Library Guides: Banned Books Week: Home

Dates and Theme

Banned Books Week 2019 will be held Sunday, September 22 through Saturday, September 28. The theme of this years's event proclaims "Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark," urging everyone to "Keep the Light On."

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/freedownloads

Annual Event

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.

Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information.

It brings together the entire book community - librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers and readers of all types - in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

By focusing on efforts across the country to remove and restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned

https://bannedbooksweek.org/

DiPietro Library Display Case: Availability of Book Titles and Contest and Prize Information.

Availability of Book Titles:

All of the book titles listed in the "History" and "Snapshot of Several Banned and Challenged Books With Reasons Why" sections of this LibGuide are available at the DiPietro Library.

These books will be displayed in the DiPietro Library display case at the entrance of the DiPietro Library building.

Although these books will be displayed in the DiPietro Library display case they can also be checked out.

Contest and Prize:

Information on entering a contest to win a "MAKE ORWELL FICTION AGAIN" tote bag will also be displayed in the DiPitro Library display case.

History.

In the article 50 Years of Intellectual Freedom: The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Celebrates its History the authors Eleanor Diaz and James LaRue discuss the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. They mention the role of librarian Judith Krug as the OIFs first director, the support that OIF provides to librarians when works in their libraries are challenged and the creation of Banned Books Week.

Diaz, E., & LaRue, j. (2017). 50 Years of Intellectual Freedom: The Office for Intellectual Freedom Celebrates its History. American Libraries, 48(11/12), 38-44.

Banned Books by Marcia Amidon Lusted (Editor)
ISBN: 9781534500716
Publication Date: 2017-07-15
Book banning has a long history. Book banning and censorship of the written word can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Greeks, Romans and the Chinese. It may sound shocking, but even in this current age, books are banned all around the globe, but what makes a book inappropriate, even dangerous, for public consumption, and who has the power to deem it so? Some governments ban books as a form of censorship. Even schools can ban books they consider too racy or inappropriate for their students. Does banning books take away our liberties, attempt to erase history, and impose an agenda? Or is the practice actually in our best interests, depending on the circumstance? This balanced volume examines this surprisingly nuanced issue.

120 Banned Books by Nicholas J. Karolides; Margaret Bald; Dawn B. Sova
ISBN: 0816060436
Publication Date: 2005-06-01
For centuries, books have been banned, suppressed and censored because of political, religious, sexual and social reasons, according to the tastes and beliefs of an era or a locale. "120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature" contains comprehensive information about books that have been banned, suppressed or censored across 20 centuries and in many nations.
Each entry contains the author's name, original date and place of publication and literary form, as well as a plot summary. A separate section of each entry provides details of the censorship history of the work. The entries contain books in numerous genres, including fiction for children and adults, as well as nonfiction.

Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 List

The American Library Association (ALA) Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 List website lists the top eleven challenged or banned books in the year 2018. Also, listed are the reason why the books were challenged or banned. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracked 347 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2018.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#2018

Classics Banned and Challenged List

Each year, the American Libraries Association (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from libraries shelves and from classrooms.

The ALA Banned and Challenged Classics website lists the classic titles that are on the Radcliff Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century that have been banned or challenged.

"Banned & Challenged Classics," American Library Association, March 26, 2013

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics (Accessed September 12, 2019)

Document ID: 01106724-7b17-429e-9fde-178c7e5585bd

Young Adult Banned and Challenged List

The American Libraries Association (ALA) Young Adult Banned and Challenged List website lists Young Adult (YA) Books that have been banned or challenged.

Young Adult books are written for Young Adult audiences, those featuring a Young Adult character and classics that regularly appear on high school required reading lists.

"Frequently Challenged Young Adult Books," American library Association, August 9, 2016.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/YAbooks (Accessed September 12, 2019)

Document ID: 58119e8d-e004-4128-9819-1329382ecf53

Childrens Banned and Challenged Book List

The American Libraries Association (ALA) Frequently Challenged Children's Books website lists Children's Books that have been challenged.

"Frequently Challenged Children's Books," American Library Association, August 7, 2016.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/childrensbooks (Accessed September 12, 2019)

Document ID: 2bd09cab-3fa7-41d5-a4b8-4d03708779b3

Snapshot of Several Banned and Challenged Books With Reasons Why.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling; Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780439064866
Publication Date: 1999-07-01
THE DURSLEYS were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone-or something-starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself!

Harry Potter (Series)

Reasons for being banned or challenged:

Occult
Satanism
Violence
Anti-family
Religious viewpoint

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
ISBN: 9780316769532
Publication Date: 1951-07-16
The "brilliant, funny, meaningful novel" (The New Yorker) that established J. D. Salinger as a leading voice in American literature--and that has instilled in millions of readers around the world a lifelong love of books. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caufield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days.

The Catcher In The Rye

Reasons for being banned or challeged:

Offensive language
Unsuited for age group
Sexual content
Sexually explicit

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780545499088
Publication Date: 2013-08-27
The first Captain Underpants adventure like you've never seen it before -- in FULL COLOUR! Fourth-grade class clowns George Beard and Harold Hutchins have created the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school -- and now they're going to bring him to life! Meet Captain Underpants! His true identity is SO secret, even HE doesn't know who he is! This special edition will include an all-new sixteen-page bonus section that will reveal the origin of Captain Underpants!

