, now teacher, also appreciates librarians holding the fort.

[jmowreader]

39. I would ban Catcher for a different reason

"Protagonist is a whiny git."

Never mind the sex, the bad language, the unsuitability to age group...Holden Caulfield is a pain in the fucking ass and Our Children don't need his encouragement.

[lillypaddle]

41. Wow. I LOVED that book.

Read it at about 13 and laughed my ass off. Gave it to my nephew when he was in highschool.

[MicaelS]

42. Agreed, as one kid said "Shut up and take your Prozac"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/weekinreview/21schuessler.html?_r=1

:evilgrin:

[rationalcalgarian]

43. Didn't make the "Top 10"

... but when I was in Grade 12 (1973) "Clockwork Orange" was assigned reading in my English Lit class, along with "Brave New World" and "1984"! The movie was banned (ha!) but our teacher made the book mandatory.

[kenny blankenship]

44. Meanwhile Naked Lunch is still read-aloud fun for the whole family

Good to see.

[Arugula Latte]

46. “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things" -- Best book title evah!

:rofl:

[SoxFan]

49. Our library takes the opposite approach

The director of the Manchester City Library, Denise Van Zanten, sets up a display of banned books and actively encourages patrons to read them. This is just one of the reasons why she is a true treasure in our community.

[krabigirl]

51. these people are batshit insane

[Manifestor_of_Light]

55. They don't know about LETTERS FROM THE EARTH, by Mark Twain.

Or THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER, also by Mark Twain.

Both were not published until the early 1960s, after his last heir (a granddaughter) had died.

[newspeak]

58. I have Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain

Very, very insightful.

[FightingBobsghost]

56. The T-series

Frankly, I would ban it for horrid writing, poor plot development, paper-thin characters, in general breaking the laws of literature,

[BlooInBloo]

57. hahhahahahaa #8! Best. Title. EVAH!

[harry_pothead]

59. Libraries should post lists of the top ten complained about books in the front of their libraries

With extra copies of each of them easily accessible for checking out.

[DiverDave]

63. "Probably not." ??

Um, maybe it should say NO books should be banned...PERIOD.

[davsand]

64. I am SO gonna burn in hell--I have purchased a bunch of these books for my 12 year old.

I pretty much let her read what she wants, anyway, but there are a lot of titles on that list that my kid owns--ans some on there she loves. I'll admit that I do not always let her read specific titles if there is a lot of graphic sex or violence, but those are limited and I always explain to her that there is nothing WRONG with the books, but that I think she'll appreciate them more when she's older and has more life experience to draw from.

By way of example, there was a Brett Easton Ellis novel that came up recently. She asked me about it and I told her that it had been a very controversial novel in its day due to the graphic descriptions of violence against women. I also told her about being a bookseller and being PICKETED for selling that book...



Laura

[seabeyond]

65. there are authors i read very graphic and violent.... sandford, brennan

good books, and kids are advanced readers, but i dont want them immersed in the psychological perversion of extremism for fictional entertainment.

there are also writers like childs and others that have the stuff, just more moderate.

then again, son was reading semper fi mac at 12 and had the graphic stories of WW2 battles.

but i agree. if you have a child that loves to read, have an environment of critical thinking, and exploration of thought and communication, then that reading list is going to be pretty open. i find children put aside the books that are not appropriate, .... for them.

[jmowreader]

66. Brave New World should DEFINITELY be on this list

Come on. It's full of institutionalized racism, casual sex, LOTS of drug use, dismissal of the family as a worthwhile social construct...religion has been abolished...the "Solidarity Service" is nothing more than a drug-fueled orgy...and if you don't get quite enough sex and drugs in real life you can go to the "feelies" which are a very advanced form of porn. This is basically every fundamentalist's nightmare book, but it's only number 33 on the ALA's Top 100 Challenged Books List? Come on: if you're going to bitch about books because they have racism, sex, drugs and materialism in them, why not complain about a book that contains nothing but those things?

Incidentally, I thoroughly recommend having your children read this book.

Instead we get the Twilight series (ban that because Stephenie Meyer can't write), Catcher in the Rye (ban that because Holden Caulfield's a fucking asshole), and The Color Purple (ban that because I really, really hated the movie they made from it).