It’s the 30th year the American Library Association has celebrated the right to read with its Banned Book Week. The week draws attention to cases of censorship at schools and libraries around the country.
Every year, parents protest hundreds of books in school curriculums or libraries, and while many schools reject the challenges against books, others do chose to ban books or remove them from classrooms. Thirty years ago, the books that were banned encouraged “pro-communist behavior” (“1984” by George Orwell), inflicted “psychological damage to the positive integration process” (“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee) “used God’s name in vain” (“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck) and implied “man is little more than an animal” (“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding).
Today, the challenges focus on sex, drugs and more drugs. Here are some of the books banned in 2010-2011, according to the American Library Association:
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”
Accusation: Foul language.
“What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-up Guide for Parents & Sons”
Accusation: Definitions of rape, incest, sexual assault and intercourse.
“Tweaked: A Crystal Meth Memoir”
Accusation: contains instructions on how to make certain types of illegal drugs.
“The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star”
Accusation: Descriptions of drug use
“Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology”
Accusation: Too graphic and obscene
“Water for Elephants”
Accusation: Steamy sex scenes.
Every year, parents protest hundreds of books in school curriculums or libraries, and while many schools reject the challenges against books, others do chose to ban books or remove them from classrooms. Thirty years ago, the books that were banned encouraged “pro-communist behavior” (“1984” by George Orwell), inflicted “psychological damage to the positive integration process” (“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee) “used God’s name in vain” (“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck) and implied “man is little more than an animal” (“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding).
Today, the challenges focus on sex, drugs and more drugs. Here are some of the books banned in 2010-2011, according to the American Library Association:
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”
Accusation: Foul language.
“What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-up Guide for Parents & Sons”
Accusation: Definitions of rape, incest, sexual assault and intercourse.
“Tweaked: A Crystal Meth Memoir”
Accusation: contains instructions on how to make certain types of illegal drugs.
“The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star”
Accusation: Descriptions of drug use
“Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology”
Accusation: Too graphic and obscene
“Water for Elephants”
Accusation: Steamy sex scenes.