Captain Underpants (Series)

Reasons for being banned or challeged:

Offensive language
Sexually explicit
Anti-family content
Unsuited to age group
Violence
Perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior
Including a same sex couple

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
ISBN: 9781573222457
Publication Date: 2003-06-02
The #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel that introduced Khaled Hosseini to millions of readers the world over. The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, caught in the tragic sweep of history, The Kite Runner transports readers to Afghanistan at a tense and crucial moment of change and destruction. A powerful story of friendship, it is also about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons--their love, their sacrifices, their lies. Since its publication in 2003 Kite Runner has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic of contemporary literature, touching millions of readers, and launching the career of one of America's most treasured writers.

The Kite Runner

Reasons for being banned or challenged:

Offensive language
Sexually explicit
Unsuited for age group
Violence
Critically acclaimed, multigenerational novel was challenged and banned because it included sexual violence and was thought to "lead to terrorism" and "promote Islam."

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 9780439023481
Publication Date: 2008-10-01
A chilling tale of survival from the New York Times bestselling author. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this stunning novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

The Hunger Games

Reasons for being banned or challenged:

Sexually explicit
Unsuited for age group
Anti-ethnic
Anti-family
Insensitivity
Offensive language
Occult
Satanic
Violence

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
ISBN: 9780060929879
Publication Date: 1998-09-01
Huxley's story shows a futuristic World State where all emotion, love, art, and human individuality have been replaced by social stability. An ominous warning to the world's population, this literary classic is a must-read.

Brave New World

Reasons for being banned or challenged:

Insensitivity
Offensive language
Racism
Sexually explicit
Nudity
Religious viewpoint

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

Beloved by Toni Morrison
ISBN: 0394535979
Publication Date: 1987-08-12
Toni Morrison--author of Song of Solomon and Tar Baby--is a writer of remarkable powers: her novels, brilliantly acclaimed for their passion, their dazzling language and their lyric and emotional force, combine the unassailable truths of experience and emotion with the vision of legend and imagination. It is the story--set in post-Civil War Ohio--of Sethe, an escaped slave who has risked death in order to wrench herself from a living death; who has lost a husband and buried a child; who has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad: a woman of "iron eyes and backbone to match." Sethe lives in a small house on the edge of town with her daughter, Denver, her mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, and a disturbing, mesmerizing intruder who calls herself Beloved. Sethe works at "beating back the past," but it is alive in all of them. It keeps Denver fearful of straying from the house. It fuels the sadness that has settled into Baby Suggs' "desolated center where the self that was no self made its home." And to Sethe, the past makes itself heard and felt incessantly: in memories that both haunt and soothe her...in the arrival of Paul D ("There was something blessed in his manner. Women saw him and wanted to weep"), one of her fellow slaves on the farm where she had once been kept...in the vivid and painfully cathartic stories she and Paul D tell each other of their years in captivity, of their glimpses of freedom...and, most powerfully, in the apparition of Beloved, whose eyes are expressionless at their deepest point, whose doomed childhood belongs to the hideous logic of slavery and who, as daughter, sister and seductress, has now come from the "place over there" to claim retribution for what she lost and for what was taken from her. Sethe's struggle to keep Beloved from gaining full possession of her present--and to throw off the long, dark legacy of her past--is at the center of this profoundly affecting and startling novel. But its intensity and resonance of feeling, and the boldness of its narrative, lift it beyond its particulars so that it speaks to our experience as an entire nation with a past of both abominable and ennobling circumstance. In Beloved, Toni Morrison has given us a great American novel. Toni Morrison was awarded the 1988 Pulitzer Prize in Literature for Beloved.

Beloved

Reasons for being banned or challenged:

Offensive language
Sexually explicit
Unsuited for age group
Religious viewpoint
Violence

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

Drama by Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545326995
Publication Date: 2012-09-01
The bestselling, award-winning author of Smile brings us her next full-colour graphic novel! Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi, she's a terrible singer. Instead she's the set designer for the stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that comes once the actors are chosen, and when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier! Following the success of Smile, Raina Telgemeier brings us another graphic novel featuring a diverse set of characters that humorously explores friendship, crushes, and all-around drama!

Drama

Reasons for being banned or challenged:

Sexually explicit
Considered to have offensive political viewpoint
The Stonewall Honor Award-winning 2012 graphic novel from an acclaimed cartoonist was banned and challenged in school libraries because it includes LGBT characters and was considered "confusing."
Includes LGBT themes

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

Librarian

MaryAnne Blauert

Banned Books Week

Dates and Theme

Annual Event

DiPietro Library Display Case: Availability of Book Titles and Contest and Prize Information.

History.

Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 Video

Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 List

Classics Banned and Challenged List

Young Adult Banned and Challenged List

Childrens Banned and Challenged Book List

Snapshot of Several Banned and Challenged Books With Reasons Why.

Librarian